Frooogs
"Wait a minute, where did you get all that equipment, Carol?" Aqua inquires just as we leave the front gate of Axel. I'm surprised it took her this long to notice, since I look completely different from when we first got transported here
From my starter equipment? All starting characters are given brand new equipment on their creation. Are you saying the people you send down don't get anything?
The sending stones Aqua gave me at the beginning was a god-send, quite literally. The idea of talking to anyone back home would make me freeze in nervousness. Olivia would often nickname me 'Komi,' apparently based off some anime she's seen. The other guys in the D&D group agreed with her, I haven't seen the anime so I can't confirm the accuracy of it.
I don't know what witchcraft is involved, but talking to Aqua through this one way telepathy felt much more comfortable to me.
"No! That's not how RPG's work, Carol. If you actually played what the cool kids did, you would know that most beginner enemies are hilariously weak!" Aqua teases. "They could often be taken care off by a level 1 hero without any armor or weapons other than a stick. Of course we offer boons to speed up this process, but usually these systems have the person start with literally no equipment. At most, RPG's usually gave the maximum of a sword."
Mmmm..... Well, I guess we'll have to gauge that belief with these giant toads. Now crouch down or else they'll notice us.
Luckily, the land outside of Axel is a giant green plain, allowing us easy eyesight at the top of a hill area. Laying prone, I spot a giant green toad in the distance minding its business.
Hey, Aqua. Do you know anything about these toads? Perhaps any weakness, any strengths?
"Why would I know anything? I'm not the one tasked to deal with these creatures."
Of course, why wold I even bother. Well, if their stats are anything like the D&D stat's of a Giant Frog, it should be fine.
Well, can't do anything at this range. How good are you at stealth?
"Ehh? You think we have to waste our time being sneaky against a frog? Incase you forgot, I am the goddess of water, Aqua!" Said goddess of water started running down the field towards the frog.
The frog remained unmoving.
Aqua's fist started to flare with an orange flame-like aura, her eyes glowing a similar shade.
"Die vermin! GOD BLOW." With a yell of strength, Aqua punches the frogs belly. The frogs body rippling like a pebble dropped in water from the force.
Woah, is the Arch-Priest class like a Paladin? She's a more close-range fighter than I predicted.
After all was said is done, the rippling faded as if the punch never occurred, no damage was noticeable. Aqua, seeing her turn was done and left vulnerable, looked up with a goofy face.
"You know, up close frogs are actually a lot cut-" The frog leans it's head down with a strong given by it's size, swallows Aqua in one bite. Only her legs left dangling out.
"...AQUA!!!" Seeing Aqua fall victim to the frog's swallow move, I immediately head out to save her. In D&D, Giant Frogs had a swallow move that made the victim restrained, not allowing them to do anything. Unless you were carrying poison or a verbal spell, you needed someone to save your @ss.
I dashed forward, quickly running across the field till I was also face-to-face with the giant beast. It's only move is it's bite attack, so I'm safe to hammer down on the frog ill it died.
Raising my mace above my head, I strike down with all my might. In my mind, I felt imagined dice roll in my own mind, my body moving as if I wasn't in full control.
(9) And despite it standing completely still, I miss and hit the ground left of the frog.
What the heck, that should have been an easy hit! Let's try again.
(Nat 1) With another attempt at a swing, it appears some of its saliva dripped onto my hand. The mace slid out of my grasp mid swing, flying off a good 20 feet in the distance. Looking at my hand, I saw the goopy saliva that simply wasn't there a mere six seconds ago, as if Lady Luck manipulated reality to mess with me.
Oh no, don't tell me what I think is happening...
Pulling out my dagger, I make a third attempt of hitting the STILL STATIONARY GIANT TOAD.
(14+4) With a straight jab, I finally plunge the sharp blade into the frog's skin, every attempt my mind subconsciously forming the image of rolling dice. Once, more, instead rolling a 4 sided dice. (1+2 Piercing)
Deciding to focus on that later, I decide to just continue wailing on the giant frog as it can't move while digesting Aqua.
(20, 4+2 Piercing) (14, 3+2 Piercing) (20, 4+2 Piercing)
And with three consecutive swings, the giant frog goes down, a frontal loud croak before falling flat and limp. The area falling silent other than the constant screaming of Aqua still struggling to get out of the frog.
Shit! When I mentioned I wanted to have D&D mechanics, I didn't imagine it would be this strict with the rules. How deep rooted will this be? Will everything I do require a dice roll?
My inner turmoil was interrupted by muffled screaming from the frogs corpse.
"Carol! Enough of your mental complaining and help me!" audible crying can be heard between words, "it stinks and it's dark in here an am all sticky! Hurry up!"
With no more dillydallying, I grab onto Aqua's legs and pull with all my might.
(Str: 15+1) And Aqua pops out with a simple tug. With her release, proceeding to hug me in relief.
"Th-Thank you Carol! It was terrible in their!"
That's great Aqua, but get off of me! I don't want all that slimy juice on me too!
And yet, it was already to late.
Ughh, this smell is really bad, it's as if I'm surrounded by rotten eggs...
"Aqua, you're the goddess of water right? Can't you wash us down with some water? Perhaps some kind of cleaning magic?"
Unfortunately, D&D didn't have any real cleaning spells like that, but perhaps this worlds magic system does instead.
