Dungeon & Dragons & Expansion (BE, TF, MB, FMG)

[cyero]

Spongebob joke.

[SoylentOrange]

>_>

...Well, so enough about the art, what do you think of the story?

[cyero]

I actually really liked the fight. I... honestly paid more attention to that than the process. sorry. ^^;

[SoylentOrange]

Well, but you liked THAT then, right? I mean, I don't write stories just for/about the process, it's a whole story in there. >.>;

[cyero]

I know, I know, but it's the Process, gotta focus on that.

But yes, I *adored* the action.

[SoylentOrange]

I honestly hope that's not why my stories always seem to get maybe one or two replies per update- I'm a fiction writer first and an erotica writer second, so I'm always looking for feedback about *anything* in the story, not just the squishy bits. >.>;

What about the fight did you like? I thought it kind of dragged, as one-sided as it was.

[SoylentOrange]

In case you guys missed the edit, here's the pic for Copperpot's scene!

Remember- these are all just sketches. When the final goes up on DA it'll be a lot cleaner, maybe even colored.

[Similar]

Originally Posted by SoylentOrange

In case you guys missed the edit, here's the pic for Copperpot's scene!

Remember- these are all just sketches. When the final goes up on DA it'll be a lot cleaner, maybe even colored.

Both of their expressions... priceless. Well written thus far. Captures what's going on, the emotion, and of course the processes. Although I am concerned as to the poor fate of the cleric that has to go in deeper all by herself... Not gonna lie, I think they're all gonna get stuck there. (Question: If nothing was technically wrong with everyone in the first place... why didn't they use a polymorph spell Thats what I woulda done )

[SoylentOrange]

Polymorph spells only last a number of rounds based on the caster's level and skill. As far as I know, there's no such thing as a permanent-polymorph, so they'd have to have someone powerful enough to keep casting it over and over each time it wore off.

[Similar]

Its actually possible to create a permanent polymorph... But I've only heard of a Psion doing it after spending XP proportionate to the power. Their target would probably retain the ability to shapeshift afterward as well. Either way, We should probably cross our fingers and hope that elf finds what they're looking for.

[wafflecannon19]

Actually, Polymorph any Object can be permanent if the target is biologically similar to the creature you intend to turn it into. The example given in the book is Manticore to Shrew is permanent. So, altering minor physical characteristics like appearance would probably result in a permanent enchantment with Polymorph any Object.

That being said, the spell is a little game breaking and DMs tend to nerf the hell out of it if they don't ban it outright.

[SoylentOrange]

No picture for this one yet, sorry. ^^;
==============================
Celia tapped her staff ahead of her with every step, biting her lip as she slowly advanced alone down the hallway. She'd been half-tempted to go back to the entryway and talk to Copperpot- for as hopelessly stuck as her enormous bosoms were in the little room, she was still her same sarcastic self, and compared to Jillian's insatiable hunger and Rena's monstrous bloodlust, at least Copperpot could be herself.
She approached the end of the hallway, seeing the chamber beyond illuminated by something bright. Dousing her magical light, she tapped her way into the chamber, squinting her eyes at the brightly lit room. She could see the entrances from the other hallways to her left, one of them containing Jillian's gelatinous and ravenous form. Ahead of her were a pair of long curving staircases, leading up to a dais, upon which the Maag hovered above a pedestal, a shimmering aura illuminating the large chamber. Celia kept tapping her staff, eyes and ears alerted to the smallest deviance, every muscle tensed to fling herself backwards at the slightest provocation. Slowly, she ascended the steps, only the visages of her altered friends and the promise of power enough to change them back prodding her feet forward.
Finally, Celia found herself in front of the pedestal, the Maag floating in front of her. She regarded the strange object with trepidation, the power radiating off of it in waves that felt like an ethereal wind buffeting her mind. She knew the Maag had extraordinary power, but everything in this damnable dungeon had been cursed or trapped, so the question was, could she possibly harness the Maag's power without being trapped or corrupted by it?

Celia took a step back, exhaling a shaky breath. She reacher up to the end of her staff for her silver holy symbol, putting it around her neck and meditating upon it for a moment, beseeching her god for any wisdom or protections it could give her. She'd studied charms of resistance and circles of protection only briefly in seminary; when she'd started out down the path of the holy order she always thought she'd be helping adventurers out after they'd gotten themselves in trouble, not trying to prevent it in the first place. Still, she did remember a few protective cantrips, and she slowly recited every one she could think of, the magical exertion building up as spell after spell infused the lithe elf's body, protecting her, albeit weakly, from chaos, from evil, from forces both natural and magical. The exertion of so many different spells cast in so short a time left her short of breath, the glowing crystal circlet seeming to patiently mock her as it floated above the pedestal, the crystals seeming to stare at her in silent judgement.
Still feeling slightly tingly from all the magical wards and protections, Celia let out a shuddering breath and reached out to the circlet, brushing the arms with her fingertips and pulling back as though she'd touched a hot stove. With a quick check to make sure nothing was sneaking up behind her or dropping from the ceiling, Celia again reached out and took the arms of the circlet between her fingers, pulling it away from its position floating over the pedestal. When the illumination filling the room suddenly subsided, throwing the room into darkness save for the glow of the circlet, Celia again pulled her hands away and lept back, expecting some terrible fate to befall her. Instead, the circlet simply floated back to the pedestal from where she'd dropped it, the chamber once again illuminating as the Maag regained its position.
"Phew..." Celia breathed, feeling a little chastised but unwilling to let go of her paranoia after what the tomb had done to her friends. This time, she was determined to take Iin's Maag and use it, harness whatever power she needed to in order to help her friends.

