Hello, everyone. WaterDragonMaverick here with a brand new story to share. Because of getting into Dungeons and Dragons videos by Critical Role, TeamFourStar, and Dimension 20, I've decided to make a fic about Luz Noceda and her friends playing Dungeons and Dragons for themselves. For this AU, they'll be human and get to play games together. I hope you're ready for the Hexsquad and some other guest members enjoying some adventures supplied by their Dungeon Master.
For this first chapter, we'll be setting things up for our heroes to get to play the game and where they get the supplies needed. After that, they'll be making their first characters to use. Hope all enjoy what they start off with because later in the story, they'll be making new ones for new campaigns.
For this fic, I'll be going with something different than usual. I'll have the characters voice their own characters and will signify it by the dialogue in bold.
Let's get started.
The Owl House is owned by Disney and was created by Dana Terrace.
Dungeons and Dragons is published by Wizards of the Coast and was created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
It was a peaceful summer afternoon in Gravesfield, Connecticut. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Luz Noceda was returning home from a shopping trip with her family. "Okay, I think that's everything," Luz said as she set down a large bag on the nearby sofa. She looked over to her mother and siblings to make sure they had what they were carrying. "Anything left in the car?"
"For that game you and your friends are going to play? Nothing left in there," Camila Noceda replied. "Vee, can you help me take these into the kitchen," she asked as she carried a pair of bags with groceries.
"Sure thing, Mom," said Vee, Luz's adopted sister that Camila took in at the start of summer. While there were some initial troubles when Luz learned of Vee, the two got along remarkably fast and Camila was happy for them. Vee had dyed hair that was swamp-green with navy blue tips, golden yellow eyes, and could easily pass for a full-blooded member of the Noceda family because of her resemblance to Luz.
As Vee took a bag from Camila and went to the kitchen, the matriarch of the family turned to the third child in the room. "Hunter, you go and help Luz with unpacking those supplies."
"Okay," said a scarred blonde boy with a cardinal on his shoulder. Hunter was originally a kid that was a grade or two above Luz that didn't get along with her to start, but Luz and her mom soon took the boy in when they learned his own uncle was mistreating him. After a long and exhausting legal battle about Hunter's custody, he was put into the foster system and soon went into Camila's care. The only friend that Hunter had before he and Luz finally started to get along was his pet cardinal, Flapjack. But after they became siblings, Luz introduced him to her other friends and the group was inseparable ever since. With Luz taking some books and boxes down to the basement, Hunter followed with more in hand. "Do we really need all of these things to play this game," he asked Luz.
"Of course! You think the people that do this for videos have only one thing," Luz responded. "Now, I'll call the others and tell them I've got a surprise for them when they stop by tonight."
"Okay, then," Hunter said as he put Flapjack into the birdcage in the basement and gave him some food. "How exactly do you play this anyways," he asked.
"I'll tell you when the others get here," Luz told her brother, then started to message her friends. After a few minutes, she got replies from everyone and smiled. "This is going to be so much fun!"
Later that night, Luz's friends were all gathered together in the basement of the Noceda home. Willow Park and Gus Porter were the first friends that Luz made during the first week of her summer. They've been with her since Luz helped Willow with a project she was having trouble with for summer school and Gus needed her advice with a club meeting he had. Despite all their various summer misadventures, the three always had fun and couldn't ask for better friends. But they were always happy to make more, like Luz's siblings and Amity.
Amity Blight was Luz's girlfriend whom she got to know over the summer. She used to be Willow's best friend when they were kids, but Amity's parents forced her to break things off with the girl because she didn't fit into their social circles. Amity and her family were rich because of her dad's work as an inventor and her mother's business sense, so her mom thought that she could control every aspect of her life. This included dying Amity's hair to resemble her own, signing her up for summer school to further her studies, and making deals to get Amity into a prestigious college when she finished high school. These plans were all scrapped when Luz came into Amity's life.
After some initial confrontation because of how Amity treated Willow like she was beneath her, Luz managed to befriend Amity and the two slowly fell in love with each other. Thanks to the influence of Luz, Amity patched up her friendship with Willow, started to openly rebel against her mother, got a job at the local library reading to kids, reconnected with her father, and even dyed her hair a lovely shade of purple that her dad and Luz liked. "So, what are we doing for this sleepover," Amity asked her girlfriend.
"I'm glad you asked," Luz said with a grin. "I've been watching some videos online lately and thought that it would be fun to do something similar," she said as she stood up and gestured to a large table that was set up. "I thought that it would be fun to play Dungeons and Dragons with everyone."
"Oh, cool," Gus said as he looked at all the materials.
"That could be fun," Willow added. "Right, Hunter?"
"Y-yeah," the blonde boy blushed as he agreed with a smile, showing the gap in his teeth. Ever since he met Willow and they bonded during a roller derby game, Hunter's had a growing crush on the girl. A fact that the others quickly picked up on, but chose to stay quiet about.
Luz looked at everyone and smiled as she saw everyone was excited. She was glad that she got everything from the hobby shop she went to earlier. Since before summer, Luz personally knew the owner of 'The Owl House' game and hobby store, Eda Clawthorne. She was a woman with an affinity for owls that liked to buy and sell games, collectibles, and various hobby materials in a store she set up out of her house. Luz helped out in the store on weekends and even helped babysit Eda's adopted son, King.
Because of all the help she did, Eda gave Luz a big discount on the large purchase made earlier that day and even offered to help make set pieces or character figures for her if Luz agreed to watch King while she did the work on them. Luz agreed and they decided to get to work on that agreement after the group got used to the game.
"Okay, let's start by brainstorming what characters we want to play as to start," Luz said. "I'll also talk with Vee to figure out if she wants to be a player or the DM so I can play alongside you guys."
The teens all muttered in agreement as they started going over various character ideas for their sheets. Some were easier than others as Willow immediately took a liking to a Druid character and Gus fancied Illusion magic. But on the other hand, Hunter was trying to figure out what class interested him the most. "Wizard, Cleric, Paladin, Monk, Ranger… Ah, all of them sound good with the right setups," Hunter said to himself just before Flapjack chirped. Turning to his beloved pet, an idea formed in his head. "Hmm… Maybe if I go Paladin, I can go with that subclass that gives me Spirit Guardians. That way, I can have a swarm of birds help to defend everyone while I have a shield to protect myself more."
