Hello, everyone. WaterDragonMaverick here with my newest update to "Your Turn To Roll", my Owl House Dungeons and Dragons fic. Last time, I made a HUGE chapter because I wanted to cover plenty of the fights in the first round of the Mountain Bird Brawl. Now that that's over with, I can focus on showing off the rest of the battles before the heroes of the Witch Blade Pirates can all get a chance to earn extra treasures in the team battle rounds. With the battles that happened, Amity and Hunter were the only ones not to make their way to the tournament's second round. However, this gives them a chance to help on the sidelines if they can be smart about it.
The Wheel of Fate is turning. ACTION!
The Owl House was created by Dana Terrace and is owned by Disney
Dungeons and Dragons is published by Wizards of the Coast and was created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
It was a rainy afternoon as Luz and her friends gathered again at the Noceda home for their game. Luckily for them, none of their supplies were soaked from the rain and they were able to get everything set up. "Okay, everyone got their stuff," Vee asked.
"Yeah, I have my dice and character sheets," Gus said.
"I have my notes too," Amity said as she had her stuff.
"Same. And I brought candy for everyone," Willow said as she brought out a jumbo-sized bag of gummy candies. "Grape, orange, cola, cherry, and even ramune soda flavor," she listed.
"Ooo, what's that taste like," King asked as he started to tear into the bag of gummies to grab the packet.
"It's sort of like a fizzy lemonade," Luz explained as she grabbed one for herself. "Mmm, juicy!"
"Just don't have too many of those," Camila told the kids as Flapjack flew onto Hunter's shoulder as he went down the stairs with a bowl of fruits.
"We won't," Hunter said as he gave a berry to Flapjack.
"Okay, let's get to the game," Vee said as everyone sat around the table. "Last we left off, the Mountain Bird Brawl's first round came to an end and most of the Witch Blade Pirates were able to advance. Carmen, Wrenn, Sariel, and Reverence have all made it to the second round. Unfortunately, some equally skilled opponents for Caleb and Philomena claimed victory over them. When you overheard some of the other contestants before having dinner, you saw Scalnoir continuing to recruit new mercenaries and learned the half-elf from Grinberryall is the prince of his kingdom, searching for a cure for his sick mother," she recapped. "With that, we'll open up on the next day of the tournament when a gong in the monastery signals the beginning of the morning and awakens you from your slumber. As you wake up, you head to the dining hall where you're given breakfast and see the competitors."
"Anybody we'd notice immediately," Gus asked.
"You see that the Holstein-Quartz siblings and the Bubblegum Renegades are talking with each other," Vee says. "But as you keep looking, Kondai soon approaches you with a large basket of fruit."
"Good morning, Kondai," Willow greeted in Sariel's voice.
"Morning, guys! Hey, Caleb. I just wanted to say that our battle was really fun yesterday. I'm surprised that you were able to hurt me that much," Vee said in Kondai's voice. "If I didn't train myself to take hits more, I would have lost to you."
"Well, I wasn't expecting somebody with your fighting skills to best me," Hunter said as Caleb.
"That's the best part of these tournaments the Order holds. You can always find ways to improve yourself," Vee said as Kondai.
"Interesting to know. I already found that I need to make sure I can take more hits in battle," Amity said as Philomena.
"It would help you out in the long run," Willow agreed as Sariel.
"I'm wondering about the next round," Luz says in Carmen's voice. "I know I'm one of the first to battle."
"Right, you'll be going against one of the temple's monks. He's a tough Tabaxi," Vee says as Kondai. "But with your skill, you'll stand a chance against him."
"Thanks, Kondai," Luz said as Carmen. "I'll then swipe an apple from his basket and start eating," she added.
"After you all eat up, you begin to gather out in the courtyard and around the fighting platform from yesterday," Vee narrates. "Jachun then approaches and he looks at all of the contestants still around before speaking," she said before voicing the Tortle. "Good morning, everyone. Today, we shall begin the second round of the tournament. Just like yesterday, you may use any skills or magic you have so long as you don't kill your opponent in the battle," she stated as the Grand Roshi.
"Hold on, if that's the main rule, I'll play it smart since I can't continue fighting," Hunter said. "I'll place a hand on Carmen's shoulder before she battles and cast Bless on her," he declared before voicing his Paladin. "I wish you luck, Valentina."
"Thanks, Caleb," Luz says as Carmen.
"If you're doing this just before the battle, you'll do that as she's walking up onto the battlefield," Vee asked.
"Yup," Hunter clarified.
"Then as Jachun asks for the first two fighters of the day to enter the stage, you'd do that when Carmen goes up," Vee said. "When Carmen gets herself ready, she sees the large muscular Tabaxi standing before her. If you want a description, he's just Tai Lung from Kung Fu Panda like we joked about before," she stated, making it easy for herself and the others to imagine the character.
"Got it," Luz said.
"Let the brawl begin," Vee said as Jachun.
Vee and Luz then rolled their dice to see which of their characters would go first. "I got a 10 for 17 thanks to my Rakish Audacity," Luz stated.
"The Tabaxi Monk got a total of 15. Carmen gets the first attack," Vee declared.
"Alright," Luz cheered before she thought things over. "Okay, I know I have Bless for an extra d4 to my attack rolls and saving throws. I think I'll start off by running toward the guy with my cutlass and swing it at him when I'm in range," she declared before rolling her die. "Oh wow, natural 20 right at the start," she exclaimed, making the others shout in excitement. "Okay, time to roll damage," she said before picking up the six-sided dice she needed. "Okay, let's roll," Luz said as she tossed her dice. "Okay, I got a 4 and two 1s. Add in my Dueling and Dexterity modifier, that's 12 to start, but I can roll the dice again," she said before rolling the d6s again. "That's better. Two 6s and a 1. That's a total of 25 slashing damage to him," Luz declared.
"Whoa! That's incredible," Gus exclaimed.
"Go, Carmen," King cheered.
"With that, I'll then use my Fancy Footwork to move back with the rest of my movement and my bonus action to dash away from him," Luz said.
"That takes you about 45 feet away from him," Vee declared. "With a massive slash down his chest, he growls at you before running forward and he uses his bonus action to use Step of the Wind to get closer to you," she stated. "After that, he'll attack you twice with Unarmed Strikes. The first swipe of his claws misses and the second one hits as he strikes you in order to use a second ki point for Stunning Strike," Vee declared. "He deals 10 slashing damage to you and you have to make a Constitution saving throw. And because of his Crusher feat, you're sent back 5 feet."
"Okay, let's see if Bless helps me out," Luz said as she rolled her d20 and a d4. "12 on the first die and 3 on the Bless. All together with my Constitution, that's 17."
"You succeed," Vee says. "After that slash, you feel something try to enter your body, but the divine blessing Caleb gave you helped keep you safe from it."
"My turn," Luz said. "I'll go up again and swing my sword again," she declared before rolling her die. "That's 16 total with my Bless added in."
"You hit. Give us that Swashbuckler damage," Vee said.
Rolling her dice, Luz counted up her results. "That's a 6, a 1, and a 2. Combined with my other stuff, 15 damage total."
"How do you want to do this," Vee asked, getting an eruption of cheers as Luz successfully beat her second opponent in the tournament.
"I think that I'll swing the blunt end of my cutlass into his neck, knocking him out as I strike him in the jugular," Luz declared.
