>>2653994
>First the contract... everything else can wait.

get money then we get food

>first the contract... everything else can wait

Greetings and welcome to Wars of the Free.
Before we begin, let's get a few things out of the way.

>What's this?
A new quest set in a high fantasy setting.

>Are there/Will there be Chargen?
No

>Does this mean we don't get to pick anything?!
No

>Is this Isekai?
No

>Is this OC?
It's not set in an already established setting so kinda

>Grimdark?
No. Just fairly dark.
Expect to encounter the many wonders of the dark ages.

>Is Waifuing allowed?
Yes.
There are just two conditions:
-It won't become the main focus of the quest
-At least wait a bit for a few candidates to show up
That's all

>How does dice work?
Whenever you make a choice which implies the possibility of failure you roll 3d10.
I will consider the best of X amounts (typically 3 but you can increase or decrease the amount with your choices).
I will also specify the DC you have to hit and a Crit beyond that. Failing to meet either will result in a failure.
There are no Critical Failures but it's in your best interest to not fail many times in a row as the cost of failure will most likely increase.

>B-But I have other questions!
Then feel free to ask and I'll try my best to answer.
I usually check on the thread every 15 to 20 minutes.

>Other
Write-ins are ALWAYS (even if I forget to specify) an option and they are heavily encouraged unless two contradict each other.
I'll try my best to incorporate them IF they don't break character too much.
Also since this is a role playing game do try to role play.
You may approach things however you wish. But try not to make too many dumb decisions.

Have fun and good luck!

Well... guess there isn't much point in waiting for a third vote when the first two are identical

>writing

>>2654048
So do we belong to a guild? or something

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The cloaked figure made his way down into the town.
On his way he felt glad that he arrived so late.
Every time he wandered into a town people looked at him for his shoddy armaments.
It was getting rather irritating.

Not that he didn't earn it.

The brown cloth on his back was adorned by innumerable stains of mud, blood and various other bodily fluids best left unmentioned.
Tied to his belt was a scabbard holding a nondescript longsword.
He bore no shield but thick straps of cloth were rapped around his left arm several times.
Strapped onto him were patchwork pieces of armor that would make him the laughing stock of anyone even remotely well versed in arms and armor.
Crudely pieced together and originating from clearly different sets, what he had only barely covered a few of his most vital areas.
But the worst offender was his sole pauldron on his left shoulder which had a hole punched through it.
Not even bothering to purchase oil to maintain it, most pieces were rusty around the edges and where they were scratched or dented.

Finally after walking downhill for a while he arrived and looked around.
The streets were empty and dark, with only two faint lights coming from both the tavern and the Guild hall respectively.
The only two establishments that mattered in this dirt hole.

Wasting no time he headed towards the guild and entered, the door creaked in a familiar manner.
Almost immediately the clerk inside looked up, completely surprised.
"O-Oh! Good evening!"
After she greeted you the three adventurers in the corner briefly stopped their arguing and stared at you.

Pulling the hood of your cloak back you revealed your black hair and green eyes and looked around.
Up at the ceiling the chandelier slightly swung back and forth like a pendulum, the only magical source of light in a several mile radius.
Ignoring the others you made your way towards the counter where the clerk stood up from her little stool.

Bowing slightly she greeted you.
"Welcome back!
I hope the road treated you well!"

The girl was quite cheerful, despite having to work this late into the night.
She was polite every time you came here. It's a pleasant change from the norm.
If you had to guess you'd say she's from around here as she was relieved every time you came back for another contract.
Which is surprising, given her... unique features.

>>2654156
Correct

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As she forced herself to smile despite her obvious exhaustion her elongated ears twitched.
Elves are not the most common thing in Midland, especially here in the middle of nowhere.
But unlike most people who grew up without ever meeting a Nex you don't really have a problem with them.
Humans can be just as disgusting as any knife ear.

"What can I do for you?"

You reach for the silver tube at your side and after detaching it from your belt you slid it across the counter.
Almost letting out a sigh of relief she twisted off a cap and retrieved the rolled up paper.

The lifeblood of any organization that has to operate on a large scale and as versatile as it's widespread: The Contracts
Magical in nature, they can embody anything from a proof of trade to an agreement between two parties.
In your case it verifies that you fulfilled the request of your employer. Which means it fills your purse.
You like this system. It allows you a lot of freedom since you don't even have to meet your contractor in person.
You go out, you do your work and the guilds mark appears on your contract.

After verifying its validity she lets out a smile and reaches under the counter for your coin.
"That's 40 copper pieces! Congratulations!
Do you wish to undertake another assignment?"

"No."

She blinks a few times in surprise.
For the last month your routine consisted of doing nothing but slaughtering wolves and other forest creatures that disturbed the locals, coming back for your coin and immediately embarking afterwards.
But now that you lived through your reserves and because you were not lucky in your hunt on the way here it's about time to rest for a bit.

"I-I see...
Well if you change your mind we're-"

"I'll think about it."