"Sounds good to me," Luz said as she and Amity figured out their characters. "Okay, Vee will be our DM. Let's get to playing," she exclaimed, ready to get into the action. After everyone finished figuring out character details like backgrounds and stats, the teens all sat down at the table and were ready to play.
With Vee setting up the DM screen, she began to describe the setting they were going to be in. "In the world of Hieronyma, the ocean covers most everything. Islands of various sizes and climates are scattered throughout the seas, making every location a wonder to behold when you visit or make home there. Most of the islands are a part of the Alexandrian Empire, a kingdom of only 50 years that's named after the current leader, Alexander Belos," she explained, setting the mood for the campaign. "We begin our adventure on the island of Kuugaw, where in the bustling harbor town of Bone River, a young woman is making sure her cloak is secure and her hood is up. Amity, would you like to describe what your character is doing?"
Amity checked over her character sheet and explained what her character was up to for the scene. "Philomena is making sure that she isn't seen clearly until she reaches the closest inn for safety. She's keeping her cloak's hood up, securing her prized book and her purse closed in case of any thieves. As she's walking, a white cat with blue eyes is by her side the whole way," Amity says.
"As you make your way into town, it takes you an hour into the afternoon to find a tavern and inn known as 'The Pearly Skull'. Stepping inside, you see a very rowdy establishment full of sailors and pirates drinking heartily after a long day of work or travel. The smell of ale and other alcohol floods your senses before you spot an open table to rest at," Vee narrates. "When you go in to sit, you bump into a few inebriated patrons and your hood falls down. Would you like to tell us how Philomena looks?"
Amity nodded as she began to share the description of her character. "Philomena is a girl of elvish blood as you can tell by her pointed ears and face. Her complexion is fair-skinned, she has golden eyes with flecks of silver within them, and her brown hair flows down her shoulders like a waterfall of melted chocolate," she said as she gave a picture for everyone to draw in their heads. "The attire she's wearing is a simple blouse and leggings along with a pair of boots. She has a belt around her waist to hold her purse and more importantly, the book in a custom-made pouch by her hip. She also has a signet ring on her right hand with the emblem of a cat's face adorning it. An amulet pendant rests around her neck with a purple crystal that resembles an amethyst, occasionally turning pink in the right light. And for her final accessory, she's wearing emerald earrings."
"As you sit down at the open table, roll me a Perception check," Vee asked.
Amity took the d20 and rolled it to see what she got. "16 plus 2 for an 18 on Perception. What do I see?"
"As you look around, you notice a few interesting people that seem out of place for the tavern's typical patronage," Vee said. "In fact, you notice one coming over to you right this moment. Luz, Gus, Willow. Who wants to go next?"
"I'll go first," Willow offered. "Sariel Belladonna is sitting at a table as she looks over some things she gathered in the nearby woods. The first thing somebody would notice about her is that unlike most elves, she actually looks like she has flowers growing from her hair. Pink petals are decorating her spring green hair and her skin looks like it's the color of leaves while brown eyes gazing lovingly at the blue flower she's holding," she said as she said the description of her Eladrin character. "She's wearing a simple emerald green dress with translucent sleeves, leather armor over it, and a sash to hold some of her items. You can also see that she's physically toned and wearing sandals. She has an oak wood shield and a branch-like staff by her side as she puts the flower away and looks around."
"Since you're doing that, roll me a Perception check," Vee tells Willow.
Rolling her die, Willow smiled as she looked at the result. "17, so I'll add my modifier of 4 and my proficiency bonus of 2 for a 23 total."
"As you look up, you see the elf girl that just walked in looking right at you. What do you do in response," Vee asked.
"I invite her over with a friendly smile and ask her to join me and my companions," Willow says.
"Seeing the flowery elf wave you over, do you go and join her," Vee inquired as she looked at Amity.
"I suppose Philomena would be curious about this exact type of elf given she's so out of place in a port town like this," Amity remarked. "I'll accept her offer and step over to her with my cat jumping onto my shoulders."
"As you walk over there, you see that the plant-like elf is joined by somebody else. A much smaller individual," Vee narrated. "Gus, your turn to introduce your character."
The youngest of the group cleared his throat before he began to elaborate on his character's appearance. "Sitting on a larger chair because of his short stature, Wrenn Shadowcloak is reading some papers he brought with him. He's a gnome with dark skin, short and messy black hair, and light blue eyes. He's wearing a dark blue tunic with a smokey pattern and mirror designs, a black belt, a pair of tan pants, and brown boots on his feet. Seeing the newcomer, he begins to put away his papers into his bag and welcome the girl," Gus explained.
"Go ahead and start having a discussion while I go over a few things," Vee told the three as she sorted through notes and sheets.
Deciding to improvise a conversation for their characters, Willow went first and greeted Amity's character as Sariel Belladonna. "Hello there," Willow says in a cheerful voice. "I'm Sariel and this is my friend, Wrenn."
"Greetings," Gus said with a wave of his hand as if greeting an audience on a stage. "What brings you to this town?"
"I… wanted to get away from home," Amity said in a regal voice, sounding like she was a princess.
"Ah, the call of adventure seek you out? That makes sense. I left my home to study different human cultures," Gus said as Wrenn. "Things have been turning out great so far with my research," he says.
"As for me, I've always wanted to explore and see nature's various marvels in this treasure chest of a world," Willow voiced as Sariel. "Why did you set off on your journey?"
Amity paused as she thought of how to explain her character's reason for reaching town, then nodded as she figured something out. "I decided to learn more about how the world was before I had to step up to my family's legacy," Amity replied as Philomena.
Willow hummed in thought before she picked up her d20. "I'd like to Insight check Philomena," she said.
"Amity, roll a Deception check to try and hide your character's real reason," Vee said as she finished checking her papers and set them up behind her DM screen.