"You swing your blade with skill and precision, smacking your weapon into his throat hard enough that the only sound he makes is something similar to a kitten," Vee described, making everyone chuckle.
"Hahaha! I win again! Guess that's what happens when you mess with a crewmate of the strongest pirate this side of the Ferventi Sea," Luz exclaimed as Carmen.
"The winner is Carmen Valentina," Vee said as Jachun. "Our next battle shall take place elsewhere on the island within a few minutes. Prepare yourselves for teleportation magic."
"I'll have Carmen return to her team so we can celebrate my quick victory after the Mercy Monks heal me up," Luz said.
"Congratulations on the victory. However, your next match won't be easy," Hunter says as Caleb. "He'll then look over at Scalnoir and the Bubblegum Renegades."
"When everyone's looking at them, you see Scalnoir closing a book while Geist of the Renegades notices you looking in the rival team's direction, then gives a cat-like grin," Vee explains. "After that, the spellcasters of the temple transport everyone to the next location, which happens to be the same village Wrenn fought Logan in."
"Okay, this will be interesting," Gus said.
"The second battle is Percival Scalnoir VS Geist. Let the brawl begin," Vee said as Jachun, signalling the battle between the NPCs.
"Who's gonna go first," King wondered.
Vee rolled her dice and checked the results compared to the character sheets she had. "Geist will go first. She begins by running into one of the buildings and hiding with her bonus action. She succeeds and throws out her psychic blades, but she misses as the blades bounce off the armor Scalnoir wears," Vee explained. "Scalnoir then gets to where the blades came from and casts Thunderwave, slamming his shield down on the ground to send out a pulse of sonic magic. Geist fails the saving throw and ends up taking… 14 thunder damage as the thunderous force hits her."
"Oh dang. That's not a good start," Luz said.
"Geist will run to another building and hide, succeeding again before she attempts to throw her psionic box cutters," Vee said before rolling her d20 again. "This one succeeds and she gets to deal Sneak Attack damage to him. She got a 2, a 6, a 5, and another 6. With her Dexterity, that's an extra 4… that makes it 23 psychic damage."
"Whoa! That's some good damage," Amity remarked.
"Gotta love Rogues," Luz said, getting a high five from King.
"After that, Scalnoir would see Geist and run to attack her with his longsword," Vee said before rolling her d20. "The first swing misses and so does the second swing."
"Go, Geist," Gus cheered, pulling out a pair of flags he had with him for sporting events at school.
"Geist takes her next turn and disengages, running away to hide behind a barrel outside and being hidden from Scalnoir again," Vee said. "In response, Scalnoir runs outside and attempts to search for her with a Perception check." Rolling her die, Vee checked to see if the search was successful. "He fails and only just runs in the direction he thought she went."
"Not his lucky day," Willow remarked.
"Geist will attack from her hiding spot, but she ended up getting a natural 1. As such, her attack not only misses, her barrel is knocked over and she's discovered," Vee said. "She'll try and run away, hiding in another spot with a 17 total in Stealth."
"This is getting tense," Gus muttered.
"Scalnoir heads into the alley she hid, but isn't able to locate her. In response, Geist throws more Psychic Blades and hits Scalnoir from behind," Vee said. "Since he isn't aware of the attack, he doesn't use a Shield spell. Caught off his guard, he's hit with 21 points of psychic damage. Geist tries to hide again, but trips over the barrel she attempted to hide behind with a natural 1. She's not hidden, which allows Scalnoir to prepare himself. He swings his sword and the first attack hits with a 17 to make 25. That swing hits with max damage for 13, so she'll use Uncanny Dodge to half that to 6. The second attack hits again with a total of 27 for 9 damage this time."
"These two are tough," Hunter voiced.
"Geist disengages, then runs away to hide in another building. She's able to stay hidden, so Scalnoir heads for where she vanished. He doesn't know where she is, so he decides to take the Dodge action, giving her disadvantage on the next attacks she makes, hindering her Sneak Attacks," Vee says. "Scalnoir readies his shield, just in time for Geist to attack with her blades. A 10 on the first roll and 17 on the second. Geist throws her blades, but they bounce off his shield. In response, she'll throw them again thanks to her Psychic Blades allowing for another attack with her bonus action. However, both rolls are misses anyway as the shield blocks the blades. Out of options, she runs away."
"If she can get another good hit in, I bet she can win against him," King said.
"Scalnoir sees her running and since he's too far away to attack with his sword if he runs, he'll cast Chromatic Orb," Vee declared. "He got a 15 on the die to make it a modified 20. He sends out a ball of electricity at her. He deals 19 lightning damage, but Geist uses her Uncanny Dodge to lower it to 9."
"This is getting close to the end," Luz said, on the edge of her seat.
"Geist will start by using her Cunning Action to hide and she just makes it, disappearing from Scalnoir's sight. After that, she'll throw her psionic box cutters again. But just misses with a modified 20 as the blades bounce off his horns," Vee narrated.
"Oh no," Amity muttered.
"Scalnoir strikes at Geist with his sword and the attack wins it for him, knocking Geist out as he cuts her in the shoulder and sends her to the ground," Vee narrates. "Scalnoir is declared the winner of the second battle."
"Guess that means Carmen's fighting him," Hunter remarked.
"How's Valafar taking this," Willow asked.
"You turn to him and see that he's clenching his fists as he glares at Scalnoir," Vee stated. "You can hear him muttering under his breath about 'avenging his fallen minion'. After that, the mages transport everyone to the next battlefield. You're all transported back to the bamboo forest that Salix battled in. Jachun then steps up to announce the fighters of the round," she said before voicing the Grand Roshi. "Our next participants will be Reverence and Novahdam. Take your positions."
"I'll take the Bag of Holding. Maybe I can use some items in it if things get rough for me," King said.
"Good idea," Luz and Gus agreed.
"Okay, so Rev is going into battle with the Bag of Holding, so he'll need to keep track of items," Amity said. "Good thing I have notes on what we have," she remarked before showing King the item list she made.
"Good to know," Vee said. "Let the brawl begin," she then said in Jachun's voice. "Roll for initiative, King."
"Okay, I got an 11 for 19 total," King declared.
"Novahdam got a 14 for 17. You go first," Vee said.
"Okay, I'll start by hiding with my Cunning Action," King said before rolling his d20. "That's a 3 on my die, but I have my Cloak of Elvenkind. I have advantage," he remarked after his roll. "My second is 16, so that's 22 total."
"With your hood up and helping you blend in, you disappear into the bamboo. Novahdam is surprised by this and isn't able to notice you in the plants," Vee described.
"And I'll ready my attack for when he gets into view of me while he can't see me. When he steps where I was, I'll fire my hand crossbow at him," King declared.
"Okay, if you're going to ready that move, Novahdam will enter a rage and go to where he last saw you and try to figure out where you went," Vee said. "As soon as he moved into view, you fire. Roll your attack with advantage thanks to your stealth."
King rolled his d20 twice, then checked to see which move was effective. "4 and 8. That second is a total of 14," he said.
"That doesn't hit. As you fire your bolt, it flies past his arm and into a nearby rock," Vee narrated. "With that, he'll take the rest of his turn to attack the bamboo with his axe, cutting away part of it to remove chances for your stealth rolls," she added.