But just as you turned around you bumped into something.
Metal clangs as you rammed into the man you saw arguing just a minute ago.

"Good evening!"
He greeted you.
"I uh... I'm sorry for standing in your way like that but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation!
We didn't know there are any adventurers around these parts!
Guess that makes us comrades, huh?"

"Lowan!"
The clerk snapped at him.
"Leave the man out of this!"

"Oh come on Trisha!
I'm sure he's interested in our offer!"

>Tell him to back off
>You don't have the patience for this. Go and have some lunch.
>Tell him to get to the point
>Other? (write-in)

>>2654328
>Ignore him and just go get food
Write in

Can we pickpockets? If we are decent he should buy us dinner

>>2654362
You can try but that means a dice roll

If you want to put it in green text.
And it only happens if others are in favor

>>2654328
>Other?
"Maybe later. More interested in lunch now. Haven't eaten all day, you see."

Sorry for being away.
Had to fetch some food real quick.

>writing

Oh and roll 3d10
I'm guessing I can't ask for more than 2 so...
Best of 2.
DC: 15 Crit: 21

Rolled 4, 7, 9 = 20 (3d10)

>>2654473

Rolled 1, 6, 1 = 8 (3d10)

>>2654473
For the record, I'd rather not pickpocket the man. If only because he might reasonably conclude it was us who did it, and we're likely to be seeing him again eventually since we're frequenting this area.

>>2654484
Don't worry

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"No.
I haven't eaten all day so I'm more concerned about my dinner."

"Well we can follow you and discuss it over a drink!"

Your shoulders drop and you let out a deep grunt.
"Ugh...
Fine."

As you make your way towards the tavern you take a good look at the three that decided to follow you.
The man... well more accurately the boy alone is enough to make every strand of your hair stand up.
Clad from neck to toe in shiny plate armor and brandishing a regular sword he doesn't look too bad at first glance.
But once you look closer you start seeing the warning signs.

His armor is in mint condition, not a scratch on it. He probably never even seen combat before.
If you had to bet you'd say he bought it at a bargain sale in a nearby fair. And whatever he paid for it was a waste.
The armor is poorly fitted and is clearly meant to entice boys with dreams of grandeur and a life full of adventure.

The two girls following him aren't that much better.
One of them is a mage, wearing a long robe with the traditional pointy hat and a staff in her hands.
She couldn't have a bigger target painted on her if she tried.
Even the dumbest of creatures would target her first, if only because of her small stature.

And the second girl... looks shockingly competent.
The bow on her back as well as the leather armor on her are rather unsightly... but clearly tailor made for her by someone who knew what they were doing.

"Girl...
Where did you get that gear?"

She is taken aback by this and only answers after a few moments.
"Erm... my Ma and Pa.
Pa is a hunter and Ma is a woodsman.
They made the armor for me. And I made the bow meself."

You nod in acknowledgement.
Well they aren't entirely beyond hope.
Emphasis on entirely.

You opened the door of the tavern and the stench of spilled wine hits your nose.
Dimly lit by the remnants of a larger fire and containing only those whose life is bound to their tankards or those who already passed out.
It's hard to imagine this place being better during the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbqDu4TAoYs

You ignored the barmaid and the sleeping bard and instead went straight for the bartender who was busy cleaning todays stained mugs.
He cleared his throat before spitting into the thing and polishing it with what looked to be a stained piece of deer skin.
At first he ignores you or simply fails to notice your presence so you forcefully placed your hands on the counter.

"Can I help ye'?"
The fat man finally spoke up.
You'd guess he is the only person who is not skin and bones in this town. Him and his barmaid.

"Beggar stew with some leftover dry bread."
Then you looked at his mug.
"Are there any tankards you don't clean with your spit?"

"Aye.
The ones Priscilla spits in."
You look over at the woman who you swear is a frog that was enchanted to look somewhat like a human.
Obese and covered in warts she winked you flirtatiously

"Yours will do then.
Do you have any ale that doesn't have dog piss in it?"

"There ain't no dogs 'round these parts stranger!
And we got one type o' ale. Everyone drinks it. Nobody died yet."
Then he leans in closer and looks you straight in the eye.
"And those that eat garbage shouldn't be picky!
That'll be 15 coppers!"

Suddenly the boy from behind you steps out and slides five coins onto the table.
"Allow me!
It's only fair if I buy you a round!"

"Hmph..."
The old bartender grumbles and twirls his moustache.
"Then that'll be 10 copper adventurer."
You place the coin on the table and the bartender turns to the boy.
"How 'bout you Lowan? You kids drink anythin'?"

"Thanks Boris!
One ale for each of us!"
The aspiring knight then slides fifteen more coins across the table.

"Si'down!
Priscilla will bring you yer stuff!"

Shrugging you go to the table that the two girls picked out.
The boy sits next to them while you go onto the other side and sit down in front of them.
As the barmaid brings you your drinks the kids each thank her.

