Double D&D Chapter 1 – Roll Your Character
A/N- The term rolling a character comes from having to roll the dice to determine your character's stats. Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intellect, Wisdom, Charisma, and Health and from these other things are increased such as your ability to sneak, pick locks, or just being able to notice something, which are normally called skill checks. Angela Jackson belongs to Dshell99.
Saturday afternoon in the small town of Peach Creek, in one of several cul-de-sacs within this sleepy little hamlet, a group of friends were gathering together in the basement bedroom of their host. A fold out card table is set up in the middle of the room with five metal fold out chairs around it, in front of one of them stood a cardboard screen with handwritten notes taped to it. Thoughtful snack bowls were waiting in the kitchen to be brought down, with consideration of each of his guests in mind. Sliced apples and grapes for the more health conscious, chips and dip for those that liked the crunchy salty snack, soda's and juices were stocked in the fridge.
Ed busied himself with the final preparations for tonight's game, studying the picture in the book, he drew the layout of the first room his brave adventures would be in on a sheet of gridded paper in a notebook. Flipping the page, he does the next room, making notes on each visible door in each room for what page he would need to turn to, he continued this process until he was certain he would have enough rooms for tonight. The notes on the back of his DM screen contained all the information he would need on secret doors and the monsters that would be in each room.
Pulling out his phone, he checks the time, ten till three which would mean someone was due to arrive, he hears the doorbell ring upstairs, and made his way toward it, reaching the hallway as his mother was answering it. "Oh, hello Eddward," she greets the boy with a warm smile upon her face and steps aside to let him in the house.
The beanie clad boy steps in wearing his usual attire of blue jeans polo shirt and sweater vest, "Greetings Mrs. Hill, I hope you are doing well today."
"I am, thank you for asking," she closes the door behind him.
Seeing his friend, he heads down the hall toward him pulling three pieces of paper out of the folder he was carrying, "Greetings my friend," handing him the papers, "Would you be so kind as to double check my sheet for me."
"Sure," he takes the three sheets and looks them over, knowing full well that there was going to be no mistake on them, "Perfect as always Double D."
"Good, I wasn't sure if I got the prices for my starting equipment correct."
Ed furrowed his brows, turning his head to the side as he looked at that part of the sheet, but honestly, he couldn't tell you if it was right, off the top of his head. Handing the papers back to his friend, "Don't sweat the small stuff Double D," he said as he led him down the basement steps.
"But you know how inaccurate the internet can be about these things."
"So, what if you got a few extra gold pieces by accidentally underpricing something, it's not like you spent two gold on an epic item." He picks up the notebook from the table and closes it then sits in his chair, "Just tip your DM and we're cool," he motions with his right hand casually. "So," he cocks a brow at his friend, "Have you texted Kevin yet," he grins, "To remind him to be on time?"
"And why would I need to do that," Edd said defensively, "He is fifteen years old and quite capable of ensuring his own punctuality."
Edd's phone chirps a second later, "Right," Big Ed chuckled.
Pulling it out of his pocket he sees the notification and draws the pattern to unlock his phone, opening the text, looking up from the device sheepishly, "He says he'll be a few minutes late."
"What for?"
"Something about misplacing his figurine."
Ed pursed his lips, crossing his arms he tapped his finger upon his elbow, he was just going to have to start hanging on to these things for them. His expression lightened up as two more people started to make their way down the stairs, "God I can't wait till I can drive," Ang complained, "It's such a pain in the ass to have to beg my mom to take me places." The African American girl was wearing dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt with the word Geek on the front of it in the Sega Logo font, her hair done up in two afro puffs, her glasses resting on the top of her head.
"I just got my learners permit," Angelica stated. The Caucasian girl was wearing faded blue jeans and a sky-blue t-shirt that said "Nerd? I prefer the term intellectual badass," her sandy blond hair done up in a ponytail.
"I'm so jealous of you right now, AJ," Ang said as they reached the bottom of the steps, then turned and asked Edd, "Kevin not here yet?"
He shakes his head as Angelica continued, "It's not as fun as I thought it was going to be," she sits down in one of the seats, "My dad nearly had a heart attack when I accidently got on the interstate."
Another chirp from Double D's phone, "Where is he now," Ed asks.
"Still looking for it," he replied as he locked his phone again.
Ed sighed, "Just tell him to hurry up and get his ass over here, I'll give him something to use."
Double D quickly unlocked his phone and typed out the message, hitting send, getting a one word reply a few moments later, "Fine." A few minutes later, as everyone was laying out their character sheets and figurine's, the doorbell begins to ring insistently, signaling the arrival of their final party member.
Running down the stairs, Kevin panted as he sat down next to Edd, his quiz bowl hat askew on his head, sweat coming threw his Star Trek t-shirt, his glasses sliding down his nose. "Sorry I'm late," he said as he pulled out his character sheet and placed it on the table, "I couldn't."
Ed cut him off, "We know."
"But I spent my paper route money on that thing."
"Well," Ed dug through a small box at his feet, "Now you get this," and tossed him a small classic troll doll, and smiled. Kevin groaned as he looked at the spikey purple hair of the doll, "You forgot something Kevin," he groans again, "You know the rule, last person here brings the snacks down with them." Ed had instituted that house rule in an attempt to motivate Kevin to be on time, so far it hasn't worked.