Both girls rolled their dice and when they looked at the results, the number was the same. "5," they said in unison.
"Plus your stat bonuses, that means Sariel is successful in seeing that Philomena is hiding something," Vee stated. "But because both are low numbers, you don't know exactly what her reason is."
Willow narrowed her eyes at Amity to show Sariel's suspicion about Philomena, but then said what her character's next action was. "I'll use my Druidcraft cantrip to create a flower to give Philomena. Specifically, I want to give her a wisteria blossom to welcome her to the group, even if just for a short while."
"Philomena is surprised that a complete stranger would welcome her so openly and takes the flower, putting it in her hair for now. When I do, my cat's pawing at it playfully," Amity says before speaking as her character to the cat. "Okay, Specter. That's enough, girl," she said in character while she mimed petting a cat like it was her own pet, Ghost.
"With that, we'll have the scene go to the upper level of the tavern, where Luz's character is checking out the place from above," Vee announced. "Luz, tell us about your character."
"Gladly," Luz says as she smiles. "Leaning forward, Carmen Valentina lets her wavy auburn hair fall down one of her shoulders, putting a finger to her chin near a beauty mark she has by her lower lip. She's a regular human wearing a typical sailor's outfit of a wool shirt that has a ragged hem and a pair of blue trousers tucked into a pair of boots. She also has a blue bandanna wrapped around her head to keep her hair out of her sapphire blue eyes and she wears a necklace with a pendant in the form of a clockwork owl. The owl dangles over the edge as she looks at the lower floor."
"Roll a Perception check for me, Luz," Vee told her sister.
Taking a d20, Luz rolled her die and got a 15. "Uh, with my proficiency and Wisdom, that'll be… 18," Luz said.
"As you look over the edge, you notice that aside from the newcomer sitting at the table below, there are a couple of thugs that saw the elf girl enter too. They're all the typical seedy back-alley scum that look like they'll corner you and try to steal your wallet," Vee says, hinting at possible enemies Luz would be aware of thanks to her character's vantage point. "As you watch carefully, the door slams open just before a young man in armor steps inside. Hunter, if you would care to give us your character's description."
Hunter took a breath and exhaled before he started to share the appearance of his character. "Caleb Xiloscient is a half-elf man with platinum blonde hair and eyes that look like pools of silver. He wears chain mail and a golden-yellow tunic, has black leggings and a brown belt with several pouches, a pair of leather gloves, and well-worn boots. He holds a shield and longsword at the ready with the shield adorned by the holy symbol of a winged sword inside of a crown," he explained.
"And what does he declare as he stepped into the building," Vee asked.
"Attention, everyone! A person of interest to the Alexandrian Empire has been spotted entering town and has entered this very establishment," Hunter said as Caleb. "I want all of those who have been here for longer than an hour to vacate the premise immediately."
"With that, roll an Intimidation or Persuasion check," Vee told Hunter.
Taking the die, Hunter shook it in his hands before dropping it onto the table. "12 plus my proficiency in Intimidation and my Charisma modifier makes it a 16 total," he says.
"With your weapons drawn to emphasize your point, a number of people leave the bar and get away from the soldier of the Empire, not wanting to incur his wrath," Vee narrated. "The only ones remaining are the tavern keep, a barmaid, the trio at the table, the woman on the second floor, and the thugs that were eyeing Philomena. With the tavern emptied out, the employees start to back away slowly. When they reach safety, Caleb steps forward."
"Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions and you'll give me answers for them," Hunter said as Caleb.
"And what if some are too personal," Gus asks as Wrenn.
"Then we'll continue our talk in a holding cell," Hunter says for Caleb's warning.
"After you give out that warning, you hear a deep chuckle coming from the other table. The apparent leader of the thugs, a human man with a bald head and a scar down the side of his face speaks up," Vee says before she does a pretty good impression of a deep male baritone. "You really think that we're going to listen to you? You need to take a better look at where you are, shield boy. There's six of us and only one of you," Vee says as the thug leader. "As he says this, all the other men stand up to reveal their weapons. Daggers, swords, crossbows, and even a battleaxe are all drawn."
"I'll take this chance and have Carmen attack when nobody's looking," Luz declares. "She sees the fight is inevitable, so she'll pull out her trusty sidearm and aim it at the head of the one that looks weakest."
Vee nods as she checks over the stats for one of the thugs. "With the incipient fight approaching, Carmen pulls out a cylindrical weapon from her belt. It has six rotating barrels and chambers while she holds it by the handle. Pulling back the hammer with a click, Carmen takes aim. Go ahead and roll the first attack, Luz."
Taking her d20, Luz rolled it and looked at the result. "19 plus my Dexterity bonus of 4 and prof bonus of 2 for 25. For damage, let's roll," she said before taking her weapon's die. Rolling it, she calculated the result and added her stat bonus for it. "8 total with my Dexterity, so let's go with my Sneak Attack as a Level 1 Rogue," Luz said.
"You're multiclassing already? We're only Level 2 to start this campaign off," Willow asked.
"I got a high enough stat for my Dexterity as a Fighter, so I thought I'd multiclass and become a pirate," Luz said. "Do what you want 'cause a pirate is free! You are a pirate," she sang as she rolled her d6 for extra damage. "That's a 3, so 11 damage total."
"He's dead since that's his exact number of Hit Points," Vee said. "With a loud echoing gunshot, everyone watches as the scrawniest of the thugs drops to the floor with his rapier clattering to Philomena's feet. Looking up, everyone sees Carmen blowing out the smoking barrel of her pepperbox revolver as she moves closer to the stairs."
"They're the ones that started it first," Luz said in a more accented voice for Carmen's character. "I'm just making sure these creeps don't hurt any innocent people like the lovely elf girls there," she says in a flirtatious voice that makes Amity blush.
"Philomena starts feeling strange at that compliment from a pirate girl," Amity remarked.
Willow and the others chuckled at that comment before Vee returned to her role as the DM. "Everyone, roll for initiative. It's time for battle as this bar brawl truly begins."
Grabbing their d20s, everyone rolled to see what the turn order would be for the fight. "I got a 12," Luz said as she looked at her 20-sided die. "Plus my Dex modifier, that's 16 total."