"Here you go dears!
And you handsome! I'll bring you your meal shortly!"
Well... at least she isn't as unpleasant as she appears to be.

You give the strange smelling drink a taste.
It's about how you imagined to be. Incredibly bitter with a hint of... cabbages?
You really can't put your finger on it.

The others follow suit and after slamming their tankards down look at you.
"So... care to hear out our offer?"

You cross your arms and lean back.
"Might as well."

The boy then takes out the request.
"The job is simple!
There is a small goblin nest nearby that some folks from another village found.
Whoever takes them out gets 200 copper pieces!
We do it. We divide the coin equally! Everybody is happy!
So what do you say? Interested in some easy money?"

You furrow your brows.
For some reason you don't like the sound of this.
Perhaps it's just your pessimism. Maybe the first impressions you had about these kids.

>Agree
>Demand more
>Ask to see the request
>Ask them something (write-in)

>>2654665
>Ask to see the request
"I need to know more. About the goblins. And also about you three."

>>2654665
>>Ask to see the request
was busy earlier

>>2654665
>ask to see the request
Also
> write in
>Tell them you want all the loot the goblins are hoarding

>>2654681
>>2654697
noted

>writing

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RhoVkuGaPg

Unfolding your arm you placed your elbows on the table and reached for the paper.
"I'd like to see that."

"Erm... sure?"
They hand it over to you and start to marvel as your eyes start glancing over the text.

"W-Wow! You can ready?!"
The mage girl asks you.

You only respond with a nod.
Reading is a skill typically reserved for the nobility and the cityfolk.
Even you only learned it to save time and to avoid the embarrassment of having to ask the clerks in every guild hall every single time to read your contracts for you.
And still your ability leaves much to be desired. You don't know many words, what they mean and how to pronounce them, but context helps you to interpret them.

But what you saw on the request only served to confirm your suspicions.
The parts detailing the goblins was fine, it was just the complaints of the local farmers written down by the poor clerk having to do it.
No, what worried you were the parts added by the guild itself.

"Minimum 3 adventurers."

This immediately tells you that the elf girl didn't give them the contract because she knew they couldn't do it. So she limited them to 4.
And if you know the guilds practices then that 3 means that a party consisting of two adventurers already failed at it.
Either they managed to breed enough to accomplish such a feat or... they have a leader.

"Last known location: near Crowhall"

That's not exactly close by.
At least a days worth of trekking through the wilderness.
Meaning this request was not submitted here. This is a regional one that no doubt got plastered in ever guild hall.

Looking up from the paper you started asking questions from the three in front of you.
"Alright...
If we're going to do this then I have to know about you.
What can you do and will I have to look out for you?
Also... how many contracts did you complete?"

"Erm... none?
But you don't have to worry about it!"
The knight in shining armor spoke.
"I can't talk for the others but we all prepared our whole lives for this!
I practiced with a sword since I was 12!"

"And how old are you now?"

"I became 16 three weeks ago!"

You took a deep breath very slowly and asked him the last question.
"And who exactly taught you?"

"No one.
There aren't exactly many instructors around these parts so I had to teach meself!"

You let out an audible groan and started rubbing the bridge of your nose.
"You... mage."

"M-My name is Sonya."

"Yeah whatever...
What type of mage are you?
And what spells can you use?"

"I-I-I'm an Elemental Mage.
A-A-And I can shoot fireballs... Ser."

Well that's not exactly much.
"And can we trust you to not blow yourself or us up?"

"Y-Yes Ser!
I uh... I practiced a lot not to hurt anyone."

Well you suppose it could be worse.
But you'll still stay behind her just in case.

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"And don't call me 'Ser' again.
I'm no knight and I work for a living!"
She jolts up and starts profusely apologizing.
"Thank you...
And you-"

"Avana."

"How 'bout you?"

"I was taught survivalism by mother and hunting by my father.
But I find it curious how you inquire us about our capabilities but don't tell anything about yours."

You pause for a moment.
"How good of a shot are you?"

"I can hit a deer from 200 paces in the thickest woods.
You?"

"I'll only tell you two things.
My age and how many years I worked as an adventurer.
In this order. And nothing else!"
You pause.
"17. 8."

Given how you weren't exactly quite up until now the entire tavern fell silent.
You even heard the cluttering of forks and knives as people started counting on their fingers.
Meanwhile your soon to be 'comrades' were left speechless.
Then like a bolt from the blue the barmaid came out from the kitchen and brought you your 'meal'.

You looked down at the swill like stew which is served in almost every tavern and is always the cheapest thing to buy.
Made from half mold vegetables, leftover meat on the bones, fat, sinew, gristle and whatever's left in the kitchen and simmered until it's reduced to a brown sludge.
It smells like ass and tastes like shit. But if you have the stomach for it it can sustain you.
And you found that the blandness of dry bread perfectly suppresses most of the flavor in the stew.

Without hesitation you began devouring that filth and continued.
"So I am the one who'll make sure the contract is fulfilled.
Stick around and listen to what I say! And with some luck you might make it!
In turn I want anything valuable the goblins might have!
Deal?"

