A/N: Hello, all! First things first, No, I didn't lie. I am indeed studying for my CT exam. However, while I was waiting for the ARRT to review and finalize my clinicals, and, of course, study for the exam, I got the itch to write more (You know the one, fellow writers) and so, here we are.
RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth production and the late Monty Oum
RWBY DnD
Chapter 1
As Ruby turned to run into the back of the church, six men in the black and red cloth garments and white masks of the Church of Salem burst into the building after breaking down the door and began looking about the confines within, their eyes dazzled by the change in lighting.
Finally, the one in the lead, who was wearing leather over his uniform, turned and saw them. He drew the scimitar at his and pointed it at Jaune as he began making his way toward them. "You there, Priest!" He bellowed hoarsely as if he had been screaming all day. "Either step aside or give us the girl!"
"A Paladin of the Order of The Sacred Light does not simply 'step aside'." Jaune stated as he marched towards them.
"Then perish alongside her then!" The cultist spat as he dashed towards him with three of his men behind him. The other three held back, holding the entrance-way.
(Initiative Roll (Jaune Arc): 16 +0; Roll result: 16) (Attaboy, Jaune!)
(Initiative Roll, first group of Cultists (6 members): 16, 20, 14, 17, 8, and 14, with a +1 their Initiative; Roll Result: 17, 21, 15, 18, 9, and 15)
(Initiative Order: Cultist (Leather armor) 21, Cultist (Cloth) 18, Cultist (Cloth) 17, Jaune Arc 16, Cultist (Cloth) 15 x2, and Cultist (Horn) 9) (… Oh, boy. Here we go.)
Jaune stopped and saluted the man with his Longsword as he charged him, blocking the narrow path between the pews and holding his ground. So long as he stood there, he knew that they'd be unable to get behind him or flank him, only able to come at him two at a time, at most.
The cultists seemed to know that, too, as another two made to move his way while the third continued to hold back, a horn in hand.
As the lead Cultist closed with him and swung at him with his scimitar he did the same with his own sword.
(Roll to Attack, (Cultist (Leather)): 1 with a modifier of +3 for a result of 4; Jaune Arc's AC 18; Roll Result: Failure)
(Roll to Attack (Jaune Arc): 16 with a +5 modifier for a Roll Result of 21; Cultist (Leather) AC 12; Roll Result: Success) (That's my boy!)
(Roll for Damage, Two-handed Strike: 1d10 +3; Roll Result 5 + 3 = 8 points of Damage)
As the cultist swung at him Jaune almost seemed to pirouette to one side before he swung up with his blade two-handed. The blue-grey steel cutting deeply into the man's form, his leather chest piece doing nothing to stop the keen edge.
He jerked back with a cry of pain and alarm, blood spilling out of his ripped open torso, almost dropping his weapon and stumbled backwards as his two compatriots started by him to make their own attacks at the obstinate priest.
(Roll to Attack, (Cultists): 11 + 3 = 14 and 15 + 3 = 18; Jaune Arc's AC 18; Roll Result: one Failure, one Success)
(Roll for Damage: 1d4 +1; Roll Result 4 + 1 = 5 points of Damage)
"Die!" The first one shouted one to stare as his dagger cut across Jaune's robes to show the reflective steel plate beneath. "What?" He gaped at that as his comrade then stabbed Jaune in the shoulder, digging the point in deeply.
Jaune gritted his teeth as he grasped and jerked the dagger out before swinging his sword once more as he said, "Like I said, A Paladin of the Order of The Sacred Light does not simply step aside."
(Roll to Attack (Jaune Arc): 11 with a +5 modifier for a Roll Result of 16; Cultist (Cloth) AC 11; Roll Result: Success)
(Roll for Damage: 1d10+3; Roll Result 4 + 3 = 7 points of Damage)
He struck the awestruck cultist a mighty blow. Once more, spilling blood across the floor as he carved a deep cut across his front. The masked man screamed in pain, jerking backwards as Jaune then made to shove him into his friends.