"I'm always the one who has to bring them down," he complained as he stood back up.
Ang pointed out, "That's because you're always the last one here."
"I'll give you a hand Kevin," Double D offered as he got up out of his seat as well, the two of them walking up the stairs.
Angelica leans forward and whispers, "When are those two going to get a room and seal the deal already?"
"They might this campaign," Ang added.
"Sadly, it will probably just be their toons getting busy again," Ed quipped. This little game of flirting started two months ago with their last campaign, Edd being a wizard last time, would always make sure that Kevin was fully stocked with the potions and spell scrolls he crafted every full rest they took. While Kevin, who was a sorcerer last time, would let Edd have first pick at any choice loot that could benefit the both of them. From there it only got worse, starting with little in-game teases and flirts, and escalating to the pick-up line that failed because Kevin rolled a one. Outside of the game they asserted that they were merely friends, who were just having some in-game fun by including a gay love story into the mix, their friends on the other hand saw it for what it was and just rolled their eyes at their denials.
Their two dorky friends came walking down the steps, Edd carrying the bowls Kevin the first round of drinks for everyone. Sitting the bowls down on the nearby coffee table Edd joined the group as Kevin finished passing out the drinks, giving him his bottle of apple juice as he sat. "Alright," Ed called out getting their attention, "Lets introduce our characters."
Both the girls started to talk at the same time, "I'm sorry Ang, you can go first," Angelica said.
"No, no Ang, I insist, you can go first.' Angela replied politely.
"You were speaking first Ang, and I rudely cut you off."
"I am quite sure that you were speaking first Ang, please continue."
"Would one of you," they both look toward Ed as he rubbed his temples in frustration, "Please just get on with it."
Angelica motioned with her hand for Angela to begin, "Her name is Princess Erwyn, but call her Ryn. She's the daughter of an Elven Princess and a rogue warrior, but the caged life of royalty didn't appeal to her. Craving more, she ventured out into the world to see what lay beyond the borders of her kingdom, but got into a bar fight in the first village she came across. This brawl got her involved with the group that taught her all she knows about the rogue's life." Gesturing as though she was rapidly firing arrows into the sky, "Her favorite thing to do is rain death from above."
Once her friend had finished her pew pew sound effects, Angelica begins, "I am a half Vampire Warrior by the name of Cheri."
"How are you going to fight during the day?" Kevin protested, "I'm not going to lug you around in your coffin."
She explained, "Ed said I could be a day walker, I just have to lose my vampire bonuses when I am in sunlight." Which she knew wasn't going to be an issue because of the campaigns setting.
Kevin leaned back and whispered in Edd's ear, "That's what you get when you date the DM."
Ed gave Kevin a cold stare and Double D replied, "Quiet Kevin, you're going to draw his ire."
Angelica continued, her tone getting eviler with each word she spoke, "Her main goal in life is to find the ones responsible for turning her pregnant mother, and thus damning her to this existence, she will laugh heartily as she sends them to the fiery pits of hell with her sword."
Kevin leans toward Edd once again, "Should we be scared of her this time?"
Edd nods as he continued to watch his friend laugh maniacally, "Kevin your turn," Big Ed calls out once she was done.
Clearing his throat, he starts, "Yeah, my guys name is Bo," both Angelica and Angela snicker and repeat the name behind their hands. But Kevin trudged on, "So uh, he was a member of the royal guard until he found out that his king was committing atrocities against his very own people, throwing down his sword he took his skills and like pledged to defend the weak and uphold justice."
"So, what is he," Ang asked
"Cleric," he replied.
"How is he going to defend people if he threw away his weapon, seems counterproductive if you ask me," Angelica teased.
"It's just a back story, geez," he huffed.
"And I think it was a perfectly fine backstory Kevin," Edd reassured him.
"Thank you Edd," he smiles and blushes.
"Alright Double D, it's your turn," Ed was wanting to keep the ball rolling.
"My character's name is Alice, she's a Bard, wondering from town to town she entertains people at the local taverns for a few gold pieces to pay for her food and logging. While she enthralls them with her silvery voice, she keeps her ears open for any news about a six-fingered man. This man slaughtered her entire village, including her whole family and baby brother, the only thing she knows about him is that he was with a detachment of the neighboring kingdoms royal guard." Both Ang's rolled their eyes, already they could see where this was going.
Ed texted Angelica, "U think they planned this? :)" She just smiled at him to show her agreement on that subject then showed Ang who looked at the DM and smiled as well. Seeing that Edd was done he speaks up, "My guys name is Taegen Inaven, he is a high elf druid, his purpose in life is to protect the sacred forest of his homeland, purifying it of evil to ensure that the natural balance is maintained."
With the last character introduced everyone was raring to get this adventure underway, "Alright everyone put your pieces on the board and roll your initiatives, welcome to the underdark." Ed smiled at his friends as he placed a few green plastic army men on the board to represent monster.
A/N- Thank you Dshell99 for allowing me to continue to use your OC and for all the great ideas and encouragement to begin this fic.