They look at each other and then the boy practically explodes with joy.
"OF COURSE WE HAVE A DEAL!
With a pro like you there is no way we can lose!"

"Wait... you actually believe him?"
Avana asked Lowan but the boy completely ignored her.

"SO! When do we go?
S-Should we go to the guild first?
I-I mean we have to get the contract, right?"

You raise your bowl and send down the last few drops of the stew down your throat.
After slamming it down on the table you responded...

>The sooner we get going the better
>No. We start in the day.
>Other? (write-in)

>>2654900
>No. We start in the day.

We better rest up so we can save these asshats

>>2654900
>No. We start in the day.
Gives us time to rest and resupply. Besides we can also do research into the quest, we're professionals always do your prep work.

>>2654900
>>No. We start in the day.

That is very clearly one sided

>writing

"No.
You should go home and get some sleep.
It's foolish to wander in the night and I'm tired myself.
First thing tomorrow we'll get the contract and head out."

Seeing that the boy was about to protest you stood up and headed for the bartender.
Gently knocking on the table you attempted to get his attention.

"Hmmm?
Back for seconds adventurer?"

"Not quite.
I'd like a room for the night."

"Hmph...
We don't have any spare rooms.
But you could take one of the communal beds."

"That's what I was hoping for.
How much?"

"10 copper a night!"

Slowly you forked over the mans coin.
Spending half of the money you just made stung but there was nothing you could do about it.
Likely you'll have to spend the rest tomorrow on supplies. But if the job pays off then you'll make twice as much back.
Before heading down to the cellar you looked at your partners one more time.

"Tomorrow. Morning.
Don't be late."

Communal rooms like these are fairly popular in rural areas.
Typically even small settlements have a lot of traders, adventurers and other kinds of wanderers passing through who might not have the coin to spend for a proper room.
So to not loose money over not being able to house so many people many establishments started renting out space in cellars, attics and pretty much wherever they could.
One 'bed' barely consisted of more than some hay or a few skins piled up and of course if you wanted to cover yourself you typically had to use the beds material for it.
But it was extremely affordable, if you could keep an eye on your belongings of course.

Heading down you immediately spotted a few people who drank themselves into oblivion.
But you still intended on sleeping with one eye open, just in case.

You immediately sat down on a bundle of leathers and pulled one over yourself.
Before getting some shut eye you decided to take a quick note of your inventory.
Of course you consumed all of your rations so you'll need to buy at least some food.
But on the other hand you had plenty of gear still available: some oil, rags, kindling, a flint, various herbs and remedies you've gathered and your favorite, caltrops.

Now there was nothing more to do other than sleep.
Reaching deep into your knapsack and unfolding a hidden pocket you withdrew perhaps one of the most important piece of your supplies.
A fleshy bud with veins running all over it.
Carefully looking around you made sure no one was watching you before squirting a few drops of the juice in it into each of your eyes.
After putting it back where it belongs you went to sleep.

>>2655156
>A fleshy bud

Like a flower bud?

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>>2655195
more like these

disregard the name

Well, glad I didnt miss much.

Also my gods that swordskid is going to suffer.

>>2655242
Yep, his character reminds me a lot of the beginning of Goblin Slayer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op3ib79WYoY

It was a dreamless sleep that you entered.
Oh how you wish you could dream.
But that is the side effect of abusing liquid aether.

Vivid flashes of incoherent images tormented you, making mere nightmares look pleasant in comparison.
Worlds that never was, colors you can't comprehend and the taste of music all assaulted your mind.
But in turn it gave you awareness of yourself and your immediate surroundings.
If someone tried to rob you in your sleep you'd know.

Once you woke up you broke out in a cold sweat and gasped for air.
If you woke up anyone they probably think you mad now.
And rightfully so.
No matter how many times you use them the end result is the same.
An incoherent mess of thoughts that feel like they originate from someone who doesn't speak the same language as you.
But despite never getting used to it you can't question its usefulness.
Sadly you might need to acquire some more in the near future as your supplies are dwindling.

Checking on your belongings just in case you packed up and went upstairs where the rather revolting maid greeted you.
"Good morning sweetheart!
Did you sleep well?"

"Yes.
Thank you for asking."

"Pray we meet again!"

Heading out the door you are immediately greeted by the three you honestly expected to be late.
"Good morning comrade!
Are you ready?"

"Aye...
Good to see you are at least punctual.
Let's go."

Heading into the guild hall you requested the clerk to write your contract.
She was rather horrified when she saw you enter with the three of them, confirming your suspicion that she's worried about them.
But it's her job as a clerk and as a scribe mage to write contracts so now that there was 4 of you there wasn't much she could do.
Placing the precious paper in your silver container you left the building and your three new allies immediately became cheerful.

"O-Our first mission!"

"Yes. I can't believe it myself."

