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The best three gold I've ever spent
by Jason Logan, Houston, Texas
This happened to me only a few days ago, but it strikes me (and my GM) as stunning. This is my first RM character, a 2nd level CG Halfling Dervish. He is a Sune worshipper, and has a modified Self-Discipline of 42.
I was traveling with a party of other Sune worshippers, assisting a group of guards carrying religious artifacts in a caravan to the city of Waterdeep. The temple of Sune where they had been housed was well over half burned, and the artifacts couldn't be left lying around where they could be stolen. On the road, I was basically helpless, lacking even basic Riding skills. The caravan was heading down a road, only a town or two away from Waterdeep, when the Pseudodragon (a PC run by the most experienced roleplayer in our group) noted a group of 14 hill giants laying an ambush outside of our visual range.
The pseudodragon began attacking a few of the giants who were not well hidden, which caused problems for them, since he kept turning invisible between attacks. The party's Cleric and Paladin charged up to join in the fight, myself clinging to the back of the Cleric (a woman who had the good fortune of being a Giant Slayer). Our party's incredible Warrior Mage stayed by the caravan to guard it against anyone else who tried to get to it, after casting Darkness in a couple of places to keep the caravan hidden.
The Cleric comes up to the first giant that the pseudodragon had largely incapacitated (an energy bolt had shattered his armor and hurt him badly) and she pulls her longbow out and shoots the giant. Her arrow manages to break his belt, and he trips. I had been focused on the direction the other giants were in, with my ring at the ready, but I turned when the giant hit the ground and threw a dagger directly at it. In theory, at least. In practice, I lost my throwing dagger, got my foot caught in a stirrup, and bounced around like a yo-yo for most of the rest of the fight, until I managed to fall out onto the ground. The Paladin showed up, and the Cleric and Paladin finished the giant off. The pseudodragon flies back to us with the giants charging behind it, and casts Mana Wall. The Cleric is the only real healer in the party, and can request 2 wishes a day from Sune (think Limited Wishes). She wished that all the giants would be unconscious right now, or something to that effect. They collapse on the ground, and the fall wakes most of them up. They charge through the wall they don't know about, which led to amusing injuries like a permanent sunburn and hair that glowed like fire (and felt like it too, twice a day, from then on).
The hill giant commander surrenders, the pseudodragon demands all the spoils, and the group accepts this. The pseudodragon looks through the spoils, and finds five bags that are magical. He opens the first bag, and everyone was lucky that the 20th level Demon Lord decided to fly away instead of killing us all. Now, I play a Halfling with a 42 SD, so I offered 8 silver to buy bag #2, unopened, and the pseudodragon rejected it. I offered 7 platinum, and the pseudodragon rejected it. I offered 3 gold to open bag #2, but not own it (by this time I just had to open a bag, since I didn't deserve to actually get any of the treasure). The pseudodragon says, "hmm, okay," and the deal is done. I open the bag courageously (i.e. stupidly) and a demon orb floats out of the bag. The GM demands an RR versus Essence, which I pass (+45 to RR's versus Essence helped). The orb yells, "Submit," and I pass the second RR vs Essence, then it yells "Submit" again, and I pass RR #3. I respond this time with, " no, get in the bag," and pass RR #4 (with a roll of 31, I might add). It says, "how would you like to be all-powerful?" I pass RR's #5 and #6 in succession, and the GM says, "Okay, you own it now." The orb floats back into the bag, and I stash the bag in the most secure place on my body.
Turns out the Demon Lord was trying to take over my body and destroy my soul, which would have led straight to the destruction of the rest of the party. Instead, I now have possession of a bag that gives me access to the Evil Essence Base Lists up to level 20, and 20 power points to use just for them. I can turn people to demons at will (a decidedly evil act which would destroy my CG alignment, and end my worship of Sune). If someone attempts to steal the bag from me, they will become a demon, so when the pseudodragon demanded the bag back, there was a tense moment, because I refused to give it back. I traded a Ring of Fireball for it, and am now very comfortable with my 3gp purchase.
This is the luckiest any character I have ever played has ever gotten. My
level 2 Dervish defeated a Demon Lord in a battle of wills. Blessed be
our goddess Sune!
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