(Bonus Action, Shove (Jaune): 15 + 3 = 18; (Cultist): 16 + 1 = 17; Roll Result: Success) (Yes!)
(Dexterity check to avoid falling prone: 14 + 1 = 15; Roll Result: Success)
With a small yelp of alarm the grievously wounded cultist fell backwards into the arms of his unwounded comrade. The man struggled for a moment before shoving the body to one side, letting the wounded man fall to the ground, before holding up his dagger at the ready.
Jaune looked up to see the other two cultists approaching. They had held back, until the trio before him and not dashed towards him, probably thinking that the fight would be over before they got there. Now they were needed, not to search for the girl, but to help kill one man.
Jaune almost grinned at that as he gathered the healing magic granted to him by the Gods and healed his wound.
(Swift Action, Lay on Hands (Self): Heal 5 HP)
As he did so the leather-clad cultist rose up to a standing position then from where he was leaning against a pew and swung at him once more. Jaune spied the movement out of the corner of his eye and made to defend himself.
(Roll to Attack, (Cultist (Leather)): 20 + 3 = 23; Jaune Arc's AC 18; Roll Result: Success, Critical Hit!) (Oh, no. Roll bad!)
(Roll for Damage (Critical Hit): 2d6+1, Roll Result 2 + 5 + 1 = 8 points of Damage) (He didn't roll bad.)
Jaune hissed with pain as the scimitar's edge slipped under the plating across his torso and ripped a line across the meat beneath. He felt queasy suddenly as a warm liquid spilled out beneath the remains of his robes.
He stepped backwards and raised his sword as the unwounded cultist then attacked him again.
/ /
Ruby didn't know what to do.
Jaune, the nice man from before was bravely attempting to hold off the Cult so she could escape. She didn't like that. He very well might die out there.
There were too many of them, after all! This, was their city! The capital of Arcadia!
What was she to do?!
(Passive Perception Check, DC10; Ruby Rose, Passive Perception 12; Roll Result: Success!)
Ruby glanced to her left and saw the bundle of supplies that Jaune had left for her, and felt tears prick at the corner of her eyes. He was never going to turn her in. Never.
She rubbed the tears from her eyes as she rushed over and took up a longbow and a quiver of arrows. Then she rushed back out just into to see Jaune shove one of the three cultists before him.
She took up the bow and notched an arrow, drawing it back, waiting to see what happened next.
As the wounded, leather-clad cultist attacked and injured Jaune, she loosed an arrow at the unwounded one as he closed with Jaune.
(Surprise attack (Ruby Rose): 6 with a +5 modifier for a Roll Result of 11; Cultist (Cloth) AC 11; Roll Result: Success)
(Roll for Damage (Surprise Attack): 2d8+3; Roll Result 2 + 6 + 3 = 11 points of Damage)
With the slightest of sounds the arrow left the bow and soared across the room before burying itself in the man's head with a thunk! The man fell backwards, collapsing on top of his fallen ally with nary a sound.
Jaune turned and looked at her, asking, "Ruby?"
She took another arrow and notched it, drawing the bow back as she shouted to him, "I got your back, Jaune!"
He nodded and turned back to face his opponents again, rolling his shoulders as he said, "Let's do it then.
/ /
(Initiative Roll (Ruby Rose): 8 +3; Roll result: 11)
(New Initiative Order: Cultist (Leather armor) 21, Cultist (Cloth) 17, Jaune Arc 16, Cultist (Cloth) 15 x2, Ruby Rose 11 and Cultist (Horn) 9)
As their target reappeared with a weapon of her own, the cultist began to worry for the first time that day. Especially as two of their members were gravely injured and one was now dead with an arrow through the head. They didn't want to die here.
But, to fail would be even worse.