"Natural 20," said Hunter with a grin.
"16 for the die, so that'll be a 19 for me," Gus said.
"I got a 3, so that's 4 total," Willow told Vee, believing she'll be last.
"A 12 for me for a total of 14," Amity said. "Seems that Hunter will be going next. Makes sense given his character at the moment."
"Let me roll for these thugs," Vee told the group as she started rolling her own d20 a few times. "6, 11, 17, 16, 19. All but the captain is plus 1 for the Dexterity bonus while he's a plus 3 for Dex, so the leader goes first. The bandits are ready to fight as the leader, Number 5, gives the command. 'Attack them, you idiots!' And he starts by trying to throw a pair of daggers at Carmen," Vee said before rolling her d20. "A 7 plus Dex bonus of 3 and its Proficiency of 2. That's 12. And the second is an 8 on the die, so 13. Luz, what's Carmen's AC?"
"I don't have her wearing armor, so it's at 14 for the moment," Luz said. "That misses her."
"Ducking out of the way in time, Carmen avoids being hit by the knives, which pierce into the wall and nearly stab a painting hung up there. Hunter, it's Caleb's turn," Vee states.
"I'll start by moving up to the bandit that was harassing me and swinging my sword at him," Hunter declared, rolling his d20. "11 plus my Strength and weapon proficiency makes it 16," he said.
"With his armor being studded leather, he's unable to block your sword's swing and he takes the hit. The blade cuts into him, making him grunt in pain. What's the damage," Vee said before asking for another roll.
Rolling a d8 for his sword, Hunter grimaced at the result. "Only a 2, so that's just 5 damage to him."
"The sword cuts into his side, leaving him hurt while the leather and metal are thick enough to protect him from the brunt of the swing. He then scowls at you before growling at you. 'Is that all a dog of war like you is capable of?' With that, it's time for Wrenn's turn. Gus," Vee said.
"Okay. Not expecting this fight to break out, Wrenn will dive back and a small mote of flame appears at his fingertip when he gets as far back as he can. Taking aim with it, he unleashes a Fire Bolt at the bandit that would go next," Gus said before rolling his d20. "8 plus Intelligence modifier of 4 and my proficiency makes it a 14 total," he said before picking up his d10 and rolling it. "That's a 4."
"With the flames dancing at your finger, you shoot the spell at Bandit 3 and it impacts against his armored chest. He quickly pats out the flames before he gives you a dirty look and his anger is aimed at you," Vee narrates.
"Oh man, I knew I should have played it smart and hid," Gus says as he wiped his forehead.
"The bandit you just hit will try and get closer to you, but he can't really do much as he doesn't have a ranged weapon like the others," Vee says, making Gus breathe a sigh of relief. "As for the next bandit, Number 4, he'll take aim at Sariel with his crossbow and fire at her," she says before rolling a d20. "Oh… Natural 20," she groans.
"Oh, crabapples," Willow muttered.
Rolling the damage die, Vee chuckles as she sees the result. "Lucky you, Willow. He got a 1. That's only 3 damage because the rolls are doubled and not the bonus damage," she says. "The bolt flies straight at you and when you try to block with your shield, you deflect it enough that it only catches you in the shoulder."
"Sariel grunts in pain at that, then keeps an eye on the others," Willow says.
"Then we'll go to Luz. What's Carmen gonna do at the moment," Vee asked.
"Carmen will use her movement by sliding down the banister to get downstairs, then run over to the guy that hurt Sariel and pull out her trusty cutlass," Luz said, rolling her d20. "That's a 12 on the die, so an 18 total. Now for damage."
"Just a heads up that you will get Sneak Attack because of him being focused on Willow's character," Vee reminded.
"Well, thanks to my Dueling Fighting Style, I'll get plus 2 to the damage. With my Sneak Attack and Dexterity modifier, I get the feeling this guy will go down," Luz said with a smile as she rolled her die and counted the total. "4 on my cutlass, plus another 6 from Dex mod and Fighting Style, then another 3 from my Sneak Attack for a total of 13."
"With one clean slash, you take this guy down instantly by running your blade through his back," Vee explained as she removed Bandit 4 from the encounter.
"Yeah! 2 for 2," Luz cheered before kissing both of Amity's cheeks. "Your turn, Sweet Potato," she told the girl who was blushing at the sudden display of affection.
"So glad Luz isn't the DM with how she and Amity act at times," Hunter remarked with a wry grin.
Shaking her head to focus, Amity said what her move will be. "Philomena will pick up the rapier that fell by her feet and when she does, she'll use her bonus action to activate a secret elven magic known as the Bladesong. After she does so, she'll head toward the bandit that attacked Wrenn and strike at him with the rapier," Amity said before rolling her dice. "14 plus Dexterity and proficiency for 18, so time to roll damage and get… 5 for a total of 7."
"At the thrust of the rapier, it pierces through his armor and punches a hole through his lung, leaving him dead on the floor when you pull out the blade," Vee narrated, taking away Bandit 3 from combat. "Next up, Bandit 2 sees that you killed his companion and rushes to stab you with his dagger with a… 2 on the die. That's not going to work. You literally dance around his attempt to stab and slash you, leaving him confused while his friend goes next and tries to shoot you with a crossbow bolt. A 15 for a total of 18 to attack. Does that hit," Vee says as she narrates, then asks for confirmation.
"My armor class is boosted thanks to the Bladesong, which gives my Intelligence modifier to my AC," Amity said. "Still hits as I'm at 16."
Vee rolled the damage die and shared the result. "7 plus a 1. That's 8 piercing damage to you as Bandit 1's bolt gets you right in the side," she said.
"I'm nearly down," Amity said.
"Then it's a good thing it's finally my turn," Willow said as she began rolling her die. "I'll make my way over to Philomena and cast Cure Wounds on her for… wow, max healing. An 8 on the die."
"After removing the bolt from you, Sariel uses her magic to heal your injuries by forming medicinal herbs and placing them against your wound. The plant matter begins to glow a vibrant green with golden sparkles, restoring your health as much as she possibly can," Vee narrates, giving Willow's spell some flavoring for the story being told. "Now the lead bandit is up again."