"Oh, that's a smart idea," Willow remarked.
"Geez, I hope I can get good hits in," King says. "I think I'll use my crossbow again and fire if I'm still stealthed."
"Since he only knows the direction, but not where you are, I'll allow a Sneak Attack if this hits," Vee said.
Rolling his dice, King checked to see if he could get a good hit in. "14 for a modified 20! And the second is a 13 for 19."
"Either one would hit, King," Vee said. "Roll for Sneak Attack damage."
With the others handing King their dice, King rolled his attack. "Oh cool, a 3 and the rest are all 6. That's 24 piercing damage."
"With a clear shot after he cut down some stalks of bamboo, you fire the bolt into Novahdam's shoulder and he grunts in pain at that. But since he's in a rage, the damage is halved," Vee says.
"I'll use my movement to get to a new spot and hide again since he'll have realized where I was," King said before rolling his die again. "12 and 17. That's 23 total on my new Stealth check."
"After you hit Novahdam with the bolt, he hears movement in the thicket and realizes you are hunting him down. Growling in his rage, he rushes for you and since he can't find your position just yet, he'll cut down more of the bamboo," Vee stated. "Your turn, King."
"Okay, Reverence will fire his crossbow again," the boy declared before rolling his d20 again. "That's an 18 on the first roll and 10 on the second. That means I hit him with a 24," he said before rolling his d6s. "As for the damage, I got a 1, a 2, a 3, and another 2. That's 11 damage, but it's cut down to 5."
"You fire a bolt from your hiding place, nailing him in the side," Vee described.
"After that, I'll move and stealth again," King declared before tossing his d20. "An 8 and a 17. I'm hidden with a total of 23," he said.
"Mad at the attacks you're inflicting on him, Novhdam rushes to where he thinks you went and makes two more swings of his axe to chop down the bamboo," Vee said.
"How much has he cut down so far," Hunter asked.
"Right now, we'll say that he cut down enough bamboo to clear each space he attacked," Vee stated, placing little tokens on the map for the battle. "Each of these will be where he cleared the plants."
"Then how about I take my next turn by aiming at him again," King rhetorically asked before rolling his d20 twice. "10 on the first roll and 8 on the second," he remarked. "That's only 16 to hit."
"It just misses as the bolt flies right past the copper dragonborn's eye, narrowly grazing the scales on his face, but not hurting him," Vee stated.
"Stealth roll on the move," King declared as he rolled his d20 yet again. "And that's a natural 20. I'm a ghost."
"You just become bamboo," Gus joked, getting a chuckle out of King and Willow.
"If you vanished like that, Novahdam gets back to clearing the bamboo in his way as he marches forward," Vee described.
"Oh man, there's fewer places to hide," King muttered as he watched Vee place down two more tokens. "I'll attack again. And that's a natural 20 on the first roll." The group cheered at that before giving King the extra dice he needed. "Okay, let's roll all 8 this time," he said before tossing the dice onto the table. "That's three 6s, a 2, a 1, and three 3s. That's… 31 piercing damage."
"Lowered down to 15," Amity reminded.
"The bolt flies true and strikes the barbarian right in his stomach, hurting him greatly," Vee narrated.
"I'll move again and roll my Stealth," King said before rolling his dice two more times. "17 and 2. That's 23 again."
"This guy's getting hit all over the place. Maybe King didn't need the Bag of Holding," Willow remarked.
"In any case, Novahdam will attack again, clearing away more bamboo before he ends up just next to Reverence. He'll end his turn, unaware of your position," Vee said.
"Okay, if he's right next to me, I'm switching my weapon," King decided. "I'll swap to my 1 silver dagger, then attack him while still hidden." The clattering of dice was heard as King made his move. "Ugh, a 6 and a 5. I miss even with the bonuses," he grumbled.
"As you attempt to stab him, you misjudge your attack and stab into a stalk of bamboo by mistake," Vee described. "Because of that, you end up alerting Novahdam when he hears your blade sink into the stalk."
"Uh… Can I use my bonus action to hide right in front of him because of the plants around us," King asked with a gulp.
"Get a good one and I'll allow it," Vee said.
King picked up his d20 again, then made his rolls. "First is another 6. But the second is an 11 for 17."
"You manage to vanish before his eyes thanks to the magic of your cloak allowing you to blend in with the color of the bamboo surroundings," Vee said. "In exchange, he'll try and make a Perception check to find you. But because of your cloak, he has disadvantage," she explained before rolling her d20. "24 total on the first roll and 20 on the second. He ends up finding you when he sees the wind ruffle your cloak differently than it affects the bamboo."
"Uh-oh," King whimpered.
"However, he can't do anything to you this turn. Instead, he'll give a grin that gives you a silent warning to run," Vee says.
"I'll Disengage, then run and hide," King said before rolling his dice again. "2 and 13. That makes it a total of 19."
"You run in a direction that he can see you heading in, but you vanish after getting enough of a distance away," Vee narrated. "Novahdam will head for your direction, then use his attack to spew an acid breath at your general area. You need to roll a Dexterity save of 17 or higher to take half damage from this."
King and Vee then rolled their dice to see what damage would be dealt to Reverence. "I got an 11. That makes it 17 exactly! And let's use Uncanny Dodge too," King declared.
"You just manage to jump out of the way of his acid breath. What would be 8 acid damage is lowered down to 4, then down to 2 as drops of acid splash onto your hand and burn away at your skin. But in exchange, the acid burns away at the bamboo enough to expose your hiding place," Vee described.
"Whoa, that was a close one," Luz sighed in relief.
"I'll take my bonus action to hide away, then attack from a distance with my crossbow again," King decided before rolling his dice. "17 for the first roll and 16 on the second. I manage to hide, so the attack will have advantage. The first roll is 9, but the second is 5. I end up missing again," the boy grumbled.
"Novahdam watches you vanish before a crossbow bolt comes flying out of the bamboo nearby," Vee says. "He'll then go after you again now that you reappeared and use Reckless Attack to swing his battleaxe with advantage twice," she declared. "The first roll is a 3, but the second is a 19 on the die. That'll hit you. As for the second attack, an 11 and a 12. The second hits with a modified 20."
"Oh no," Willow and Gus muttered as Novahdam was able to get his first weapon attacks in.
"I'll use Uncanny Dodge to weaken the stronger attack," King quickly declared.
"Good to know," Vee said. "The first swing is 8 slashing damage and the second does 14, but that second one is lowered down to 7. You take a total of 15 slashing damage and he's left vulnerable to your next Sneak Attack since you have advantage on him now," she told King.
"Okay, let's use my dagger again," King declared as he rolled his d20 again. "8 on the first roll and 11 on the second roll. That's 18, so doesn't that hit," he asked after looking at the results.
"That does," Vee confirmed.
"Sweet," King exclaimed as he gathered and rolled the needed dice. "Okay, I got a total of 6 for the dagger itself and the extra damage brings that up to 13. That makes it 6 damage to him, right?"
"Yup," Vee confirmed as she marked the health down.
"I'll spend my bonus action disengaging and running away from him," King declared.
"Hey, shouldn't all the bamboo be treated as difficult terrain," Amity wondered aloud.
"I was thinking the same thing," Hunter added.
