Without Further Adieu - The Adventures of Crescent!
Ok, so last night we created my boyfriend Randy's character, Crescent, an elven ranger.
His comments on the game are below in italics. Mine are in blue.
Lets see how things played out ...
. . .
Crescent was a lithe youth for 126 years old. But what the humans saw was a youth of 18. His golden blond hair wasn't short or long but just the 'right' length. It was messy and tousled, a 'just-rolled-out-of-bed' look so to speak. He wasn't muscular but all the running and playing in the woods deffinately shaped his body into a nice v-shape with abs and pecs. His saphire eyes were bright in the early afternoon light.
He stepped out the front door of his house. A sign above the door had a large herb leaf painted on it and in common read: Midwife. Crescent's mother was the midwife for Star's Hollow and his father the local blacksmith. He didn't come from a wealthy family but they were pretty well off.
"Crescent, hunny? Can you go get your sister?"
His sister, Luna, was very pretty with her milky white skin and her pale blond hair that was almost as if spun like silk. Her pale purple eyes were always smiling and a light that shown in them were always of kindness. She exhibited an unusual talent for magic when she was younger and she has been focusing it ever since. Their parents said she seemed to have a connection with the very earth.
"Where is she?" Crescent called back tighting the straps on his studded leather armor. His rapier dangled by his side and his hunting knife was tucked deeply in his boot. He grabbed his longbow. He planed on going hunting after getting his sister for his mother.
A voice called fromt he house, "In the fields. She should be there with Sol." Sol was her faithful companion. A dog she had since she was a baby.
He grunted, grabbed his backpack and started walking toward the fields. The hamlet was doing very well this year with the harvests and his mother was kept busy. He passed by the general store and waved at the owner. The saw the new church to Corellion was finally done. The hamlet was split between humans and elves and the elves wanted to worship Coreelion and leave the humans to their St. Cuthbert. Crescent didn't mind, but he did admit the temple looked extremely beautiful. Like only an elf could make. It was then he heard the weeping.
Looking behind the church, he found himself in the hamlet's square, where the fountain was. There sat a man, middle aged by human standards, weeping on the side of the stone well. Crescent pulled up a seat beside him. It was the mayor Cyria Starsword, so named because of his namesake. A longsword made of a bright silver metal harder than silver and much more shiny. The cross section of the sword was that of a sunburst inlaid with gold and in the middle of the starburst was a crescent moon made of moonstone and the small circle to fill the gap was onyx. Crescent admired it and knew it came from Cyria's adventuring days.
"Whats wrong Cyria? Why are you crying?" Crescent asked genuinly. He had a reputation in Star's Hollow about being the most compasionate person, always willing to help someone.
"My daughter. She's missing!"
"Where is she?" Crescent asked standing up looking around.
The distraught elf thrusted a peice of parchment into his hands and continued weeping. The youth read the note:
Have gurl. Want gold. Give gold. No gold, gurl die.
"Where did you find this Cyria?" asked Crescent.
"It was on my door this morning. They must have done it early this morning when Illiya was out picking flowers. I tried to track them in the woods but i couldn't find their tracks. I hope she is fine."
Something inside Crescent burned. He could tell the writing. Goblins. Illiya and his sister were best friends. he had to save the mayors daughter. Besides, any excuse to kick some goblin butt would be just fine with him.
"I'll find her for you. Let's go."
Cyria stoped crying and stood up. "You will? Well, id love to go but i have to stay here and watch the town. Are you sure you will be fine?"
Crescent nodded. "Ill be just fine."
* * *
Crescent walked into the woods and started to follow some humanoid tracks he instantly recognized as goblinoid. He followed them and then got lost.
"Damn." he said to no one in particular. "Let's try again." After turning around and searching for the tracks again, he ran into a problem. A small creature stood before him with dark green skeen, sloping brow, oily and matted black hair and a snout. It was wearing armor like his and carrying a stick with a heavy metal spiked ball attached to a chain.
The creature charged at the elf and missed terribly. As it went to strike him with the weapon, the creature accidently released its grasp on it, throwing his weapon away.
"Die goblin!" The elf made fast work of the little critter as he sliced into it with his rapier and stabbed it with his hunting knife. The creature keeled over, its blood running out of its two serious wounds.