"Let's see what he has for me," Hunter says as he's ready to fight.
"Bandit 5 will strike at you with his sword, but he rolled a 6. 11 total for his roll, so let's clear up your armor class again," Vee said, asking for Hunter's AC.
"Caleb's wearing chain mail, so that gives him an AC of 16 while his shield is an extra 2 for a total of 18," Hunter explained.
"You easily block his swing with your shield, but he'll attack again with his sword," Vee narrates as she rolls her d20 again. "12 with bonuses makes 17. His second attack nearly gets you, but it grazes against your armored side. One last attack with his spare dagger will be made," she said before rolling the d20 one final time. It clattered in her dice tray and she looked at the result. "13 for the roll, so 18 total."
"Does mean it hits," Gus asked.
"Armor Class means you have to reach that number for it to be an effective hit, so Caleb takes damage from a knife he didn't expect," Vee says before rolling damage. "Luckily, his armor protects him enough and he takes minimal damage. 1 on the die for a total of 4 when he tries and fails to pierce through your chainmail."
"That's good to know," Hunter said.
"It's Caleb's turn, so what do you do," Vee asked.
"I'll roll to attack with my sword again," Hunter declares as he gave his d20 a toss. "Natural 20!"
Everyone cheered as Hunter go the first Nat 20 of the player side, earning him a little applause before he rolled the damage. "What'll you get this time," asked Willow.
Hunter's answer came when he rolled his d8. "5 on the die, doubled with my critical, and my strength for bonus results in 13 damage," he said.
"The bandit captain is looking pretty rough, but you don't know how much longer it'll take," Vee narrates. "Okay, turn order now is Gus, then Luz, and then Amity before the bandits again because of the next two being dead."
Nodding as he thought of what to do, Gus snapped his fingers. "I'll have Wrenn pull out his magical orb that acts as his arcane focus, then cast a Minor Illusion cantrip to summon a copy of myself that's running toward the bar. And hopefully, that'll keep them away from us."
"Using the magical prowess you studied and burned into your mind, you have the very magic of the aether form a version of you that loudly runs away while the bandits aren't looking at you thanks to Philomena being your cover," Vee said. "And now, it's time for Carmen to take her turn, Luz."
Luz thought over what to do, then picked up her dice. "I'll have Carmen go for Bandit 1 and slash at him with her cutlass," she declared before rolling her d20. "Another 12, so that'll hit this guy," she said before getting her damage die ready.
"This one knows you're around, so no Sneak Attack damage," Vee informed.
"Got it," Luz said before rolling her d6 once. As it clattered in on the table, she looked at the result with Amity and Hunter peeking over her shoulders to see it themselves. "Max damage with a 6 on the die! 10 damage total," Luz exclaimed.
"After a powerful slash that gets him in the middle of his chest and cuts his leather armor, Bandit 1 is on death's door, nearly ready to keel over," Vee declared.
"Then since it's my turn, I'll finish him off by casting a Fire Bolt. Twirling my finger around, a mote of flame dances around my hand before I point it at the injured bandit and release the fire spell," Amity said as she rolled her die and got a 10. "Add my Intelligence and Proficiency, that's 16 to hit."
"No need to roll damage," Vee said. "As you send the bolt flying at him, the flames erupt against his damaged armor and his chest is set ablaze, burning away at his body until he crashes against a table and a forgotten glass of water douses his corpse."
"That was incredible," Luz exclaims as Carmen Valentina. "Care to teach me how to make sparks fly like you can," she says in character, blatantly flirting with Philomena.
"Philomena is blushing at that," Amity narrates for her character, getting a laugh from everyone.
"Let me just remove this bandit from the battlefield and then figure out where we're at now," Vee said as she took away the figure for Bandit 1. "Bandit 2's next, so he'll aim his crossbow at the illusion of Wrenn and fires. But when he does, he watches the bolt go straight through without blood being drawn. Annoyed at that, he tries to escape, but he's within range of you, Willow. Your move."
"I'll go on the offensive. I'll get down on all fours and my body starts to change," Willow says as she places her hands on the table. "I grow larger, my fingers become claws, my limbs are covered in plant-like hair, and I start growling like a beast. Everyone remaining in the tavern watches as the adorable Eladrin is no longer an elf girl, but a large Brown Bear covered in plant-like fur."
"Whoa, Willow going Mama Bear," Luz said with a smile.
"And that was just my bonus action," Willow clarified. "Circle of the Moon, Hexsquad."
"Oh man, that should be our team name," Gus gasped.
"Maybe when we become an actual adventuring party," Hunter said. "After all, still in a fight here and my character is focused on dealing with that person of interest."
"For my action, I'll have Sariel Belladonna rush for the last regular bandit and slash at him with my claws," Willow said.
"More like 'Sariel Bear-adonna', am I right," Luz joked, getting a snicker from her girlfriend for the pun.
Rolling her d20, Willow made her attack. "6 on the die, but my Brown Bear stats have a plus 6 to hit," she said.
"With a 12, that'll hit it just like the captain's knife to Caleb earlier. Roll damage," Vee said.
Rolling a pair of d6s, Willow looked at the results and added her bear form's strength to the damage. "A 2 and a 4, plus another 4 means that I deal 10 damage. But, I have Multiattack in this form, so I'll go for a bite," she declared, rolling her d20 yet again. "An 8 for a total of 14."
"Just like Amity's kill earlier, the bandit is at death's door and you biting through his armor finishes him off by piercing into his heart with sharp fangs," Vee stated.
"Nice, Willow! High five," Gus exclaimed as he and Luz held out their hands. The trio high-fived before Vee continued with the battle.
"Seeing all his men taken down like that, the bandit captain is freaking out. However, he strengthens his resolve and continues his duel against Caleb by swinging his sword," the DM narrated. "A 19 total, so that'll hit you, Hunter. But let's roll the other two attacks first," Vee said as she rolled the d20 more. "An 8 for 11 total and another 16 for 19. For damage, that's 5 for 8 damage total on the first hit and the dagger is 3 for 6 damage. Together, that's 14 damage."
