D&D Snippets II: The Snippetting

[Winds]

@PaperMustache RE: Secrets

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Maybe this is just me, but I have no clue who's talking without a little more information. I don't want you to bog yourself down in he saids and she saids, but perhaps a little of that wouldn't hurt.

Exactly what I'm trying to avoid...an doing so far too well, I guess. I'm trying to maintain their voices well enough to be obvious, but more concrete statements will be better.

I don't think it adds anything to the story to repeat that sentiment so many times. There are other descriptions you could use to convey the fact that their attacks aren't doing much.

Noted and agreed.

Wait... they're on a time limit? This wasn't clear to me. Maybe something I missed from a previous snippet? If so ignore me.

Before the sorceresses' banishment spell kicked in. There wasn't any indication they knew that was happening until that moment in-game, either...

I like the characterization here.

Always good to hear.

RE: The Destruction of Amolarr: Part 3

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My companions refused to clean themselves after the battle, triggering a long line of problems for me to deal with as we set out to meet with the councilman to be. They thought they would be better received if they wore some evidence of their conquests on their person. I tried to convince them that sweat, mud, and the blood of our enemies would not make for appropriate attire in the presence of a noble outside the arena, but they were beyond reason.

From the barbarian, this makes sense...but a paladin really ought to have known better.

Of course Kathul’s house guard turned the party away at the sight of us, insisting that my companions take advantage of the public bath house down the road. I was at least allowed to wait for them inside, but the candidate would not see me alone. I stood awkwardly in the hall, watched carefully by one of the guards. The room was lavishly decorated, but not at all comfortable to spend too much time in. Maroon walls seemed to emphasize the disapproving stares of the men in a dozen paintings lining the walls. This was a family estate, meticulously decorated in tribute to the family line. I could find nothing personal to hint at the character of the man we were about to meet.

You do an excellent job of portraying her manipulative mindset with things like this.

“You are very kind” I said quickly, before my companions could say something stupid, “we did what we had to in order to assist you in your campaign.”

Heh heh heh heh. Nice.

“Of course, I am sorry about the cold welcome you received earlier” the man sneered, eyeing Bronn and Malakar with distain, “but the filthy half-breeds of this city’s slums will do anything to sabotage my chances.”

Insult the adventurers. To their faces. After they showed up at your door covered in blood. Yeesh.

This man was by far the worst politician I had ever met. He talked down to his supporters and he spoke plainly of how little he cared for the lower class of this city. His entire agenda seemed to be based on condemning the barbarian tribes that served as powerful allies to the city’s defense, and slapping them with heavy regulations . He was woefully detached from the reality facing this city and its people. How a man of this ineptitude had ever managed to scrape himself into the running to become one of the most powerful leaders in the northern kingdoms was completely beyond my comprehension.

YEESH. To the last statement, though...I'm gonna go with 'lots of behind-the-scenes help'.

He took an envelope off of his desk and held it out to me, “this is a letter in Soluth’s handwriting detailing his new plan to sever ties with his barbarian supporters. You will find a way to plant it in his offices and report back to me. When this is done I will call for a search of his premises and discredit his entire platform.”

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESH

The bastard cut me off. “I know exactly what a group of heroes for hire like you are good for” he sneered, “you have your assignment, come back to me when you have seen to it!”

Yup. Definitely had help.

No no no. This simply was not my area of expertise. If I were a more accomplished sorcerer I could simply teleport myself in, plant the evidence, and teleport out. I kicked myself for my lack of dedication to my studies and rolled over onto my side in frustration. It was then that a familiar glint caught my eye.

Sorcerors. Awesome. Then they run out of options among their spells known. Still love 'em, though.

The mirror that I used to contact the man in black had fallen out of my bag partially when I had set the thing down on the floor.

Seems like it should be harder to reach...meh, whatever.

I decided to take my chances in abusing my master’s good will.

Hoo boy.

I scooped up the mirror and sat up in my bed. I put my hand on the mirror’s surface and focused on reaching out to the man in black through our blood bond. Someday I would be able to do this instantly without a mirror as he did, but for now I would just have to hope he would notice my alert and come to me.

An interesting skill. Homebrew?

"I can do this easily” he agreed, I slipped the letter through the mirror and it appeared in his hand, “I will return when it is finished.” He returned seconds later.

WOW. That's quite an ability.

“A gift” he smiled, “I have given you a portion of my casting ability. For the next 24 hours you will be able to draw from my power to cast a powerful dominating spell three times. It should be more than enough to secure the cooperation of your companions.”

Powerful, smart, and versatile. What fun!

The man in black truly had a wizard’s intellect. So much power, such mastery of the arcane arts, and no idea what to do with it. Only sorcerer such as myself, with magic flowing through my veins, to whom the arcane secrets were given freely, could grasp the enormity of the power he had gifted me with.

I like this. Go team Sorcerer.

“You work for me now” I said, using the last of the power the man in black had given me to shut him up, “and you are going to start acting like a real councilman, and then you are going to win and together we will run this city so far into the ground that even the dwarves won’t have use for it.”

Impressive use of that power. Much more effective the the MIB was expecting...I wonder if he'll consider that a good thing?

Coming soon:
An inconvenient repetition