"Oh, it has been," Vee confirmed. "Any patches that were cleared aren't difficult terrain anymore. I wanted to make this battle a little more interesting that way," she told the others. "Now, Novahdam will get into the bamboo and chase you. Since he's getting close to you, he'll swing his battleaxe again. Let's see if these hit you," she said.
"Oh man, I hope these miss," King says, crossing his fingers in hopes that he would survive.
Vee picked up her d20 and rolled it to see if the dragonborn barbarian was able to hit. "The first one is an 8 for 16 and the second is a 10 for 18," she said.
"Both hit. My AC is only 15 for now," King grumbled.
"The first attack does 11 and the second slashes into you for 9," Vee states.
"I'll use Uncanny Dodge to lower that first one down to 5," King declared.
"As you see the axe coming down at you, you roll with the swing to weaken the blow's impact before the second strike hits you," Vee described.
"Okay, I think I know what I'm going to do," King said. "I'll use my action to Disengage, then try and hide again with a 19 for a 25 Stealth roll."
"You back away from the Barbarian and hide in the bamboo again, making him lash out by cutting down what he sees," Vee described.
"I'll stay hidden and use my turn to back away slowly until I'm out of the bamboo," King declared. "I'll then take my attack with my crossbow," he added before rolling his die again. "4 on the first roll for 10, but the second is 17 for 23."
"Roll for Sneak Attack damage," Vee declared.
Picking up his dice, King rolled the d6s and counted up the results. "That's 17 total, but that'll be lowered down to 8, won't it?"
"Yup," Vee declared. "Anything else you want to do?"
"Since his acid breath hit me before, I'll use my Fast Hands feature and use a bonus action to drink the Potion of Fire Breath we have in the bag," King declared, making everyone lean in as they heard the boy.
"Let's take a look at that," Vee said as she looked at her phone. "It says here that after taking it, you use a bonus action to expel the fire. Can be used three times before the effect wears off or it fades after an hour. When you use it, the opponent within 30 feet of you has to succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity save or take all the damage of 4d6."
"If that's the case, I'll drink it now, then save hitting him when he's in range," King says.
"After the bolt went flying into Novahdam's shoulder, he growls before going through the bamboo in your direction. But since he can't reach you, he'll take two swings to clear the bamboo," Vee described.
"My turn," King said. "I'll use my fire breath to attack him, then after that, I'll hide away."
"Let's see about the fire breath first," Vee said as she and King rolled their dice. "He sees this one coming, so his Danger Sense gives him advantage on this throw. Which is useful since he got a total of 16 thanks to it."
"Then for the damage, it's 13 reduced to 6," King declared.
"Reduced further to 3 because he's a Totem Warrior Barbarian," Vee said, making King groan.
"I thought that was renamed to Wild Heart Barbarian," Hunter remarked.
"It was, but I'm not using the new rules entirely since we're still playing this campaign," Vee said.
"I'll use my movement and bonus action to hide," King declared. "11 and 12, so my Stealth check is 18 total."
"Good to know," Vee said. "He uses his turn to do a Perception check and with a natural 19, he finds you before rushing to get closer."
"I'll take my turn to hide in the bamboo with my bonus action," King declared as he rolled his die again. "The better roll is 15, so I'm hidden with a 21. I'll then attack with my fire breath. If he can't see me, he doesn't have advantage."
"This is true," Vee said.
"Come on, roll low," Luz whispered to herself as Vee rolled her d20.
"That's an 11 total. He takes the full fire breath, but is lowered still because of his rage," Vee said.
"At least it's better than if he made the save," King said before rolling some d6s. "Oh wow… all 2s. That's easier to count up."
"Then he'll take 4 fire damage as he hit him from his blind spot," Vee declared.
"I'll spend the rest of my action running away," King said.
"After taking that fire breath to his face, Novahdam pats out the flames before giving chase once again, cutting down any bamboo in his way," Vee narrated.
"Okay, I'll now use my turn to hide and use my crossbow again," King declared. "First up, my better Stealth roll is 16 total. If that gives me Sneak Attack, I'm attacking with a natural 18 on the first roll, but a natural 20 on the second!"
"Oh, that hits. You managed to hide away with that roll, so you're able to hit him with a well-aimed bolt to him," Vee confirmed.
Picking up his dice, King shook them to get the amount he needed for the damage roll. "The first four are 2, 4, 6, and 2. The second half is the same, but one of the 2s is now a 6," he said as he rolled his dice twice. "That's 35 damage done to him this time," King exclaimed.
"That'll be lowered to 17, but it's still a good hit," Vee said. "With you vanishing into the thicket again, you fire your hand crossbow at Novahdam, hitting him in the neck for a great deal of damage. However, he's able to fight off the pain and pull the bolt out of his neck," she described.
"I'll use the rest of my turn to get away from where I was," King said.
"With that, Novahdam will make his way toward you. With his speed and the gaps in the bamboo he caused, he'll be able to reach you," Vee said. "He'll start making Reckless Attacks and strike at you. The first swing hits with an 18 and the second with a 16."
"Please be low damage. Please be low damage," Gus started begging.
"He got a 1 on the damage die for the first swing, so that's 8 slashing damage to start," Vee said as she rolled the d8. "And the second… is the same. That's another 8."
Counting up his health, King grinned as he saw his health. "I use Uncanny Dodge, so I'm still alive with 7 hit points!"
"Mess him up, King," Willow said with a fierce look in her eyes, sounding like she hungered for the taste of blood.
"I'll use my silver dagger and cut into him," King declared, rolling his d20 twice. "The first roll is a 12 and the second is 2. That makes my dagger attack a 19 total. I know that'll hit so I'll roll damage," he said as he picked up his dice. Rolling them on the tray in front of him, the boy counted. "The dagger itself is 4 on the die with an extra 4 thanks to my stats. 8 damage from that while the Sneak Attack is an extra 10 damage. 18 piercing damage as I stab him in the side."
"That'll be lowered down to 9," Vee reminded.
"Perfect! I'll make this a do-or-die! I'll use my bonus action to spit my last burst of fire at him," King exclaimed, ready to end the battle.
"Let's see if he succeeds this saving throw with advantage," Vee said as she rolled the d20. "A 2 and a 14. He succeeds the save, so this will be reduced again."
"Come on, big numbers," King said, wanting to win the battle. "I got a pair of 5s and a pair of 6s. That's 22 damage, lowered down to 11, then lowered down to 5."
"Unfortunately, that doesn't lower him down to zero. He's burned badly, but still standing with his copper scales charred black. He may have avoided most of the damage, but he's still ragged from everything," Vee stated.
"And if I run, I get hit," King remembered. "I'll stay where I am," he decided.
"Novahdam looks down at you and grins," Vee said before voicing the Dragonborn Barbarian. "You've given me a real challenge, devil boy. We'll see who comes out on top now."
"Do your worst," King responded as Rev.
"Novahdam just smirks before recklessly swinging his axe again, hitting with a natural 20 and slamming his blade into you, which sends you flying into a nearby rock and you crash against it, knocking you unconscious," Vee declared.
"Oh no," Luz exclaimed.
"The Mercy Monks immediately rush over and check on him, then declare him unable to continue," Vee said before voicing Jachun. "The winner of this match is Novahdam."
"I'd rush over and check on him myself, making sure he's okay with a Lay on Hands," Hunter declared. "He is still Caleb's responsibility."