"I'm nearly down," Hunter says. "I'll spend my action keeping my shield up and using Lay On Hands to heal myself by 5 points times my Paladin level. That'll get me 10 HP back. Your turn, Gus."
"I'll try using Fire Bolt again to hit the captain," Gus said, rolling his d20. "A 9 plus my spell attack modifier makes it 15."
"Roll damage," Vee says.
Rolling his d10, Gus grinned as he saw the result. "A 9 for the damage," he cheered.
"Yeah! Alright," Luz hooted. "How is this guy looking anyway?"
"With that last attack, he's looking super drained," Vee said. "The Fire Bolt collided with his face and left some nasty burns on him. He's barely even standing. One more attack will take him down," she generously described. "Luz, let's see if Carmen gets the final blow."
"Oh man, this is exciting," Luz laughed as she rubbed her hands together. "I'd love to get a 'How Do You Want To Do This?' like in Critical Role. Okay, let's see if I can. I'll take aim with my pepperbox and fire at the captain," she told everyone before rolling her 20-sided die once again. "An 11. With my plus 6 to hit, I got it!"
"Carmen, how do you want to do this," Vee asked Luz, letting her flavor the finishing blow to the strongest enemy of the current encounter.
"With a roll of 10 for max damage, I'll shout out to the soldier that was doing most of the heavy lifting against him. '¡Oye, soldado! Shield!' And I pull the trigger to fire my bullet, letting it pierce through the Bandit Captain not once, but twice when the bullet bounced off Caleb's shield," Luz declares.
"Oh, that sounds awesome," Willow said with a grin.
Vee nodded in agreement before she described the scene. "As the bullet flies, it goes completely through the bandit leader's armor and out the other side, then impacts against Caleb's shield after he heard the instruction to keep it up. As it hits, it ricochets off the metal and flies back into the skull of the captain, giving him the illusion of a third eye in his forehead when the bullet stays lodged there."
Luz cheers as everyone agreed that her character was the MVP of the battle. "That was incredible," Amity exclaimed, hugging Luz tightly.
"Yeah! What a finish," Gus grinned.
"Okay, let's continue with the story," Vee said. "After the bandit leader falls, the soldier of the Alexandrian Empire approaches you all," she narrated, giving Hunter the signal to start roleplaying.
"Thank you for the assistance," Hunter said as Caleb. "I recognize these thugs as lesser criminals on a mission board description. I'll make sure you all get compensated for your involvement."
"It was a problem for me to help out," Luz voiced as Carmen. "I just don't like it when a pretty girl gets harassed," she said with a wink to Amity and Willow, showing her character flirting with them.
"Are you alright," Willow asked as her druid returned to normal after the battle. "I've only got a scratch," she said while holding her shoulder to point out her own character's injury. "And I'll have Sariel cast Goodberry to give herself and anybody else some extra health by having the fruit she creates in her hand.
"Don't those also fill your stomach for a day," Luz asked.
"So, they'd be like Senzu Beans," Hunter questioned jokingly.
"Senzu Bean," Gus shouted like he was Krillin from TeamFourStar's Dragon Ball Z Abridged, getting laughs from everyone that watched the series before.
"Hahaha! Okay, we're so calling them that whenever possible," Willow said before getting back into character. "Here. Eat these. They'll give you a little strength back."
"Thank you," Hunter said as he, Amity, and Gus had their characters eat some berries Sariel gave them.
"As you bite into the berries, the juices taste just like your favorite fruit and fill up your stomach when you swallow, giving you the energy to continue for a full day. After you do eat them, you all watch your wounds close in on themselves as your bodies feel like their natural healing has been accelerated," Vee described.
"These are delicious," Amity declared for Philomena.
"I'd like to roll to check if any of the others are the person of interest I was tasked with finding," Hunter said.
"Roll a general Intelligence check to remember the details of the information," Vee requested.
Rolling his die, Hunter looked at the result. "That's a 6, so with my Intelligence modifier, it's an 8."
"After that fight, you aren't exactly focused on the person you were looking for at the moment," Vee states. "Instead, your current goal is handling this pile of bodies in the tavern. As you're figuring out what to do, the employees come back in when they heard the fighting stop. 'Is it all over,' says the bartender as he sees crossbow bolts and daggers everywhere."
"I'll have Carmen loot the bodies as she's speaking to them," Luz says. "Yeah, they were trouble, but they won't be harassing you or your customers any longer."
Rolling some dice to see what Luz found on the bodies of the bandits, Vee went over the numbers and nodded. "Searching all six bodies, you find 13 electrum pieces on the captain while the other bandits have a total of 45 silver and 9 gold pieces. You also grab all of their weaponry and any undamaged armor," Vee tells Luz.
"I'll give the barkeep all the electrum and an extra four gold," Luz said. "I'm sure this will be a start to paying off the damages," she voiced as Carmen.
"The bartender is surprised at the fact this pirate woman is paying for the damage done to the place. However, he still takes the money after a few seconds of hesitance," Vee narrated. "Thank you," she says in the man's voice.
"It's okay. They're the ones paying for it," Luz said as she gestured behind herself with a thumb, making it seem like Carmen was pointing to the pile of bodies.
Hunter cleared his throat before he spoke for Caleb. "My sincerest apologies about your establishment. It seems that the battle has gotten in the way of my job. I'll be sure the rest of the money you need for repairs and stock will be given to you after I speak to the right people," he says.
"Oh, it's quite alright, young man. This lady here was generous enough to give us what she donated," Vee said as the bartender.
"So, what do we do about these men," Amity asked as Philomena.
"When she says that, I'll pull out a device with a magic stone that's essentially a radio for the guards and soldiers of the Alexandrian Empire, then speak into it," Hunter says. "This is Commander Caleb Xiloscient requesting assistance with bringing the bodies of several known criminals to the local medical examiner. Please respond."