"THIS IS SO COOL!
So... what do we do now?
Do we buy provisions or-"

>Only the essentials, some food and water
>No need. We'll gather what we need on the road
>Other? (write-in)

> food, water and a map

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>>2655253
DID SOMEONE SAY GOBLIN SLAYER?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzXB52T_BB8

>>2655275
>>2655266
Whoops I didn't link it

>>2655284
Not really an issue.
Not in a slow thread.

It's only useful in threads where there are a lot of votes so don't worry too much about it

>>2655266
>>Only the essentials, some food and water

>>2655275
This, but add a tinderbox. If it's gonna be like goblin slayer we might have to smoke them out. No point going into goblin vietnam.

>writing

Rolled 7, 8, 8 = 23 (3d10)

Also QM rollin'

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"Tell me... do they sell water anywhere in town?"

"W-Water?"

The girl with the arrow stepped in.
"Sadly the only source of drinkable water nearby is in Crowhall."

"Then we'll have to make do.
I'd rather not rely solely on hunting and gathering.
So we'll need at least some food and plenty of wine."

There wasn't much of a market in town given how remote the village is.
Only one or two houses had shops set up in them and only one of them dealt in actual food.
Luckily the upside of such an enclosed community is that everyone knows everyone so your little entourage came in handy when you went to purchase supplies.
Turns out these three as well as the elf clerc grew up together and lived their whole lives in the village.
And given their good reputation the shop owner gladly gave you everything at a discount.

For food you bought some smoked meat, beets and beans.
Things that can be stored for a reasonable amount of time.
And for the purpose of quenching your thirst you also bought some cheap wine.
With how rare pure water is nowadays people have to rely on cheap, weak alcohol for sustenance.

"That about should do it..."
You speak up as you tied the waterskin to your bag.

"W-Wait! Do we even know where we have to go?"

You took out a map and pointed at Crowhall.
"This is the settlement where they reported the sightings.
And this is the only nearby forest that's large enough to hide a tribe of goblins."

"Can't they hide in caves or mountains?"
Avana asked.

"They hate large, open spaces where they are easily picked off by predators.
Wolves, foxes, boars even birds will go out of their way to slay these disgusting creatures.
Sometimes not even for their meat, just for sport."

"Oh..."

"So they like places where there is plenty of vegetation.
And since they can't exactly make dens in a field of corn they usually settle for forests."
Rolling up your map you pointed at the road ahead.
"Come on.
It will take us an entire day to get there. And I don't want to hunt goblins during the night."

"Wait! Why?
Don't we have to enter their dark lair anyway?"

"They are active during the night..."

You embarked on your journey with vim and vigor... well at least the tag-alongs did.
Which only served to confirm your worries about this entire thing.
They were bewitched by almost everything they encountered as their worldview was limited to their birthplace.

Over all your progress was slower than you'd like since the others were too busy frolicking around to keep a decent pace.
Only managing to barely move far enough away from Dirthaven that it's no longer visible when you looked back you decided to stop for a rest.
Settling down at the roadside you all unpacked some smoked meat and had a little snack.
While munching on the preserved meat you noticed something from the corner of your eye.

A wild rabbit was starting to get braver as your group got quiet enough.
Biting down hard on the meat you let go of it and reached down to your belt where your knife was.
With one flick you tossed the sharpened piece of metal and it hit the small animals side.
Cramming the remaining slated meat into your mouth you walked over to your catch and pulled your knife out of it before taking it back to the group.

Avana just stared at you as you walked and couldn't help but speak her mind.
"From that range?
J-Just who is this guy?"

"Who cares?
As long as he's with us we are unstoppable!
I'm telling you he's our ticket to the big life!
Soon we'll be like the Tamer of the Sea and other legends!"

Ignoring how they were obviously talking about you just a minute ago you sat down and began skinning the rabbit.
Meanwhile Avana started asking questions from you.
"Hey erm... where did you learn that?"

"Trial and error.
I lived on the road most of my life so I had to catch my own food.
After a while I got better at it."

Starting at the legs you started undressing your catch and once only the head was remaining cut it off as well.
Not needing the head you removed that from the fur and tossed it away.
After putting away the skin to sell it later you then went ahead and did the one thing that truly mattered.
With a quick incision around the neck you looked inside the rabbits body, searching for that coveted thing.
It only took two quick cuts after locating the aether gland to completely remove it from the small animals carcass.

You then raised what was left of the creature and showed it to Avana.
"Now it only needs to be gutted.
Do you want it?"

"E-Erm...
Do you not need it?"

"Not right now."

"Erm... sure I guess.
It couldn't help."

But as you completed your little transaction the boys eyes opened wide in disbelief.
"What the fuck was that?!"

"I killed a rabbit if you didn't realize."

"ARE YOU A JUNKER?!"

>>2655531
>"ARE YOU A JUNKER?!"

Would I be correct to assume that being a junker is a bad thing?

>>2655543
It's basically a drug addict

>>2655544
Ah, okay.

Im not saying I hate the kid, but I'm not saying I like him.