"Caleb rushes over to Rev and uses his holy magic to help heal him, letting the Tiefling wake up," Vee narrated.
"Ugh… When I said to do your worst, I didn't mean give me severe back pain," King said as Rev.
"My bad. If it's any consolation, these scars will be sticking with me for a while," Vee said as Novahdam. "If you were to do this well on your own, then you'll succeed with your team in the group battles."
"You think so," King asked in Rev's voice.
"Indeed. Now, I believe it's getting close to the next match. I want to see who I battle next," Vee said as the Dragonborn.
"I'll go with Caleb as we regroup with the others," King said.
"When everyone gets back away from the battlefield, the mages transport everyone to a field where Viridian faces the Star Druid from before," Vee states. "After a few successful attacks, the minotaur manages to win and raises his axe in victory. With that, the next battle takes place in the Forest of Eternal Bloom. The opponents this time are Salix and Layla, the plant monk Willow helped me make and the Warlock that beat Amity by sheer luck."
"Let's see who wins this battle," Gus said as he waited to hear the events of the battle.
"Salix makes the first move and after dealing a strike with a quarterstaff she brought with her, she casts Ensnaring Strike to tangle up Layla in thorny vines," Vee narrated as she was rolling her dice. "Layla attempts to use Eldritch Blast, but both beams miss. After that, Salix goes in for a few attacks and hits with a Flurry of Blows. Layla retaliates with a Hellish Rebuke spell, hurting the plant Monk."
"That'll get you," Amity remarked, remembering her earlier battle with the NPC.
"After that, Layla attempts to use her magic again," Vee said before rolling her dice. "However, her Eldritch Blast misses, which allows Salix to attack again. The first one hits, the second misses, and her Flurry of Blows lands both hits. With that, she slugs Layla in the face with her first punch, misses the second and recovers by performing a kick that pushes up, then ends the battle with a vine-covered heel drop that knocks out the Genasi girl," she described. "Even with the same trick to attempt a mutual defeat, Layla's Hellish Rebuke fails to damage Salix enough for that. Salix is declared the winner while the damage she suffered isn't terrible."
"Looks like Salix battles the next winner," Luz said. "And was able to beat the Warlock with another Rider Kick," she exclaimed.
"Yeah, that's awesome," Gus said.
"The next battle takes place in the same location as Jachun raises a hand to keep the mages from transporting everyone just yet," Vee says. "As the Mercy Monks take the previous combatants off the battlefield for recovery, Jachun speaks up once again," she added before speaking as the Grand Roshi. "Our next battle will be Tifaret Sarai VS Sariel Belladonna."
"Looks like I'm up," Willow said as herself and her character.
"When you walk up to the battle area, the Wall of Force is lowered for a brief moment for you and Tifaret to step inside. When you look at the blonde human girl that you're facing, she gives a sweet smile as the bells in her hair jingle," Vee said before speaking as Tifaret. "Hello! It's so nice to meet you. You did so well in your previous battle."
"Thanks. You did too during your own match," Willow replied as Sariel.
"Shall we see which of us is worthy to move on," Vee asked in Tifaret's voice, miming herself holding a wand out.
"That's okay by me," Willow said in Sariel's voice.
"Roll initiative," Vee said as she grabbed a d20. After she and Willow tossed their dice, they checked who got the first attack. "Tifaret has a natural 1 on her initiative roll."
"Sariel's got a 7 total," Willow declared. "I'll be attacking first it seems."
"Come on, Willow! Kick some butt," Gus exclaimed.
"Okay, I'll start by casting Ice Knife at 1st-level and throw it at her," Willow declared as she rolled her green d20. "Oh, wow! Natural 20 at the start," she exclaimed.
Everyone was amazed that the first attack would be very powerful, cheering for Willow. "Okay, because of that, go ahead and roll the damage," Vee said. "I'll roll for her Dexterity save because of the spell's effect after the attack attempt."
Taking her dice, Willow rolled to see what she could do to the magic girl she fought. "That's 4 piercing damage and 12 cold damage. 16 altogether."
"Especially since she failed her Dexterity save, so Tifaret ends up getting scratched by the ice rose dagger you threw at her, then gets attacked by the icy thorns that shot out from the icicle cracking against the forest floor," Vee narrated.
"I'll use the rest of my turn to move further into the battlefield, away from Tifaret," Willow added.
"With that, Tifaret will spend a Sorcery Point to make a Cure Wounds into a bonus action, healing herself by 13," Vee stated. "She'll then use her main action to move closer to cast Ray of Frost and… manages to get her own natural 20 on it," she said after looking at the result of the d20.
"Dang, the little sheep girl got a good hit in," Luz commented.
"Okay, your speed will be reduced by 10 feet for the next round and you take 4d8 of cold damage," Vee told Willow as she collected the needed dice. "Sariel takes 19 cold damage as a ray of freezing energy crashes into her chest, coating her limbs and armor in frost."
"I'll shake off the frost and cast Thorn Whip to pull her closer to me as I run up," Willow said as she rolled her d20 and gasped. "Another natural 20!?"
Everyone was shocked at the results. "What are the odds," Camila asked.
"More than you think," Amity remarked.
"Okay, my Thorn Whip digs into her arm as she takes a total of 13 piercing damage," Willow told everyone as she rolled her needed dice. "After that, I'll turn into a bear and get ready to attack with my claws and fangs," she added.
"With the thorns stabbing into her arm and pulling her closer, Tifaret watches as her opponent turns into a bear that's ready to slaughter her like fresh prey," Vee narrated. "She casts Magic Missile at the highest level she can cast, sending five arcane projectiles at Sariel's bear form. She also uses some more Sorcery Points to cast it faster than normal and strengthen the damage, letting me reroll the 1s," she stated. You take 17 points of force damage, Sariel."
"Ouch. It's a good thing I turned into a bear then," Willow remarked.
"With the swirling arcane darts striking against your thick ursine muscle, Tifaret then takes the Disengage action to get away from you without being hit by an opportunity attack," Vee added.
"But that still means I can attack her now," Willow said. "I have more speed as a brown bear, so I rush up to her and attack," she said as she rolled her d20. "Natural 1 on my bite attack," she groaned.
"You bite your tongue instead," Gus chuckled.
"But I got a 19 total for the claw attack," Willow said before rolling for the damage done. "Total of 14 slashing damage."
"As you attack Tifaret, she bops you on the nose harmlessly to avoid the damage from your teeth, causing you to bite your own tongue," Vee said with a laugh. "But you do end up causing a big slash into her dress and scratch away at her skin, leaving her bleeding as she screams out in pain."
"Ouch. Good thing I'm just going to focus on knocking her out," Willow said.
"Tifaret will spend her next turn using Disengage, then do Quickened Spell to heal herself with a 3rd-level Cure Wounds. She manages to heal herself by 20 hit points," Vee narrated.
"I'll rush after her again and strike with my multi-attack," Willow declared as she rolled her d20 twice. "7 to make 13 on the bite. The same with the claw."
"Both hit," Vee confirmed.
"That'll be 7 piercing damage and 11 slashing damage," Willow said as she rolled her dice. "18 total."
"Oh, she'll burn out of spells before she can even hurt Sariel more," Gus remarked.
"Let's roll a Wisdom check to see if she realizes that," Vee said as she rolled a d20. "16 on that, so she does realize it and raises her hands up," she said before speaking as Tifaret. "I surrender. You win. I can't defeat you on my own like this."