"Oh, yeah I actually do have something like that." Aqua comments, before she closes her eyes and focuses. In front of my eyes, I see the saliva on Aqua turn into clear, purified water as it slides off of her. Without missing a beat, she also goes over to me and performs the same process.
"I usually do this naturally with liquids I come into contact with, but I can speed up the process when I focus."
Well, thank's for doing it now, guess a god really is good for something. The smell is still a little there though.
"Why thank you, I am a god after all, it's good to get some recognition every once in a while." Aqua pronounced with a hand dramatically placed on her chest. Ignorant to the underhanded comment Carol actually said.
Hehehe. Well, I've had enough melee combat experience for today, so how about I try some magic?
"You can use magic at level 1? What class are you?"
I never did tell you my class, huh. I'm a cleric.
"Cleric? You mean a priest?"
No, Cleric
"It's the same thing anyway isn't it? Priest at level 1 don't have much firepower in their spells. At most they can cause a semi-strong attack with the elements."
If you don't believe me, just watch and see.
Putting the conversation on hold, Aqua and I walk around till we find more Giant Frogs, seeing two right next to each other.
Standing at my best guess of around 100 feet away, I begin a magic incantation.
For all my reserve personality, there is one situation where I always break out with passion. When I go all 'chunni' as the group likes to call it whenever I cast a spell with the dramatic flair and fancy wording. With clerics as my preferred class back home, I've played my fair share of Tempest Clerics, already a few of my commonly used chants coming to mind. A little rewording of names and it should work just as well. The fact I'm getting more joust to being around Aqua and nobody else is around also helps a lot.
"May Aqua's rage know no bound equal to an unrelenting tsunami. A mighty storm to make those slighting her struck down by her retribution! Guiding Bolt!"
And with the ending of my chant, I extend out my right hand having stored my mace beforehand. Outcomes a torrent of blistering light, taking shape of a lightning bolt. The light streaks towards the frog, aimed dead center. (16, 20 Radiant Damage)
And with a thunderclap at contact, the a hole going through the frogs midsection is visible as it slumps over as it a puppets strings were cut.
"What! Ian't that the 'Light of Saber' spell ?!? That's a high tier magic spell! Why can a person, level 1 no less, use such a spell?!? You're even a priest-like class! They're known for their support spells, not whatever that was!"
Hehehe, that's wha you get for calling D&D a shit system. I'll show you it's true power! If anything, I'm sure we will have a fantastic time together.
I mentally grin, giving off a menacing aura as Aqua flinches. "H-h-how so?"
Why, based on your presentation with how you dress, talk to other citizens, and actual powers. You're a peaceful goddess, representing purity and the such.
But how about we change that image? You provide a calm salvation to your most faithful, while dishing out unrelenting storms that rain lightning on your enemies? I'm sure that'll get all your followers riled up, might even score some new ones too! Since cleric's have their source of magic come from their prayers to the gods, I would need a real god to acknowledge related to storms to use the Tempest Domain. What better candidate than the one standing right next to me?
Aqua looks at Carol, gears turning in her head. As much as Aqua doesn't want to admit it, her own follower were starting to decline. Despite being her junior, the 'lesser' god of luck Eris was becoming more popular to the point of having her name used for the nations currency. All of her own faithful has been mostly isolated to a single town known for their hot springs.
While she was weighing the pros and cons of this setup, the second frog that was there almost reached our position.
Hopefully this will convince you. With how it stands, all my spells power is coming from you.
"For sinners may drink from the wells of pollution. Diseased with plague shall it corrode your flesh. Undeserving of a clean merciful death, Inflict Wounds!" (20, 18 Necrotic Damage)
With a single swipe of my hand, it collides with the flesh of the frog. In mere seconds, the frogs body visibly decays and rots alive. The frog belches out in pain as its body expires, before even its brain cannot escape the rapid erosion.
Aqua can only watch on in a mixture of horror and awe, and awe was wining.
Perhaps these spells don't have to stay within just my D&D spell list either. If we managed to find a way to reinvent them in your worlds magic system andbrand them as spells only your church devotes can use. It'll be huge boost in power and faith wouldn't you agree?
Aqua, despite her limited intelligence can clearly see the possibility from the board game she initially overlooked, this power is on par of one of their offered start items or skills. The differences in spells is astronomical, it would surely raise her church to new heights! And if anything, it sounds super fun, the devil king would never know what hit him!
With an energetic nod, Aqua agrees to Carol's proposal. "Sure thing. Oh I can see the look on Eris's face when I return with a faith ten times, no, one hundred times as strong! Ha Ha Ha!"
But let's head home now, yeah? Unlike mana, I run off of a specific number of uses per day kind of rules,. And my limit of two spells has just been reached.
Making sure I put the sending stone back in my pocket so it deactivates, we make our way back to Axel.
I have no idea if what I said would actually be possible, but best keep her hopes up. She is less useful in combat than I expected, but it's not lal about combat in D&D. Role play is more than half the fun, and she is really fun to have around.
I've seen a few stories online of D&D campaigns that have devolved to nothing but running a merchant company or two have tossed out combat all together and still remaining fun. Aqua can surely find something she Is good at outside of combat.
I wouldn't mind finding a few more party member though.
Thus, with a headcount of 3 out 6 giant frogs killed. Aqua and I head home with half the bounty complete.