The elf knelt down to check it for anything of importance. Nothing. He did take the morningstar and put it in his backpack. Just in case.
He immediatly found the tracks again and followed them to their final destination. A tree stump. Looking around and searching the area, he noticed a set of roughly hewn stairs leading down into the earth under the tree stump. This is where they had to be he thought.
He noticed it was dark downthere, so he light a torch and proceeded to follow the stairs down 30 feet into a room about 20' by 25'. It was all dirt and clay, as if it took something a while to do this work. He had to admit, it was ingenius; a sect of goblins living this close to Star's Hollow and no one knew until today.
His ears picked up to the supersensetive noise into a far room the torch light shed some light into. He also heard rough, steady breathing coming from a room to his left. Stepping quietly to the door frame, he noticed a room 15' by 20' and four cots spread out. Two of them were occupied by sleeping forms. He took another step foward and they both started stirring from their slumber. Goblin heads rose from the cots and looks of surprise were evident on their faces.
Dropping the torch, he unslung his bow and knocked an arrow and let it fly. Twang .... thwack! The arrow hit its disgusting mark, right between the eyes. The other goblin quickly woke up upon seeing his friend and commrad slaughtered screamed something.
"Bree-Yark!" the creature screamed out.
Crescent spoke goblin as well. He screamed intruder. Another arrow was let go and creature stopped its screaming as blood started running out of its mouth. It, too, slumped over the bed.
Crescent turned around to see two goblin figures standing behind him dressed like the goblin in the woods, also carrying morning stars. Confident of his abilities, he dropped his bow and pulled out his rapier and dagger.
They attacked him. One swung at Crescent who dodged it but ran right into the oncoming attack. It hit him in the side of the head, but didnt do much damage.
Crescent swung his rapier and followed up with his dagger, dropping one of the sick little goblins. Fancy footwork was prevailant with both goblin and Crescent. Crescent kept hitting his armor but not periceing it and the goblin couldnt seem to hit the lithe elf. Finally, Crescent managed to stab it with his knife after missing with the rapier. the knife cut across the goblins arm hitting a major vein. The goblin just grinned and swung with all of its might and hit Crescent with his morningstar so hard, there was a loud crunch.
Crescent was seriously hurt by now and images of his young life started flashing before his eyes. he tried to hit the goblin but no such luck. This is it. He thought. Im going to die.
The goblin went to deliver the finishing blow when the blood from his cut caused his morning star to slip from his grasp. As the goblin ran to retrieve its weapon, Crescent delivered a final touche with his rapier, dropping the little bugger. Out of breath, he heard the shuffling was no longer in the next room but one room over. He quickly searched the fell bodies and found a pinkish liquid in a vial on the goblin he just killed.
Shrugging his shoulders and throwing caution into the wind, he quaffed the peppermint tasting liquid and quickly fealt rejuvinated. He felt his broken bones knit back together, although, he still had a bruise. He picked up his longbow and readied it just in case.
He continued on and found a room that was quite large. It had a dying fire pit in the center and two half-eaten bowls of some sort of stew. He heard a grunting from behind him and with the torch, he saw another room and a creature sitting on a make-shift throne. The creature looked like the others except his skin was a reddish hue and his eyes a dark yellow. It was still a goblin none the less. Beside him, chained to the wall, was a young elvish girl with black hair and in a dirty dress.
"Illiya!" Crescent cried out.
"Crescent! Save me!" the young girl pleaded.
Crescent dropped the torch and went to shoot the goblin but the goblin was too quick. He moved off his throne and slashed Crescent in the arm with his hand axe. Crescent just barely dodged. he knew had it connected like it was supposed to, it would have taken an arm off.
Crescent shot the goblin with an arrow and it holwed in pain, not even its finely made stuuded leather armor stopped it.
The goblin leader took another swing at Crescent and hit him hard in the chest. Blood started oozing from the gash and Crescent thought the end was near again. Dead, at the hands of a goblin. He found a reserve of inner strength and lashed out with both rapier and dagger. Both hit with such precise accuracy, only Corellion could be watching over him. The goblin leader gurgled a final insult and fell flat on his face.