"Seriously? People can just surrender in the middle of the fight," King questioned as Reverance.
"Jachun declares Sariel the victor and the Mercy Monks are allowed to help treat her wounds," Vee said. "Tifaret then looks over at her friends who smile at her for knowing her limits and help her out."
"I'd return to normal and thank her for the battle before returning to my friends," Willow said.
"The mages of the Mountain Bird then transport everyone to the next battlefield," Vee told the others. "The newest battlefield is now an abandoned village square. Jachun then speaks up to announce the next match," she added. "Our next match shall be Wrenn Shadowcloak VS Sora Kiboh."
"Wish me luck, gang," Gus said as Wrenn.
"Time to deal with that prince in disguise," Hunter remarked. "Gilford's got a good motivation for advancing, but we'll see what happens."
"The half-elf soon appears and looks down at Wrenn with a stoic and calculating gaze," Vee described. "He only uses his magic to summon a trident to his hands before looking down at you because of your height difference."
"Wrenn will look back up at him and speak," Gus said before clearing his throat. "I know why you're doing this. Let me and my friends help you out."
"Give me a Persuasion roll," Vee said.
Gus then took his blue d20 and rolled. "I got a 9 for 10 total," he said.
Vee then rolled her own die before looking toward Gus. "He got a 7. He thinks about your offer since he has spoken to Reverence before and knows you're allies," Vee described before speaking as the prince. "If you can best me, I'll consider your help."
"That's fair. Let's see who has better magic," Gus replied in Wrenn's voice. "I'll then cast Mage Armor on myself before we fight."
"Roll for initiative," Vee said as she tossed a d20 onto the table. "Sora, also known as Gilford got a 15 total."
"Wrenn got a natural 2 for 6 total. Looks like he's going first," Gus remarked.
"Gilford begins by pointing his weapon at you and you feel some type of sensation crawl up your spine as he looks at you," Vee described. "He'll then fire an Eldritch Blast at you. The first beam is a 2 on the die while the second is a 9 on it for 17."
"That second one just hits through my Mage Armor," Gus stated.
"The first beam is deflected by your magical armor covering you, but the second impacts you to deal 10 total force damage because of the Hexblade's Curse and you're pushed back 10 feet," Vee described. "He'll stay put and it's your turn."
"After taking that 10 damage, Wrenn's at 30 hit points and runs behind a corner to get out of Gilford's vision. When he is, I cast a Mirror Image spell on myself to give some extra defense," Gus said.
"Mirror Image and a guy using a trident. Think he'll stab himself in the foot like the last guy," King chuckled when he noted the familiar situation.
"Gilford will round the corner and see the multiple copies of Wrenn. With that, he'll fire two more Eldritch Blast beams," Vee stated. "And I was looking up some of the new rule changes and for the 2024 rules of Mirror Image, the d20 you roll is replaced by a d6 for each duplicate you have. On a 3 or higher, the attack would hit the duplicate instead. The first beam is a 15 on the die and the second is a 14, so both hit you or a duplicate."
"I think I'll test that 2024 version of it out," Gus said as he picked up 3d6 and rolled them. "That's a 1, 2, and 3. That first duplicate takes the spell. And for the second one, that's a 4 and a 6. I avoid the damage from his attack," he stated after rolling 2d6.
"With that spell protecting you, two of the copies vanish in glittering puffs of smoke," Vee described. "Gilford will grumble as it's now your turn."
"Wrenn will hold out his orb and it begins to glow a vibrant orange. I'll cast Fireball at him and run away," Gus declared before gathering the dice he needed for the damage.
"Gilford will roll his Dexterity save now. What's your spell save DC at," Vee asked.
"Wrenn's DC is 16," Gus replied.
"Okay, let's see if he succeeds," Vee said as she rolled her d20. "He got a total of 21 on it, so he takes half damage from the Fireball."
Grabbing 8d6, Gus shook the dice in his hands, then tossed them onto the table for everyone to see and count up. "Oh, not a bad roll for half damage," Gus remarked. "That's a 6, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 4, and 3. That makes it 32 reduced to 16."
"As Wrenn holds up his orb and casts the spell, Gilford avoids most of the damage, but still suffers some burns," Vee narrated as she marked down the health of the NPC. "After that explosion, what else does Wrenn do?"
"I already said I'd run from the blast, so I'm as far away as I can get," Gus told Vee.
"Okay, with that, Gilford will rush up and attempt to strike with his trident twice. The first attack is a natural 6, so that misses. The second is a natural 20," Vee stated.
"I still have one of my doubles," Gus exclaimed as he rolled his d6. "That's a 6! He hits it instead."
"You dodge out of the way, causing his first strike to hit a wall before he pulls it free and strikes at one of the two gnomes he sees. The trident's prongs pierce through the chest of the furthest gnome, but it vanishes in a plume of glittering smoke," Vee described, letting the others give sighs of relief.
"Okay, it's my turn now," Gus said. "What to do? Hmm… I think that for this, Wrenn will cast Fire Bolt on him," he said. "I wanna see if I hit him with this before using my last 3rd-level spell."
"Go ahead and roll," Vee said.
Taking his blue d20, Gus checked to see if his attack landed. "14 on the die to make 22. That'll hit for 9 damage," he said after rolling his dice and remembering the enemy Warlock's armor class. "I'll also take my bonus action to Misty Step away and hide in a nearby building."
"Smart," Luz complimented.
"With a mote of flame firing from your finger, it burns away at the prince's shoulder before you vanish in a puff of smoke, reappearing somewhere Gilford can't see you," Vee narrated. "Because of that, he'll use his turn to search for you. I'll just roll a d4 to see what building he checks first," she added before tossing the triangular die. "That's a 4. He ends up checking the building next to your hiding space, giving you a free turn to plan your next move," the Dungeon Master told her friend.
"Hmm… I'll use my turn to cast Blur on myself, giving him disadvantage if he tries to hit me," Gus declared. "After that, I'll try and sneak my way out of the building and prepare to battle him in the square."
"Roll me a Stealth check," Vee requested.
Gus rolled his die and checked the number. "That's 15 total."
"You sneak out of the building, but bump into a barrel just outside. Because he rolled a natural 19, Gilford hears that and leaps out to chase you with his trident," Vee stated. "On his turn, he'll stab at you twice. The first attack is a natural 2 on both rolls of the die. The second one is a 5 on the die, so your blurry body from your illusion spell allows you to escape his thrusts."
"My turn," Gus said as he checked his spells. "I think that since I have three 1st-level spell slots left, I'll try and run away to cast this spell at a distance."
"That means he gets an opportunity attack against you," Vee said as she rolled her die. "That's an 18 total even with the disadvantage. He'll thrust his trident into you and deal… 18 points of piercing damage as he uses both hands on this."
"Ouch, then I guess I have to roll a concentration check before I do my spell," Gus remarked as he rolled his die. "I get an extra 2 added to this, so I got a… 17 on the die for 19 total."
"Your Blur spell remains active. Go ahead and make the rest of your move," Vee said as everyone else sighed in relief.
"Okay, Wrenn will cast Magic Missile on him," Gus said before collecting his d4s. "I got a 4, 3, and 4. That's 14 total force damage done to him."