"A young voice that sounds about in his early 20s speaks up as you make that request. 'Oh, Commander Xiloscient, sir! Right away, sir.' After they do so, it takes about 10 minutes for the local law enforcement to show up," Vee narrates, even giving a voice for the soldier on the other end of the magic messaging device. "After giving the information and having them take away the bodies, you're now standing in the Pearly Skull. What do you do now," Vee asked.
"Well, Wrenn will help clean up by using his Prestidigitation cantrip on any spots where there's blood. Just to be nice and show off a little magic," Gus said.
"Carmen's checking out the magic with interest and wondering if it's possible for her to learn any later," Luz voiced.
"I think Sariel would be double-checking everyone's injuries," Willow suggested.
"Right now, Philomena's just petting Specter and wondering what to do now. She'd also be glancing at Carmen a little," Amity said.
"Luz, roll a Perception check for Carmen if you would," Vee requested.
Luz rolled her d20 and got an 8 before adding her bonuses. "That's an 11."
"Looking away from Wrenn's spellcasting, you think you see Philomena checking you out to some extent, but only because she looked away just as you turned," Vee said. "As this all happens, I'd like you to roll me another Intelligence check, Hunter."
The blond boy did so and rolled his d20, getting a 13 this time. "That's 15 total," he said.
"Now that things have calmed down and you get a better look at Philomena, you remember the description given to you about that person of interest and piece together that this elf girl might be who you're looking for," Vee said, setting up the next part of the game's story.
Hunter nods as he goes on to start continuing his role. "Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to come with me. You fit the description of the person of interest I was speaking of when I first came into the tavern," he says as Caleb.
"Y-you must be mistaken," Amity stammered as Philomena. "Who are you even looking for?"
"I was told to be on the lookout for an elven girl with brown hair, gold and silver eyes, and a signet ring of a cat," Hunter said. "You fit that description well and I must ask you to follow me."
"Hearing this, Sariel will stand up and walk over to the two other elves," Willow voiced. "Just what's going on? Why do you need to take her in? She helped fight those bandits off."
"She's a runaway. I was asked to find a girl fitting her description and help bring her home to her family," Hunter declared as Caleb.
Amity scoffed to show Philomena's distaste toward what Caleb said. "You mean my mother just wants me to come back for political reasons," Amity said with venom in her words.
"Overhearing this, Carmen is quick to step over and give her input," Luz butted in. "Ugh, I can understand. Politics are stupid. It takes too long for old people to do stuff about anything. That's why I chose life on the high seas," Luz voiced as Carmen. "If you just go where the wind and waves take you, sometimes your troubles are left behind."
"I mean, I did enjoy the boat ride here after I had help teleporting to a nearby island," Amity says as Philomena.
"Why not join me on my travels, then? We can set sail and explore the islands throughout the world! The wind in our hair, the sea splashing on deck, the call of adventure, and maybe even some pretty faces to meet," Luz says with a wink. "There's so much out there! And let me tell you, some people can be pretty dang friendly. My old crew and I once ended up on an island where there were mermaids living in a crystal-clear lagoon. Let me tell you, they were really friendly," she said, waggling her eyebrows at the last words.
"I bet you girls would all look great as mermaids. In and out of game," Gus remarked, prompting them all to imagine it. Luz and Amity gave each other blushing smiles at the idea while Hunter turned red at the thought of Willow as a mermaid.
"Moving on, Carmen has given the suggestion of Philomena and possibly even the others of sailing the seas," Vee stated, secretly making a note to add a way to give the characters merfolk forms or underwater exploration capabilities later. "What do the rest of you have to say?"
"A chance to explore various cultures on different islands? Count me in," Gus said as Wrenn.
"I could use a change of scenery since I've mostly been in forests of nearby islands," Willow voiced as Sariel.
"I appreciated the help earlier, but I must at least confirm if this girl is who I'm tasked with returning to her home," Hunter said as Caleb. "And he'll start pulling out his magic radio again."
"Before you do, a loud ringing sounds come from outside. The echoing tones of alarm bells alert everyone to a potential threat," Vee narrated. "Your magic stone radio soon crackles with magical static before a message is received. 'Attention, all forces! Pirates have been sighted at the mouth of Bone River Bay! The colors signify they're of the Bloodsail Bandits! Requesting immediate backup!' Everyone, roll a History check. Luz, you can do it with an advantage because of your background in sailing," Vee told the players.
"5 and a 13, so with advantage gives me 14," Luz said after rolling her d20.
"14 plus 1 for 15," Willow said after her roll.
Gus soon rolled his d20 and looked at the result. "9 for a 13 total," he said.
"17 plus 4 in Intelligence and my proficiency for a total of 23," Amity said with a grin.
"An 18 plus 4 to get 22," Hunter said.
"Since all of you got over 10, you know that the Bloodsail Bandits are known pirates that have been around for just as long as the Empire itself. But Caleb and Philomena know that from their studies in history, the pirates are one of the most ruthless and cutthroat syndicates in the modern day after the decades have passed and a new generation has taken up the mantle," Vee says.
"The Bloodsail Bandits? Those guys are bad news," Luz remarks first.
"They are. But the Alexandrian Empire will stop them," Hunter declared as Caleb.
"I don't think it would be smart to go after them. They're the most vicious corsairs of this age," Amity stated as Philomena.
"I still have to serve my kingdom," Hunter voiced.
"Can I roll another History check on the Empire itself," Luz asked.
"Go ahead," Vee says.
Luz rolled her die and looked at the result before smiling. "17 plus 1 for an 18."
"Carmen's adventures around different islands have given her information she's heard in passing about the Alexandrian Empire's attitude toward various cities and how restrictive they can be about magical methods and items. Any town with a strong presence of the Empire is known for having strict regulations on magical items sold in shops because of the Emperor's own laws on magic being regulated to military use or exploration instead of everyday use. As such, you'd find more magic items in shops with owners that never caught the attention of the Emperor's forces. Places with more secretive mages or ones that are self-taught rather than going to one of the Empire's magic schools," Vee explained, giving a little lore.
"Yeah, an oppressive and magically-restrictive kingdom run by El Tirano," Luz said, voicing Carmen's distaste for the Alexandrian Empire.