>>2655551
Yeah he seems to be on the tract to getting himself killed.

Can we just stare at him? As if (which he did) said one the stupidest things we've ever heard.

"Calm down Lowan it's not-"

"C-Can someone explain what's going on?"

"This guy! THIS GUY is a junker!"

"Do you even know what you are saying?
It's a common trick amongst hunters.
When they have to spend the night outside they use aether so they can sleep and still keep watch."

"Oh yeah?
Well remember old Deadeye?
You know, whose eyes fell out?
He was a respectable hunter once! That's where his name originated!
But he got hooked on the aether and couldn't stop! He became a lowlife! A gibbering madman!
And you know what the other hunters did?! They kept giving that poison to him!"

"You are so full of it! Wanna know why they gave it to him?
Because he was so dependent on it he'd die without it!"

"AND THAT'S MY POINT!
That thing kills people! No! It ruins them!
And you are willingly consuming it?!
What kind of an adventurer ARE YOU?!"

>Calm yourself. Sit down. And shut the fuck up
>The kind that survives. And I'm no junker
>I need it because I don't trust you to keep watch when I sleep
>Other? (write-in)

>>2655561
of course

write-ins are ALWAYS an option
and if it's good it will be used

>>2655569
>>The kind that survives. And I'm no junker.
Just because we use the drugs doesn't mean we are addicted to them. Also hope in the future we get into some magical stuff.

>>2655569
>"The kind who has to be more concerned with staying alive today than tomorrow. In case you hadn't noticed, not everyone comes from the same walk of life that can afford fresh food and shiny armor, kid."

>>2655551
I would imagine that's basically the response OP was aiming for when writing him.

He's a naive kid who's overconfident and doesn't have a sense of tact. He's going to need to lose some of that naivety, or at least not be so obvious about it, if he intends to survive. Hopefully his time with us will make that clear to him.

Lucky for him, we're probably too jaded to give a fuck about being offended by his gaffe. Though we might want to make it clear to him that he's lucky we're not the type to take his tongue off for making such a remark.

>>2655582
Aether is magical.
But that explanation will have to wait

And... yeah.
There are some hardcore stuff you can get into

>>2655569
>>The kind that survives. And I'm no junker

>>2655594
I mean more along the lines of us using magic, not saying become high mage but maybe do stuff like cast a spell to coat our weapons in fire.

>>2655588
This. Only issue is that it still comes across that we're a substance abuser. Living for the moment rather than later.

>>2655280
Is it wrong that I am suspicious of the Goblin slayer himself thanks to what his master was?

>>2655600
That too

Also
>writing

>>2655601
I feel like regardless of how we deny it, he's going to believe that anyway. Our character doesn't seem eloquent enough to persuade him otherwise, nor does he seem like he can be arsed.

The most we can do is give him something to consider that's outside his worldview, and hopefully give him an inkling that he need to expand it if he hopes to not die.

"The kind who has to be more concerned with staying alive today than tomorrow.
In case you hadn't noticed, not everyone comes from the same walk of life that can afford fresh food and shiny armor.
I am no junker...
And you'd do well to keep such comments to yourself.
There are those in the world who'd cut out your tongue for far less."
Standing up you look down at them.
"Let's go.
We still have a ways ahead of us."

The rest of the journey was rather uneventful.
The boy kept alternating between grumbling to himself and arguing with the archer girl.
You couldn't be bothered to pay attention to that.

What you were concerned with was the fact that the sun was about to set.
"Not good."
You mumbled and then felt a slight tug on your mantle.

"Erm... S-Ser?
I-I uh... I was wondering about what I'll have to do when we get there.
We are close now, right?"

"Hopefully yes.
But... hmmm...
You can only create fire balls right?"

"I uh... I can make light too..."

"That's good...
But can you throw the fire in a way that it doesn't hit us?"

"I-I'll try!"

"Great...
Listen, we'll most likely have to walk in a single file.
Goblins enjoy tight and cramped caves.
So I'll go first. Avana comes after me, then you and finally the boy.
Your job will be to cover our back and he'll cover your front.
Just whatever you do, keep throwing fire and don't hit us! Goblins are afraid of many things but nothing more than fire and magic!
Remember that!"

"I uh... I'll make sure I do!
But... oh my you must have fought many goblins before to know all this."

"I don't usually accept goblin contracts.
Too unpredictable. No. I just heard of other peoples failures."

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The lightwell was setting and the skies put on their orange dress for the occasion.
Finally the forest came into view, the leaves of the trees glowing with a golden light.

"We made it!"

"Barely."
You observe.
"Let's get this over with while they are still groggy."

The forest was expansive, much bigger than you anticipated.
Luckily Goblins aren't exactly hard to find.
If one peels their eyes they can spot areas that they ravaged.
Or one could simply use their nose.

Their cave was located near a pond of foul smelling water, clearly polluted.
And the walls were overgrown with the thick roots of nearby trees.
You peered into the hole in front of you and cursed.