"Gus! My man," Luz cheered as she was excited to see the results.
"After taking a trident to the back, you still keep going with your illusion spell staying up. Performing the spell, your blurry body suddenly creates smaller doubles that transform into arcane projectiles and slam into the Grinberryall prince," Vee narrated. "After taking the hits, Gilford decides to run up to you and thrust his trident at you again. Both attacks miss thanks to the disadvantage. Gus, it's your turn."
"I'll have Wrenn cast his last 3rd-level spell and use Fireball again, aiming it at a point behind Gilford to explode and not catch himself in the blast," Gus declared.
"I'll roll the Dexterity save for Gilford now," Vee declared as she tossed her d20. "He got a modified 20 on the roll, so he'll take half damage. Roll the fire damage," she said after looking at the result.
Grabbing his 8d6, Gus rolled them into his dice tray. "I got a total of… 21 fire damage. That's reduced to 10," he said.
"As you thrust your orb out to send out your fire spell, Gilford notices what you're doing and manages to jump in time to avoid most of the damage," Vee says. "With flames licking away at him, he withstands the explosion before swinging his trident at you. His first attack is a total of 18, so it goes through your Mage Armor."
"I cast Shield as a reaction," Gus exclaimed. "That brings my armor class up to 22."
"And with a modified 20, the second attack doesn't go through either," Vee said. "When the prince sees your real body in the blurry mass in front of him, he attempts to stab you before your quick reaction allows you to bring up your magical barrier."
"If you're going to be squishy, best to know how to avoid being hit or keep your distance," Gus remarked.
"I need to remember to set my defenses up more," Amity grumbled.
"Wrenn will use his last spell slot to cast Chromatic Orb to attempt to freeze him in place," Gus declared before rolling his d20. He then slammed his head on the table when he looked at the result. "That's a natural 2," he moaned out.
"Oof, that's a shame," Willow sympathized.
"With the arcane magic in your hand swelling up, you throw it like a baseball before it falls flat to the ground right in front of him," Vee narrated.
"Wouldn't the ranged spell attack be at a disadvantage anyway because he was so close," Hunter asked.
"Yeah, it probably would have," Gus said while moping on the table.
"After that, Gilford will thrust his trident at you twice again," Vee stated as she rolled her d20. "The attacks miss. You still have a chance," she told him.
"I'll take the chance and cast Fire Bolt at disadvantage," Gus declared. "The first roll is an 18 on the die and the second is a 7. That makes my total 15," he said.
"That… actually hits. Go ahead and roll your 2d10," Vee exclaimed.
"Come on, little dice," Gus whispered before rolling. "A 1 and a 10. 11 fire damage total."
"Gus, how do you want to do this," Vee asked, confirming Wrenn's victory against the tough magic prince.
As the table erupted in cheers, Gus thought it over. "I'll jump into the air, blast the flame into his chest, and tell him this," he said before voicing his character. "If we get the prize, I'll give the medicine to you."
"You jump off his trident and as you speak those words, your Blur spell is still active and gives you a distorted vocal effect. But when you say that, Gilford understands you to be true before the fire impacts his chest and sends him to the ground," Vee narrated. "Jachun then declares Wrenn the winner of the round and the Mercy Monks start tending to the wounds of both participants."
"Way to go, Gus! I didn't think you'd win after you ran out of spell slots," Luz said. "But you're still one of the best guys on our team."
"Looks like it's the founding three of the Hexsquad in the next round," Willow declared with a grin, putting her arms around Gus and Luz's shoulders.
"The next battle should be the gargoyle guy going against Goku, right," Camila asked as she stroked Flapjack's chin.
"Valafar Orphic VS Kondai, yes," Vee confirmed. "After taking care of what was needed, the Mountain Bird mages transport everyone back to the temple and the final battle takes place in the center battlefield again," she stated.
"Time to see who Gus will end up facing later," King said, excited for the battle and snacking on gummy candies.
"Kondai steps onto the battlefield as Valafar flies down to face the monk," Vee narrates. "With the two opponents giving different grins to each other with Valafar's being cocky and Kondai's being excited, they begin their battle at Jachun's signal," she said before rolling two different dice. "Kondai takes the first move and runs up to strike at Valafar with his staff."
"Let's see how they do against each other," Amity said.
"Kondai manages to hit Valafar in the side with his staff, then follows through with a second. After that, he manages to get the winged Tiefling a third time," Vee said after three different rolls. "With a total of 20 bludgeoning damage, Valafar is beaten around and makes comical yelping sounds as he gets hit."
"So he sounds like a cartoon character," Willow asked with a chuckle.
"Basically," Vee agreed with a laugh of her own.
"What's the demon guy do now," Camila asked.
"Valafar decides to cast a spell to help him escape," Vee said. "He'll cast Kinetic Jaunt, which allows his walking speed to increase by 10 feet and he doesn't take any opportunity attacks. With that, he'll take a swing with his greatclub," she declared before rolling her d20. "13 on the die, so that actually has a special effect for him. It'll be treated like a critical hit," Vee declared.
"Is that magical," Amity asked.
"Nope, he's just awesome like that," King countered, wanting to see what happened next.
"Valafar winds up his swing and manages to hit Kondai in the stomach for 12 bludgeoning damage thanks to that critical," Vee stated. "After that, he'll run back 10 feet before taking to the sky as far as he can."
"Smart," Gus said.
"Now Kondai's got a challenge," Hunter added.
"But he can also shoot lasers from his hands," Luz reminded the boys.
"Which he proceeds to do," Vee says as she rolled her d20. "The first attack is a miss. So is the second. But thanks to his modified subclass, he'll attack again with his bonus action and actually manages to hit him for a total of 8 force damage."
"Keeping track, he took 28 damage so far," Willow said.
"Valafar shakes off the pain and counters by switching his greatclub for his lute, then uses his bard magic to cast a Fireball at Kondai," Vee said. "He needs to make a Dexterity save of 16 or higher to take half damage," she explained before rolling her d20 again. "With a natural 20, he does and takes 30 fire damage reduced to 15."
"Guess he tucked and rolled with the blast to avoid being too hurt," Hunter theorized.
"This is definitely a fun final battle for the day. An angel guy against a demon guy," King exclaimed.
"After that blast, Kondai will charge up his energy and spend 3 ki points to fire his Ki Blast Wave," Vee stated. "Valafar succeeds the Dexterity save, so he only takes half damage from the giant blast that impacts against the Wall of Force surrounding the battlefield," she added before rolling the dice. "Oh wow, all but one is a 6. He takes 28 force damage reduced to 14 when Kondai's blast hits him in the chest, but the tiefling rolls out of the way," Vee stated.
"Dang, that's awesome," King exclaimed.
"Valafar recovers from the blast and laughs," Vee said before voicing the Tiefling Bard. "HAHAHA! That was so cool! My turn," she said with a cackle. "He'll then jam out on his lute and cast a 3rd-level Chromatic Orb," she said before rolling the d20. "With a total of 24, the spell hits and he sends a roiling ball of dark red liquid at Kondai, splashing him and burning away at his body for… 7, 10, 15, a total of 29 acid damage."
Gus gave an impressed whistle. "That's some good damage," he remarked.
"After taking that damage, Kondai uses his bonus action to take flight with a pair of glowing wings he summons. The angelic golden light gives him wings in the form of a pair of clouds connected to his body, then he strikes at Valafar twice," Vee said.