In fear for his life at the man standing before him with a weapon drawn and bloodied with his own blood, the wounded cultist on the floor struggled to throw his dead comrade off of him so he could escape.
(Strength check, DC 10; Cultist (Cloth) rolled a 5; Roll Results: failure)
But in his panic he failed to move the body as Jaune healed himself again using his magic and stepped forth toward him.
(Swift Action, Lay on Hands (Self): Heal 5 HP)
However, Jaune ignored the man on the ground for the one standing before him. The one who injured him. He swung his sword at the man.
(Roll to Attack (Jaune Arc): 13 + 5 = 18; Cultist (Leather) AC 12; Roll Result: Success)
(Roll for Damage: 1d10+3; Roll Result: 2 + 3 = 5 points of Damage)
The leather-clad cultist tried to lurch away from the attack, but to no avail. The tip of the sword just barely cut across his throat. But barely was just enough as blood showered the former priest robes of the paladin before him from the cut across his neck.
With a gurgling cry he fell first to his knees then onto his face in a heap, the blood continuing to pump out of his twitching form.
Jaune then moved backwards, sword at the ready, away from the two cultists closing in on him.
One dashed towards him at full speed while the other ran over two his fallen comrade. He pulled the corpse off of him before looking him over for a moment. Then he looked back towards where Jaune and Ruby were before he drew his dagger and, casting an incantation, stabbed at his wounded ally as he lay there, the dagger glowed a dull, luminescent red.
(Roll to Attack (Cultist): 11 + 3 = 4; Cultist AC 11; Roll Result: Success)
(Roll for Damage (Critical Hit): 2d4 + 1; Roll Result: 1 + 4 + 1 = 6 points of damage)
With a grunt of pain and surprise the man died as the glowing dagger pierced his chest, and the heart beneath. The blade then pulsed a brighter red and the cult member let loose a gurgling cry of his own as the red glow shot up his arm before enveloping his entire body.
He then and let loose a savage, piercing cry as his eyes glowed red from beneath his mask.
Ruby gasped at that as she said, "Wh-what the heck?!"
(Arcana check, Jaune Arc: 11 + 3 = 14)
Jaune swallowed as he recalled the spell the cultist had just used. "Blood Empowerment. Not good." Then he spied the last cultist preparing to blow his horn and turned to Ruby, shouting, "Ruby! The one with the horn! Stop him him!"
Ruby shook her head to clear it of her confusion before aiming for the cultist in question and launching an arrow at him.
(Roll to Attack (Ruby Rose): 13 + 5 = 18; Cultist (Horn) AC 11; Roll Result: Success)
(Roll for Damage: 1d8 + 3; Roll Result: 1 +3 = 4 points of damage) (Oh, Ruby. At least you tried.)
With a grunt of pain, the cultist fell back as he went to sound his horn, an arrow stick out of his shoulder. He snarled at the two of them before sounding the horn.
(Performance check (Cultist): 8)
He blew into the horn, but it only gave a weak toot. He snarled again before ripping off his mask to try again even as he made his way outside.
Jaune grimaced at that as he swung at the cultist before him.
(Roll to Attack (Jaune Arc): 6 + 5 = 11; Cultist AC 11; Roll Result: Success)
(Roll for Damage: 1d10 + 3; Roll Result: 4 + 3 = 7 points of damage)
(Bonus Action, Shove (Jaune): 2 + 3 = 5; (Cultist): 6 + 1 = 7; Roll Result: Failure)
Once more he cleaved a line across the Salemite's torso, showering the pews to his right with an line of blood before he then tried to shove the man away. Only this time the man dodged around the push even he winced against the pain.
(Roll for Attack (Cultist): 8 + 3 = 11; Jaune Arc AC 18; Roll Result: Failure)
The cultist pushed in under Jaune's arm and stabbed at him only for his dagger to glance off of the armor plating. He then opted to run past the paladin towards Ruby.
As he did, Jaune turned and swung at him again.