"Damn... they really dug themselves in.
This place is way too small for us.
I was afraid this might happen but... we have no choice.
We'll have to go in a single file."

You told the others what you told the mage and they nodded.
"Shall we light some torches? Or should we surprise them?"

>Make some torches
>Try to sneak in
>Other? (write-in)

>>2655813
>Try to sneak in
>But be sure bring some torches, unlit.
Sonya can produce light on demand if necessary. Best to at least try to maintain the advantage of surprise since we don't fully know what we're up against.

>>2655813
Well this smells like a trap. Visibility would be nice but they'll see us coming. On the other hand Goblins can likely see in the dark so it's possible they'll see us anyway.
>Scout the Caves once more for another entrance, if none other are found build a fire by the cave entrance to smoke them out.
Dirty, but the plan here is if they're not smothered by smoke is to draw them out of the cave into our ambush.

>>2655836
This gets my vote.

>>2655836

well we have a winner

>writing

Oh and by the way.
Roll 3d10.
DC: 17 Crit: 22
Best of 3

I don't know how to roll dice.

Rolled 1, 10, 9 = 20 (3d10)

>>2655889

>>2655912
In the options field type 'dice+3d10' without the quotation marks

Rolled 4, 8, 10 = 22 (3d10)

>>2655889

Rolled 3, 6, 1 = 10 (3d10)

>>2655889
Dice don't fail me now!

>>2655932
Dayum

For a first roll that's bretty gud

>>2655932
Well fuck me didn't expect that.

>>2655938
You did good Anon. My dice on the other hand...

I have a sneaky suspicion that this quest will end roughly the same way as my other one...
With the MC being an untouchable demigod by the end

>>2655964
Too early to tell, unless this one crit just did the whole goddamn job I wouldn't worry about it.

>>2655976
Not that.
I mean that so far the dice have been either great or decent at worst.

In my last game the players hardly failed any important DC and only had mediocre rolls when doing something mundane or not important

>>2656003
You could always make it that too much success isn't a good thing. Critting on killing an enemy could mean we destroy it's items, reducing loot. Or we killed all the enemies and because of that we missed out on some info or other cool things because of it. Consequences of actions, ect.

>>2656035
I did that once and people bitched about it.
I'm still gonna do it anyway

>>2656003
With a gentle reminder that you should generally not have players roll for something you're not prepared to write a failure condition for, I'll point out that when rolling best 1 of 3 3d10s, we have on average about a 73% chance of rolling a 19 or above; a 53% chance of rolling a 21 or above; and a 23% chance of rolling a 24 or above.

Naturally, averages apply only loosely to single data points, but the odds of us failing a BO3 DC 17 roll are quite slim.

>>2656035
That's incredibly dickish
>>2656039
and those people have the right to bitch about it, the only way it could be worse is you used crits when we were trying to non lathe take downs to kill the enemy.

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"There is no point in not bringing a fire.
Goblins are nocturnal. Going in dark would only aid them...
Although...
Hmmm... fire."

"Is something wrong?"

"No...
But we should scout the area for other entrances."

"Why?"

"There is not nearly enough time to waste it all on explanations.
Just split up and look for entrances! Even small ones!
I want to know if there are other ways to get out!"

"Oh... ok."

After a few minutes of searching you quickly ran back to the entrance and got to work.
This cave system can't be that expansive. Judging by its shape it's most likely an ancient, derelict ruin that sunk halfway beneath the earth.
First you gathered some nearby branches and quickly piled them on one another then drenched the thing with the oil in your backpack.
Using some of your tinder and your trusty flint you quickly sparked some embers to life and fed them to your soon to be inferno.

With a loud BANG that knocked you backwards the fire came to life, hungrily consuming the wood you kept feeding to it.
The sound also attracted the others who ran to you as quickly as possible.
"What the?!"

"Oh good! You're here!"
You greeted them as you threw more and more logs on the fire.
"Did you find any exits?"

"N-No?"

"Excellent!
Then get over here and start fanning the flames!
HAHAA! This is gonna be great!"

"What are you doing?!"

"Isn't it obvious?!
We'll cook them alive!"

It took them a fair bit of time to recover from their shock but when they did they quickly jumped in to aid you in your efforts.
Smoke and heat quickly began filling the cave and you started hearing the horrid noises of these goblin wretches over the crackling flames.
But what you didn't expect to happen but welcomed it none the less was the fact that the roots that overgrew these ruins were apparently old and dead for a long time.
Their dried bark only served as more fuel for your deadly trap, filling more and more of the caves with their deadly orange plumes.

Through the fire you could make out the desperate expressions of these monstrous little vermin.
The realization that their only way out is through an ocean of fire is priceless.
Producing thrice as much mucus and snot as normally some of them tried to push through the flames.
But even that 'coating' of theirs dried up and evaporated alongside their flesh.

One after another they each threw themselves into the flame, thinking that THEY will be the ones to make it.
And who could blame them? They are dead either way. Might as well try.
But your 'friends' did not share your excitement as you watched them burn.