"I would have expected them to be at his feet if clouds," Camila remarked as Vee rolled for Kondai's attack.
"Kondai's first attack this turn was a natural 1, so Valafar easily saw it coming when he noticed the cloudy wings appear. But the second attack hits," Vee states. "Valafar then feels a fist glowing with radiant energy hit him in the stomach, dealing him 5 bludgeoning damage and 6 radiant damage."
"Oof, let's see what happens. I don't think either can take much more," Luz remarked.
"Valafar coughs before he composes himself and his magical pick forms again, playing a chord that allows him to cast Fireball behind Kondai just like he saw Wrenn doing before," Vee stated as she rolled the saving throw for Kondai. "He makes the save, but let's see what the damage is," she voiced before gathering the needed dice. After rolling the 8d6, Vee did the math and nodded. "Kondai takes 29 fire damage reduced to 14. He's looking like he could pass out any second," she said.
"Come on, Kondai," Luz cheered.
"Valafar, finish him next round," King exclaimed.
"Kondai takes his next attack and the first strike is deflected by Valafar. His second misses as well. He spends a ki point to attack two more times, but the third one misses as well. But the final one is a natural 20," Vee said. "With a powerful punch to Valafar's head, the Aasimar knocks the Tiefling out cold, sending him down to the ground and he's declared the victor."
"Yeah," Gus, Luz, and Willow cheered.
"NOOOOO," King cried out. "I wanted the other guy to win."
"At least you get to battle him and his team later," Amity reminded the younger boy.
"Oh yeah," King said.
"After the Mercy Monks and his teammates check on Valafar, he wakes up in time to see Kondai descend onto the battlefield floor," Vee said before voicing the NPCs. "Haha! It isn't easy to best me in combat," she said as Valafar. "Only the greatest fighters would be able to beat each member of the Bubblegum Renegades."
"Oh, thanks for the kind words. But I still have a long way to go before I'm considered the best," Vee said as Kondai.
"Nah, you're definitely a strong guy. In fact, how would you like to be one of my boys? You'd get to fight all kinds of strong people with the Renegades," said Valafar.
"Tempting, but I'll pass," Vee then said as Kondai.
"Suit yourself. But if I do beat you, you'll have to become my minion," she then replied as Valafar.
"Hehehe… he thinks he's some sort of important boss," Camila snickered.
"After that, Jachun approaches and speaks up," Vee said before voicing the Tortle. "We now have our matchups for tomorrow. Carmen Valentina VS Percival Scalnoir, Novahdam VS Viridian Holstein-Quartz, Salix VS Sariel Belladonna, and Wrenn Shadowcloak VS the Mountain Bird's very own Kondai. Everyone, rest up. Depending on your energy tomorrow, we may finish all the matches on the same day."
"Looks like we're going to be going against some tough foes," Willow remarked.
"Would it be okay to try and check on Scalnoir before we all get rest," Luz asked.
"Go ahead and roll me a Perception check if you want," Vee answered.
"Natural 20," Luz said.
"You immediately see Scalnoir speaking with Gilford and overhear their conversation," Vee said before voicing the characters. "Your power is quite formidable. How would you like to join my forces after this tournament is over? There's no need to stay with your kingdom if they'd just hold you back from what you want to accomplish, Sora," she said in Scalnoir's voice.
"Guess he has no idea that Sora is the prince of his kingdom," Amity noted.
"Correct. As such, he's making this Persuasion roll with disadvantage," Vee said before rolling her dice. With her checking the final results, Vee then voiced Gilford. "You're a fool if you believe I'd turn my back on who needs me. I suggest you stop this pointless recruiting and prepare yourself for your next battle tomorrow. That pirate girl will be a problem for you if you underestimate her," she said in the prince's voice. "He then turns to leave, choosing to stay at the tournament to see if the Witch Blade Pirates will keep their promise to help his mother."
"If that happens, then I'll get myself ready for the battle since we never actually defeated Scalnoir in battle. We just lasted long enough for that shark to attack," Luz said.
"Yeah, let's get some rest," Willow agreed with Gus nodding.
"While you guys are doing that, I think I'll see if there's a library here to help with my spellbook. I'll be sure to save some for Wrenn as well," Amity told the others.
"If I have nothing better to do, I'll help her out," Hunter said.
"Same here," King added.
"Okay, I'll let Philomena do both an Investigation roll and an Arcana roll with advantage as you all find the library and the boys help you out," Vee stated.
"Okay, my first roll for Investigation is 17 for 22 while the second is 24," Amity said. "As for Arcana, my first is a 7 to make 15 and my second is 16 to make it 24."
"You look through the books and scrolls with the boys helping find stuff that sounds interesting. Soon, Rev finds a scroll that Caleb sees is a sort of protection spell. With your knowledge of magic, you discover it contains details for a Nondetection spell, which can protect you from any sort of divination magic for 8 hours upon use," Vee states. "As you read further, it requires at least 25 gold pieces worth of diamond dust for each use if casting it as a spell. But when you finish reading the details about it, you find that it can be applied to items to protect whoever is attuned to them from divination magic. Mostly, it's placed into an amulet to keep unwanted magic from locating the wearer."
"That could be useful to find," Amity remarked. "I guess we'll see if there's anything like that in the offered treasures."
"We'll see," Hunter voiced. "I think after this, I'll head back to get some rest myself."
"Same," King agreed.
"I guess if I have more spell options now, I'll get a long rest too," Amity said.
Vee nodded as everyone decided to recover for the night. "With all of you sleeping soundly through the night, you then wake up to the sound of the temple's bell ringing once again," Vee narrated. "With a breakfast of fresh fruits and bread, everyone prepares for the next round. As you eat, I'd like everyone to roll me a Perception check," she told the others.
"6," King said.
"17 total," Gus told Vee.
"26 total," Willow grinned.
"I got a 4 to make 11 total," Luz remarked as she saw her bad roll.
"Better than my total of 3," Hunter remarked.
"19 total for me," Amity said.
"Wrenn, Sariel, and Philomena all notice that Scalnoir is speaking to the dwarves that were beaten in the previous rounds of the tournament. As he does, you see several of them nodding in agreement as the Tiefling knight bounty hunter shakes hands with the apparent leader of the group," Vee narrates.
"That's not good," King remarked.
"I'll deal with him later," Luz said. "But right now, I think we need a break."
"Agreed," everyone said as they got up and went to stretch their legs for a while.
And with this chapter wrapping up, the next one will continue the tournament by starting the quarterfinals. It'll be a fun and tense series of battles since Luz is up first against an opponent the team technically hasn't beaten yet. You'll see what happens with Scalnoir's battle with Carmen later.
For those of you wondering why Valafar got a critical hit on a 13, it's a reference to his inspiration. I based him off Giovanni Potage from Epithet Erased, which had a TTRPG prototype thing called "Anime Campaign", where Giovanni in that had a gimmick where if he rolled a 13, it was considered a critical hit for him. That was carried over into Epithet Erased by Giovanni being able to get a critical attack in whenever he hit something 13 times, his 13th hit would be the super attack. As such, I decided to give Valafar the same gimmick just for a fun reference.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will stick around to read my next update when I finish it up. Until next time, WaterDragonMaverick signing out.