"Hey, magic can be unpredictable. Especially with so many stories of people using magic for nefarious purposes," Hunter argues as Caleb. "It's best for it to be controlled."
"Magic lets you do anything you can imagine! It should be free and wild like the wind at sea! That's what my captain's always said," Luz exclaimed as Carmen.
"Ugh, I don't have time to stand around arguing with a wannabe pirate. I need to help my fellow soldiers," Hunter says. "At that, Caleb will storm out to try and find the ship he came in on."
"Roll a Perception check," Vee said, then watched Hunter roll a 17. "When you step outside and eventually reach the docks, you spot your ship has already left to battle the pirates out in the bay. You see flashes of black powder igniting in the cannons and hear the blasts of the weaponry going off."
"Would I have a spyglass with me because of my character's background," Luz asked Vee.
"I'd say so," Vee nodded. "And if you make Perception checks with it, I'll lower the DC."
"I'll pull out my spyglass and extend it to look out at the battle," Luz says, rolling her die for a Perception check when needed. "I got a Nat 20!"
"You take a look at the battle and see everything. The holes blasted in both ships are causing the vessels to sink slowly, but neither side is going down without a fight. As you see flashes of cannons and magic flying about, you watch as the back half of the pirate ship is taken out by an explosive spell. But at the same time, a blast from the Bloodsail Bandits hits the Empire ship's powder storage and the ship detonates into a spray of wooden shards dropping into the sea with the main body of the boat set ablaze. You watch as bodies are sent flying into the water, burn alive, or get impaled by wooden shrapnel. There are no survivors from either side as you watch both ships get sent to the abyss of Bone River Bay," Vee describes.
"I don't think you're getting off this island the same way you got here," Luz tells Hunter in Carmen's voice, then mimed collapsing her spyglass.
"Caleb is shocked at this, then tries to call for help. But then, he'd realize a fight of this magnitude would have called almost every guard from town and there wouldn't be a way to contact anybody since the radios have a short distance," Hunter describes for his Paladin as he looks over his character sheet.
"Are you okay," Willow asked as Sariel.
"I'm fine. I didn't know any of these men personally, but they were serving their kingdom by defending them against those pirates. They went down with honor," Hunter voiced as Caleb.
"Carmen would approach Caleb and put a hand on his shoulder. 'Lo siento. I'm not a fan of the Empire, but I'm not the type of girl to let a man be stranded. I can at least take you to another island where the Empire is stationed. Then, you can get help there and we'll go our separate ways.' And Carmen will offer her other hand as a way to show she can be trusted," Luz said.
"Roll Perception against Insight to convince him and see if she's telling the truth," Vee said to Luz and Hunter.
The two siblings rolled their dice and looked at the results. "Another natural 20! Dang," Luz exclaimed.
"I got an 8 on my die, so that's a total of 10," Hunter said. "I guess I've been thoroughly convinced that Carmen's offer is genuine."
"She isn't lying anyways. She's got Deception, but that's saved for bad guys," Luz stated.
"I guess at that, Caleb will let out a sigh and take Carmen's hand to shake it. 'Fine. It's a deal. I'll join you until we get to the next Imperial island. After that, I'll choose what I do next.' And Caleb will head off to get his stuff from the station he put his things away at," Hunter said.
"Yeah, I think everyone would be gathering their supplies and start getting ready to find a way to the next island
"If that's the case, then everyone heads to their respective places and meets back up at the Pearly Skull after an hour. What do you do when you return," Vee asked.
"Well, I think that it would be a smart choice of Wrenn to provide a map he had with him because the reason he was at the tavern was that he was resting up before making his way toward an archeological dig on the other side of the island," Gus said. "After he handles his business there, we could go to a nearby town with a harbor that would help out with us getting to the next island."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Amity says. "But how long will that take us?"
"Looking at the map, you see that it might take you about half a day on foot. But if you can get a horse and cart, you'd probably be able to make it to your first destination in about 4 hours at an average pace," Vee says.
"And what time is it? With my Keen Mind feat, I'd know when sunset is," Amity asked, mentioning her character's feat.
"Oh man, I forgot about feats," Willow remarked. "Can we use them when we get to the right points?"
"I'll be generous and let there be both Ability Score Improvements and feats if you want any," Vee stated, getting smiles from everyone. "As for time, it's about 3pm on Kuugaw Island and sunset would be in three hours. You could try risking travel into the night or rushing to get to the next town before dark, but there would be consequences," Vee told Amity and the others.
"I say we all rest up and get a cart in the morning," Luz suggested.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Hunter agreed.
"Well, that'll be a good place to take a break," Vee said. "Let's get more snacks and stuff, then continue."
"So far, so good," Luz said with a grin. "This is going to be fun. I wonder what'll be our next encounter?"
"Guess we'll have to wait and see," Amity remarked.
"I need more soda," Hunter said as he stood up and went to the kitchen.
"Wait for me," Gus said as he followed.
"Time to get up," moaned Willow as she stood up and stretched.
As the group of six all got up and went to handle things, they were still excited to continue the game in a few minutes.
And with this, the first chapter of my Owl House D&D fic is complete! I've had the idea of Luz playing D&D in my head for a while, so I thought this would be fun. Now, I was writing this before the reveals in the newest episode of the Owl House, so I wanted to start Luz off as a non-caster class because if she was a Wizard or something that could use "Find Familiar", I would have had a hard time figuring out what she'd choose because it would have been her Palisman. But thanks to the ending of "For The Future", we finally have an answer to that question and it's a perfect one!
As for any other characters that may join in a future game, I do have some plans for Edric, Emira, Alador, Skara, Viney, and a couple others. All depends on who would be a good guest at the moment and place in the story.
In any case, next chapter might be just as long as this one, if not shorter. There's just so much to write down that can work with the flow of everything. But next time, we'll have the heroes go off on a trip to the next town on the Isle of Kuugaw. Will they be able to get there safely? Can they leave the island in the next chapter? I guess you'll have to stay tuned and see it for yourself.
Leave a review/comment, favorite, and follow if you enjoyed this fic. Until next time, WaterDragonMaverick signing out.