"T-That's uh... that's quite a lot..."
The boy observed while the girls were too preoccupied gasping.
Soon they all reached for their noses and mouths as the smell became intolerable.

>>2656072
In that particular instance damaging the opponent only made them stronger.
And I made that very clear for them

>>2656066
I've seen other quests use the same system and sometimes struggling to not fail.
Do not under estimate RNG

>>2656083
You used a cirt SUCCESS to screw you're players over, they have every right to be mad and you saying but I told them does not detract from the fact you still did it in the first place.

>>2656099
They chose to punch it really hard.
They critted.
He got a power boost.
It's called making a bad decision.
Succeeding doesn't mean much if your end goal was dumb

They still managed to win rather easily.

>>2656035
>Or we killed all the enemies and because of that we missed out on some info or other cool things because of it. Consequences of actions, ect.
This is fine, if players explicitly choose to kill all enemies over sparing some of them.

>Critting on killing an enemy could mean we destroy it's items, reducing loot.
This is terrible, because critting is not something within player control. You're not enacting consequences for players' actions, you're punishing them for their luck.


My thinking is that players rolling well should have narrative consequences, rather than mechanical ones. Enemies hearing of the characters' exploits and preparing themselves accordingly. NPCs seeking alliances with or against this new and rising star.

Scaling the narrative proportionately with the resources characters gain from a string of successes feels infinitely better to players than hamstringing them to prevent their progression.

>>2656118
At that point if even hitting the enemy was a bad idea the why did you roll anything at all if all it did was undermine the players, just make it a large story post with no rolls.

>>2656161
Because at that point critting and failure were practically reversed.
Failure wouldn't have been as bad and success wouldn't have been fine.

It was meant to better illustrate the reality warping fuckery of the enemy

But the best was left for last.
What you expected has finally shown up.
A goblin mage wielding a staff grafted out of rotting animal parts and their matriarch with its pups.

Despite wielding the powers of the cosmos the mage was unable to do anything on account of being choked to death by the smokes and because it was deathly afraid of fire.
Eventually he, the de facto leader of this tribe and the matriarch both followed the example of their brethren, hurling themselves into the inferno in the hopes of making it out alive.
And to their credit they somewhat did.

The mage was capable of protecting itself somewhat but suffered so many burns that it couldn't defend itself anymore.
The female one was different however.
Lacking any form of magic it did the only thing it could and tried to shield its pups with her own body.
Well... that's at least something positive you can say about goblins.
They have maternal instincts.

The mage grunted in agony, trying to do something, anything.
Your fellows just stared at this in horror.
"T-This is horrible!"

You just rolled your eyes at this.
Goblins are no more than slightly larger rats.
All it took was one stomp for each goblin. One on the mages neck and one for every seven pup in the litter.
Trying to scrape some of the filth off your boots on a nearby rock you took out the contract from its container and revealed it to the others.

As the last rays of the lightwell disappeared over the horizon the black insignia of the guild slowly emerged from the paper.
Contract: Completed

Aaaand that's a wrap folks!

Archives are up and I hope you enjoyed yourselves.
If you have any questions feel free to ask them.
I'll try to answer all of them sooner or later.

As for those who might be new...
I have two places where I can be reached.

Twitter: @SpookyngQM
Here I'll post my schedule and when I'm running
The links to the future pastebins will also be available here once I make them

Ask: @Spookyng
You can ask questions here as well

See you guys later.

>>2656168
No, if failing means we fail at what we did then the enemy still wins in the end thus making the mechanic of rolling useless. Was it even the PC that killed him or someone else?

>>2656191
It was.

And don't underestimate the MC.
He was supremely bullshit in his own right.

>>2656186
Thanks for running.

>>2656168
First, I'd like to point out that players can be almost infinitely dense. I haven't any idea how you executed this, but short of explicitly stating something (and even sometimes then), it's always possible for players to miss or misunderstand something shown to them.

That said, I feel like this shouldn't be an example of punishing players for success.
>It was meant to better illustrate the reality warping fuckery of the enemy
Fucking with the roll system sounds like an absolutely brilliant way of showing reality being fucked with, to mess with players on a meta level, as long as execute it well.

I can just imagine a lengthy description of an eldritch horror heaving itself into the characters' plane of existence and lashing out at the assembled onlookers, followed by a short prompt for a roll to survive:
>Roll 3d10, best of 3. DC: 7, roll under.

>>2656243
Oh they knew what they were doing.
They just didn't know what to do. Truthfully not even I did. But trying to suppress the opponent would've yielded much better results.
Powerlevels got out of control quite hard

But that wasn't even the first instance of that happening.
The MC had a pet eldritch horror who also did something similar.

Players failed a non-essential roll but someone did a Nat 30.
So one of them jokingly said: "I bet that's the roll of Wiggles."

Then lo and behold that little monster just looked at the rolls and picked that one out like:
"Ah yes. This will do!"