So, not to hint at my age, in any capacity, years ago I was playing AD&D with something friends, and we had a handful of house rules which were a bit different than standard written rules. The only ones which matter for this story are these. 1. Double Crit, instant death. If you rolled a nat 20 to hit, you rolled again. If it was another nat 20 [REDACTED], it resulted in an instant kill. 2. If under an effect, such as fear, you had to save against it before the effect would end, even upon the death of the creature causing the effect. 3. If under the fear effect, you spent you could do one attack, but then had to turn and run away, until you saved [REDACTED].
Now the story.
We had been sent to slay an adult red dragon. (I think it was red anyway. It was so long ago I have honestly forgotten.) After several in game days of trekking through the mountains to find it's lair, we finally managed to located it after several tough checks. I do not recall the entire part composition beyond 3 of the 5 players. We had a Dwarf fighter, elf rogue, and a human wizard, but these are all I can remember. Anyway, upon entering the lair, and locating the dragon resting atop it's hoard, everyone stopped in awe of it's size, and the gold on which it lay. As the dragon opened it's eyes, the dragon fear washed over the party. Surprisingly, everyone saved vs fear, except.... The dwarf fighter. We rolled initiative, and the dwarf went first, surprisingly enough. As per the rules, he took his battle axe in both hands, and with a mighty swing, threw the axe with all his might. Before seeing the axe reach the intended target, he turned, and proceeded to run as fast as his feet would carry him. He rolled the dice... Nat 20. On a nat 20, he rolled again, and once more, rolled a nat 20. Per the house rules, it was an instant kill against the dragon. As the axe flew true, and found fatal purchase, the dragon breathed its last, as the spine was severed at the base of the skull. The dwarf rolled again to save vs fear, and failed. What continued to happen for an insane number of rolls was ridiculous. He repeatedly failed save after save, after save, and continued to run as far away as he could go. This led the party on the next arc of the game, a search for the dwarf. In game, about 3 months went by, before we found him, trying to barter for passage on a ship to sail for an even more distant shore. We detained him, wrestled the cursed D20 from the guy playing the dwarf, and gave him a new one, and he finally saved vs fear. However, this ending is the not one that we told a bard some time later, when the dwarf was away drinking... The ending we told, was that to this day, somewhere in the world, is a dwarf, grizzled, starving and afraid, but unable to move for his fear prevents him from getting closer to the lair, where the dead dragon now rests. So, if ever you happen upon a dwarf, in rusty plate armor, standing in place, unable to move, rain, or shine, know that you have found a warrior so mighty, that a single swing of his axe fells dragons, but the fear in his heart keeps him from facing them.
What songs can you come up with for such a twisted story?
Notes: Please do not include random links in posts
So, not to hint at my age, in any capacity, years ago I was playing AD&D with something friends, and we had a handful of house rules which were a bit different than standard written rules. The only ones which matter for this story are these. 1. Double Crit, instant death. If you rolled a nat 20 to hit, you rolled again. If it was another nat 20 [REDACTED] , it resulted in an instant kill. 2. If under an effect, such as fear, you had to save against it before the effect would end, even upon the death of the creature causing the effect. 3. If under the fear effect, you spent you could do one attack, but then had to turn and run away, until you saved [REDACTED].
Now the story.
We had been sent to slay an adult red dragon. (I think it was red anyway. It was so long ago I have honestly forgotten.) After several in game days of trekking through the mountains to find it's lair, we finally managed to located it after several tough checks. I do not recall the entire part composition beyond 3 of the 5 players. We had a Dwarf fighter, elf rogue, and a human wizard, but these are all I can remember. Anyway, upon entering the lair, and locating the dragon resting atop it's hoard, everyone stopped in awe of it's size, and the gold on which it lay. As the dragon opened it's eyes, the dragon fear washed over the party. Surprisingly, everyone saved vs fear, except.... The dwarf fighter. We rolled initiative, and the dwarf went first, surprisingly enough. As per the rules, he took his battle axe in both hands, and with a mighty swing, threw the axe with all his might. Before seeing the axe reach the intended target, he turned, and proceeded to run as fast as his feet would carry him. He rolled the dice... Nat 20. On a nat 20, he rolled again, and once more, rolled a nat 20. Per the house rules, it was an instant kill against the dragon. As the axe flew true, and found fatal purchase, the dragon breathed its last, as the spine was severed at the base of the skull. The dwarf rolled again to save vs fear, and failed. What continued to happen for an insane number of rolls was ridiculous. He repeatedly failed save after save, after save, and continued to run as far away as he could go. This led the party on the next arc of the game, a search for the dwarf. In game, about 3 months went by, before we found him, trying to barter for passage on a ship to sail for an even more distant shore. We detained him, wrestled the cursed D20 from the guy playing the dwarf, and gave him a new one, and he finally saved vs fear. However, this ending is the not one that we told a bard some time later, when the dwarf was away drinking... The ending we told, was that to this day, somewhere in the world, is a dwarf, grizzled, starving and afraid, but unable to move for his fear prevents him from getting closer to the lair, where the dead dragon now rests. So, if ever you happen upon a dwarf, in rusty plate armor, standing in place, unable to move, rain, or shine, know that you have found a warrior so mighty, that a single swing of his axe fells dragons, but the fear in his heart keeps him from facing them.
What songs can you come up with for such a twisted story?