(Reaction: Attack of Opportunity; Roll for Attack: 3 + 5 = 8; Cultist AC 11; Roll Result: Failure)
As he swung at the man, the Salemite ducked up the blade and continued towards Ruby. Jaune snarled at that before feeling the blood drain from his face as he heard a wild scream from behind him.
(Roll for Attack (Empowered Cultist): 9 + 3 = 12 and 10 + 3 = 13; Jaune Arc AC 18; Roll Result: both Failure)
He winced as he felt two wild strikes rip into the robes on his back and bounce off of his armor. He swirled finding the blood mad cultist there, screaming at him manically.
Once he made it outside the horn-toting made to sound an alert for reinforcements once more.
(Performance check (Cultist): 8)
Only to cough and hack up some blood from his injury. He spat out the blood and groaned as he felt the arrow dig in a little more.
Jaune snarled silently as he saw the cultist with the horn leave the church and made to trumpet his horn once more. "Ruby!" He shouted hoarsely before swinging at the now gibbering Salemite before him. "Do something! Hurry!"
(Roll to Attack (Jaune Arc): 19 + 5 = 24; Empowered Cultist AC 13; Roll Result: Success, Critical Hit) (It took forever, but I did find that Longsword Crit on 19s and 20s)
(Roll for Damage (Critical Hit): 2d10 + 3; Roll Result: 4 + 5 + 3 = 13 points of damage) (Yeah! Freaking finally!)
With a massive swing of the blade, the longsword cleaved the blood mad Salemite's head clean off in one blow. His body toppled over, still twitching from the magical power residing within, even as his head went soaring off into the pews beyond.
Jaune then turned and started lumbering after the cultist charging towards Ruby.
(Roll to Attack (Ruby Rose): 6 + 5 = 11; Cultist (Horn) AC 11; Roll Result: Success)
(Roll for Damage: 1d8 + 3; Roll Result: 5 +3 = 8 points of damage) (There ya go, Rubes!)
Ruby once more took aim at the distant cultist, ignoring the one before her trying his hardest to rushed up to her and loosed an arrow. It shot the two men running towards her, one good and decent, the other not, and struck the man with the horn just as he brought it to his mouth once more.
He coughed, choking, and collapsed, an arrow lodged in his neck.
The last cultist dashed toward Ruby with everything he had. Jaune scooped up one of the fallen Salemite's daggers and threw it at him as he ran on, trying to catch up to him.
(Roll to Attack (Jaune Arc): 16 + 5 = 21; Cultist (Horn) AC 11; Roll Result: Success)
(Roll for Damage: 1d4 + 3; Roll Result: 4 +3 = 7 points of damage)
With a heavy whirling sound the dagger spun about before piercing the last cultist in the back, piercing his heart. With an inarticulate cry of pain the man fall to floor dead, skidding to a stop at Ruby's feet.
Jaune slowed to a stop then, puffing for breath. With a groan of his own he took up the remains of his robe and used it to clean the blood from his blade as Ruby cautiously stepped around the dead bodies to walk up next to him.
She looked him in the eyes as he wearily wiped away at his sword. She stared at the blue depths for a moment before smiling at him wearily and croaked out, "Thanks, Jaune. I, you didn't have to do this." She waved her arms around at the carnage and said, "Any of this."
"I know." He replied before sheathing his blade. "But, as per my Order's teachings,'The only thing necessary for the Triumph of Evil, is for Good men to do nothing.'"
Ruby smiled at that before the two of them turned towards the open doors at the sound of shouting outside. Then Jaune suddenly cursed to himself as he began to run towards the door.
He looked out at the plaza then, observing what was going on.
(Perception check, DC10: 20 + 1 = 21; Roll Result: Critical Success!) (Holy! And, also, finally! Mah Boi!)