"I hate goblins." He mumbled. Crescent, still hurt, limped to Illiya. "You are free now."
She hugged him thanking him profously. As he started taking the armor off of the dead goblin, Illiya was looking at one of the walls. "They used to press something over here and the wall would open. I know, i would hear it."
With Illiya's help, Crescent discovered the secret door and inside the cache'. 4 bags: 1 small, 1 large and 2 medium, 3 stunes with a lightning bolt on them and a chain shirt made for someone his size. He opened the small bag and found it held 4 gems. The large bag contained copper and the two medium bags contained one of silver and one of gold. With Illiya's help, they carried it all back to Star's Hollow.
Upon returning, the mayor was ecstatic to see his daughter. "I know this isnt bound to be much, but whatever you found in the goblin's lair, you can keep tax free."
Crescent just handed it all over. "Use it to help the city."
The mayor was astonished. Here was a selfless youth who was giving up his finder's rights."
The mayor looked though the bags. "Here." He gave Crescent the three stones with the lightning on them and the large emerald. "Its got to be worth at least 600 gold peices." he said weighing it in his hand.
Crescent nodded and hugged Illiya. "Stay out of trouble."
He left them to hug and be reunited as he left to the fields to get his sister. Only a couple hours had passed and he finally became a man. He couldn't wait to tell his family of what happened and how he became the town hero.
. . .
Randy's Comments on his first D&D game:
My first game was actually so different than I pictured role playing games. I had a fun time with it and look forward to maybe getting into more. I think the best moment was fighting the intense battles with the goblins, and actually surviving... lol. The worst moment was when i got so low on my points. I thought I was a goner but came back to defeat them all. My character, Crescent, an elven ranger, is a champion of the underdog.
I was VERY impressed. He did real well and got FOUR Criticals!! I didnt have to explain Attacks of Oppertunity. He was like Well im going to stay here because if i go there, then he will attack me. He is coming Sunday to watch a larger group play and then he may play a few more solo games. He was real excited and he enjoyed it immensly.
Thanks ENWorld for all the advice!! he thought i was a gaming geek and now, he just may be one too.
So whats instore next? Im open for suggestions. But i will be using a NPC, his sister Luna, a sorcerress.
. . .
"Crescent" male elf Ranger 1: CR 1; AL NG; Size M; HD 1d10+1; hp 11 (11); Init 4; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18 (Touch 14, Flat-footed 14); Atk +1 (Rapier/Dagger -1/-1 1d6/1d4 x2/x2), or +1 (Ranged +5 Longbow 1d8 x3 100'); SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +2; Str 11, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 14; Height 5 ft. 7 in.; Exp: 750
Languages Spoken: Common, Elven, Goblin
Skills (ranks are in parenthesis): Spot 5 (1), Listen 5 (1), Search 5 (1), Hide 5 (1), Move Silently 5 (1), Gather Information 2 (0), Diplomacy 2 (0), Knowledge (Nature) 3 (2), Intuit Direction 3 (1), Animal Empathy 6 (4), Handle Animal 6 (4), Heal 3 (1), Wilderness Lore 4 (2), Swim 1 (1);Two Weapon Fighting, Ambidexterity, Track, Point Blank Shot
Class Abilities: Favored Enemy (Goblin): +1 Attack/+1 Damage, +1 Bluff, +1 Listen, +1 Sense Motive, +1 Spot, +1 Wilderness Lore; Track; Ambidexterity (light or no armor); Two- Weapon Fighting (light or no armor); Point Blank Shot (+1 Attack/+1 Damage if in 30 ft)
Racial Abilities: +2 Dex; -2 Con; Immune to Sleep spells and effects, +2 vs Enchantments, Lowlight Vision 60', +2 vs Spot, +2 vs Listen, +2 vs Search, Proficient with Short/Longbow, Profficient with Composite Short/Longbow, Proficient with Rapier
Possessions: 90 gp, Emerald (600 gp), Longbow (with 40 arrows), Rapier, Dagger, Backpack, Flint and steel, 4 torches, Morning Star, 3 Thunderstones, Chainshirt, Masterworked Studded Leather Armor, Studded Leather Armor, Morning Star
