Playing Games in the Medbay
I was finishing up my treatment notes for Qymaen and the other Kaleesh when I had a message come up on my computer from Thrawn.
Artist_of_war: Dr. Althean, ever played Corridors and Chests? Our game could use one more player if you're up for it. You mentioned before that there are two types of people who catalogue human frailty.
Reaper_man: You want the other type? I might be able to put something together.
Artist_of_war: We have a Battle Priestess played by Ahsoka, a generalist Sorceress played by Ciaran, an archery Ranger played by HK-47, and an Inspiring Arcane Paladin played by yours truly. Priam runs our game.
Reaper_man: Daring Outlaw with the blade magic variant could be good. Church Assassin background would give him a callsign he could provide to the Paladin.
Artist_of_war: Put it together and clear off a table within two hours. The game is coming to you.
I blinked. Thrawn was bringing me into his game? I didn't have much time. I pulled up my folder on the Abyss Watchers' network and loaded up a character sheet, adjusted for the level Thrawn had told me.
I cleared off a table in the break room, set up the character sheet on my datapad, and grabbed a couple of sheets of flimsi to keep notes on.
Thrawn was the first to arrive. "Priam might run the game, but it was my idea. Back at the academy we did this for morale and team-building, and while a lot of things have changed that hasn't. I'm also not likely to give up the opportunity to add another player and take advantage of the fact that everybody is actually here for once." He assessed my proffered character sheet, scratching his chin. "I don't believe I've ever put blade magic on a Daring Outlaw, but this makes a case for it. You'll fit right in."
The room filled, each player taking their seats and chattering about different things I didn't keep track of. I was nervous. It's always an interesting experience joining a new group, doubly so when the group contains your boss's boss. I took a deep breath, reached into my sense of the Force in me, felt it, felt the whole complex. Healing. Recovering. Steady. Full of life. It helped me center myself and I looked around the room.
HK-47 sat at the head of the table. "Opening Statement: I see we have a new player. We'll start play the morning before the negotiations that would have happened. The golem magesmith is still working on crafting things, but the other elements you prepared with her proceed as normal. The archer who slays mages is on another assignment. Then...your character walks in. Floor-giving query: Describe your entry?"
I blinked, looking down at what I had written. "A man in a black cloak with a white hood that tapers to a point walks up to the camp. His cloak billows around him, as though he could be hiding any number of weapons in it, though the only visible arms on him are a pair of short slender blades in their scabbards on his hips. He calls to the camp from approximately spear-throwing range that it is a bright day for the month of Ewarc."
I saw Thrawn tilt his head to the side and then affect the mannerisms of a morning cartoon hero. "It is indeed, but cold for this time of year. What brings you this far from the capital?"
Thrawn was an old pro, teeing that one up for me. "The plight of the villagers here has reached the ears of the gods, and I was sent to assure that we would all be able to continue in our good work for some time yet. Fear not, I am but a servant of the moon goddess as well, though her gifts to me are a little less miracle and a little more martial."
Negotiations with the Grass People eventually broke down and it was time to fight them. My turn came quickly. "I'm going to Shadow Jump next to the one Mithrawndir's fighting and attack him. Because it's a quick action, I can attack with both swords, and because I'm in the Shade Blade stance it counts as flanking. Which means it counts as a sneak attack." I rolled my attack with the dice Thrawn had brought for me to use, and it hit.
True to form, Thrawn was prepared and he'd brought enough sneak attack dice for me to roll them all at once. Look, if you've ever played this sort of game, you know that there's no feeling like rolling a bunch of dice all at once and then counting up just how absurdly high the damage you're doing is.
"Wait, how many sneak attack dice are you rolling?" Ahsoka asked.
I grinned. "Five. I'm just also adding two more for the special blade magic, and I add my dexterity, intelligence, strength, and level to damage. For both attacks. Oh, right, and Thrawn's inspiration bonus."
"He's played before," Thrawn declared.
"I was still legally a minor until I graduated, so the frat party circuit was closed to me. I took a different path. This and gravball kept me busy, though those two worlds didn't really intersect much."
"Does he survive the attack?" I asked HK-47.
"Sarcastic Statement: The Grass People Chieftain did not become Chieftain by collecting blades of grass. He is angered by your attack, and--"
"--Because I'm attacking again and it's still flanking. I still apply dexterity and intelligence to damage. I'm still gaining a bunch of sneak attack dice," I said, rolling and hitting. "I'm sure he's angry. I'm also sure that very few things can take that kind of damage that quickly and still give serious thought to continuing combat."
"Improvisation: Bleeding from multiple stab wounds, the Grass People Chieftain retreats and a wave of his elite bodyguards comes at you from all directions."
The game eventually resolved with the eradication of the Grass People settlement...something I imagine HK-47 either wished on the Sand People or was glad to have done to the Sand People.
I was about to clock off for the night and get to bed when my computer showed one more message.
Artist_of_war: I'll let you know when the next game is if you can make it. I told you you'd fit right in.
He knew. That brilliant son of a nerf knew about how I hadn't felt like I'd belonged on that battlefield, and he'd probably orchestrated my inclusion to combat that feeling. Or maybe to show me that I did belong after all. With Thrawn, I would be more surprised to see a move only accomplishing one goal.
A/N: Yes, I've done that improvisation where the PCs killed my scary boss monster on turn 1 and I didn't want something anticlimactic, so I made more stuff happen. On the one hand it feels like a cheat, but on the other hand it makes for a more epic and exciting outcome.