And cursed at what he saw. Either the fighting, the search or the corpse at his door or, most likely, all three had the Church up at arms. Already a much larger force of Salemites were gathering with weapons drawn. There were also members of the Lion Guard among them as well.
"Shit," He cursed before jerking back inside and slamming the broken doors close. Then, he turned to Ruby and waved her over, shouting, "Quickly! We must barricade the entrance!"
Then he proceeded to do just that by throwing one of the heavy, wooden pews against the doors.
(Strength Check, DC 15; Roll Result: 15 + 3 = 18; Success) (As Nora would say, Mister Muscles. Mister Muscles indeed.)
"Right!" Ruby called as she placed the longbow across her torso and rushed to help him. Not that he needed it as he shoved one of the pews by the entrance up against the doors. Then, together, they made to do the same with the other one.
(Strength check, DC 18; Roll Results: 17 + 3 for Jaune, 18 + 2 for Ruby; Double Success) (Ey, an actual example of stress and adrenaline giving you strength, my friends!)
With barely a groan between them, the two grasped the heavy, wooden bench and lifted it up overhead before placing it on top of the other one, completely sealing off the entrance way.
Jaune stepped back from their work, wiping dust from his hands as Ruby stood there and wiped at their brow. "That should hold for a while," he started to say just as a heavy impact slammed against the barricade. It didn't move.
He grimaced at that and shook his head before saying, "And, just in time, too. It would seem." He then turned to Ruby and said, "Quickly, this way. Follow me.
She nodded as she started to run after him, only stopping to pick up the scimitar and daggers along the way, leaving behind the one used by the crazy Cultist.
She quickly followed Jaune back into the store room where he motioned her to gather up the supplies while he took an odd-looking torch from a sconce on the wall beside them and began attempting to light it up. As he did so, he said to her, "I had hoped never to need this. But, just in case, I always had it ready."
With a whoosh of sound a blue flame appeared then. He frowned at he looked into for a moment before stepping out to the Sanctuary and the aisle beyond. He stared out there for a moment before shaking his head and whispering to himself, "May the Patriarchs forgive me."
Then he threw the torch at the pews beyond. Almost immediately they began to smoke and burned. He watched for a moment more before he sighed and walked back over to Ruby's side.
"Come," he said as he tugged on the now empty fixture, revealing a hidden passageway beyond. "Let's us make our way out of here now, Miss Rose."
Ruby walked up beside him and looked inside the hidden opening to find a stairway winding downwards then she turned to Jaune and huffed a sigh as she nodded and said, "Okay, Jaune. Let's go."
He nodded back and let her go in front of him as he glanced about the room for a moment as the smoke began to billow in. With a firm tug on the sconce once more the hidden entrance closed behind him as he stepped inside.
A/N: They survived! Woo! Not going to lie, forgot that Paladins can heal themselves with a swift action when using Lay on Hands.
Also, if I can gripe just a little, I hate how 5th edition does away with all the Holy/Profane damage for Radiant damage. It's stupid, especially when most fiends don't take additional damage to it. And, angels are only resistant to it, instead of being immune to it. Again, stupid.
It is my personal head canon that in the D&D universe Evil is winning see as Angels and other celestials don't return to life on their planes when they die while all fiends do, unless on their home planes or in an area of heavily concentrated evil areas.
But, that's besides the point. Here's hoping you enjoyed the chapter.
See ya soon for another story tomorrow, probably. Essiter out!
Also, here's everybody's health right now. Yes, Jaune really did almost die.
Jaune Arc: HP: 13
Ruby Rose: HP: 11
Cultist NPC, taken from D&D Beyond, HP: 9
Blood Empowerment: When using a dagger, or other simple weapon, to attack a creature, gain the benefits of a Haste spell if you score a Critical hit on them as well as temporary HP equal to the damage dealt for three round. You do not receive the penalty of a Haste spell once this effect wears off. The temporary hit points of the effect do not stack with multiple Critical hits, but each Critical Hit does extend the duration of the effect.