The Doomed Bastards: Reckoning (story complete)

[Lazybones]

Byt he way, Lazybones, we never got around to ask you this, after that poll decided that they were going the hard way: what was your preference? I know that you couldn't bring yourself to choose, but now that you think about it, do you feel satisfied by it? Or perhaps you regret never getting around to write something that would happen in the other possible path?

If I recall correctly, my original notes were to do the "sacrifice" path all the way. As I got closer to that point in the story, however, I started to second-guess myself, thinking that it was more in character for TDBs to take on a direct confrontation even with long-shot odds. By the time I got down to posting the poll I was about 80% sure that my readers would pick that option (see, I've been reading all that feedback you guys have given me over the years!), so I only wrote a few chapters in the alternate plotline, just in case.

Naturally I ended it in a cliffhanger, so be forewarned.

 

[Lazybones]

I finished the PDF of The Doomed Bastards and posted it to my Web site. I recommend that you save the file rather than open it repeatedly to read; my host has a fairly modest bandwidth cap. If you can't get it right away, try again in a few days.

http://lazybones18.tripod.com/ra_final.pdf

The file is about 3.5mb, bare bones, with no graphics or fancy design. It's 1448 pages and includes the chapters I wrote for the "Dar and Allera sacrifice" plotline.

 

[Lazybones]

It's been a few years since I've visited this thread and so I recently opened it up and reread it from start to finish. I was surprised to see that people are still reading it, as it's gained about 10,000 views since it wrapped up in late 2008. I'm giving it a bump for new readers, and to thank everyone again who posted back when it was active.

 

[Cecil Redwing]

BEST STORY EVER. I made a account just to post this. Lazybones, I wish I could be in a group with you as the DM. It would be one crazy, strange trip indeed.

 

[Lazybones]

Thanks for delurking to post, Cecil. I appreciate the kudos. For a chronicle of a game I actually ran (using the Neverwinter Nights game engine), check out my X-COM story thread in this forum.

 

[carborundum]

I've just bought the big red Rappan Athuk and started searching for stories.
This. Is. Amazing!
I'm about ten percent in and addicted! Thank you, Lazybones! Thank you!

 

[carborundum]

Not quite a month later, and the enormous tome has been read. Absolutely stupendous!

Were you ever tempted to write more of the alternate ending?

 

[Lazybones]

Not quite a month later, and the enormous tome has been read. Absolutely stupendous!

Were you ever tempted to write more of the alternate ending?

Thank you for the praise, carborundum. I haven't been writing any D&D fiction for some years now, since I've been focusing on novels. But I still quite enjoy rereading this story from time to time, and I'm glad folks are still discovering it. I have been toying with the idea of taking the characters and Camar material and making a novel out of it, though of course it would no longer be a Rappan Athuk/D&D story.

 

[carborundum]

You could always ask the Frog God guys if you could make it "official"

I'm torn between recommending your story to my group and dm-ing RA after being inspired by this story! Decisions, decisions...

Could you tell me how you wrote this? Did you play out each combat?

Thanks for many hours of reading pleasure. I've just remembered I meant to buy one of your novels, I'll go do that now. Have some great zone New Year!

 

[Lazybones]

You could always ask the Frog God guys if you could make it "official"

I'm torn between recommending your story to my group and dm-ing RA after being inspired by this story! Decisions, decisions...

Could you tell me how you wrote this? Did you play out each combat?

Thanks for many hours of reading pleasure. I've just remembered I meant to buy one of your novels, I'll go do that now. Have some great zone New Year!

Heh, if you decide to run RA for your group, you'd better have some pretty tolerant players! Or a stack of fresh character sheets handy.

The story is fictional in that I didn't have a game group at the time, but I did work out the details of the combats using D&D mechanics. I didn't roll dice but otherwise followed the 3.5 ruleset. There were some discussions in the story comments about how generous I was in some of the combats but even when I was DMing I was always a "plot trumps dice" kind of guy.