Gulping as the chamber was once again plunged into darkness, Celia took the circlet in her hands and stared at it, wondering what she was supposed to do with it. The rumor had been one of untold power, and though she could feel the magical imbuments in the headpiece, she couldn't figure out how to access them. It wasn't like a wand, where a magic user could feel it as an extension of their will, albeit narrowly-focused. Perhaps it was more like a magical ring or amulet, where the magic only worked when it could feel itself encircling its wearer?
Celia gulped again, her mouth dry as she thought about putting the circlet on.
"Gods, if this doesn't work I'm coming back to haunt you girls," Celia finally said, fingers trembling as she brought the circlet up to the top of her head.

As soon as the circlet's arms rested behind Celia's elfin ears, she was blinded by a bright flash and stars danced before her as she felt the full might of the Maag's power rushing into her, the waves of magic making the previous feelings she'd gotten off the Maag seem like the difference between a dragon's normal breath and its flaming attack. She felt like she'd been thrust under a waterfall, magic buffeting her from every angle. She could feel odd lapses, as though something was diving for her and turning away at the last moment, and she realized it was he wards, protecting her- however briefly- from some aspect or another of the circlet's power. She was overcome by a roiling in her stomach, something feeling very off deep inside her. As she had feared, the circlet had been cursed, and now she was soon to join her friends in some kind of feakish agony. She felt the dark magic seeping into her, blunted but not completely held back by the magic of her wards. In the center of the magical maelstrom, a thought slipped into her mind unbidden: Why not use the power of the Maag against it? She reached out with her spirit, taking one of the swirling torrents of magic around her and attempting to push the corruption out of her body. Much to her surprise, it seemed to be working, her insides "righting" in a way that was definite yet unpronounceable, and the feeling subsided.
Celia suddenly found herself angry, a spike of unaccounted rage piercing her heart and turning it cold in her chest. This was a stupid quest, she thought. It was a disaster, and her friends had dragged her into it through their own stupid failings. Copperpot was too lacksidasical, thinking that if there were two traps on a chest, there couldn't possibly be three, and now she was going to starve to death in a room filled with her own bosoms. Jillian had been over-confident, had pressed ahead because she thought she had everything figured out, and now she's going to be licking scum off the walls just to get something in her bloated, acidic form. And Rena... Celia shook her head in disbelief, wondering why she'd ever followed that pig-headed half-orc in the first place. It was a wonder she hadn't gotten herself killed, and now she was facing a fate possibly worse than death, only the power of the Maag keeping her body from being twisted into another abomination like her friends had...

A burning feeling stabbed at the back of Celia's brain and she blinked, recalling her thoughts with abject horror. How could she have thought such spiteful things about her friends? Especially Rena, they were like sisters by this point...! Celia's brow furrowed as she felt the sting of fizzled magic on her, her wards having protected her but only just from the Maag's influence. She turned the magic torrent towards her mind, reinforcing the wards to keep her safe from evil and chaotic influences. But even as she felt her mind clearing, she felt her innards twisting, this time a knot seeming to build at the base of her spine, her teeth gritting as she felt like she was abount to tear in two. She twisted away from the pedestal, struggling in a fight that only she could see and feel, looking to any possible observer like she was attempting a particularly spaztic tribal dance. Celia tried to pull the magic stream in two, pushing back against the inisdious voice in her head while trying to quell the corruptive influence on her body. She could feel the magic twisting around inside her, flowing through her, and around her, at once obeying her commands as wearer of the Maag and trying to destroy her as the last command of the artificer that enchanted it. She twisted and turned on the dais, wrapping her arms around her stomach as her robes fluttered around her. She couldn't hold it, she thought, she could feel the corruption tingling up and down her skin, she could hear the whispers creeping around the edges of her mind. When she tried to push against the corruption, she could feel the bitterness and resentment welling up in her innards, the Maag pulling her to abandon her friend, keep all the power for herself. She gasped and shuddered as she chased the thoughts away, feeling like she was trapped in the darkness with only a single torch to keep the nightmares at bay, able only to protect one side of her. Worse, the shadows were encroaching closer and closer the more frantically she pushed at both ends. Celia knew her wards wouldn't hold forever, she'd barely trained on them at all, but she was unwilling to relinquish either side of the struggle. It wasn't until she realized she was nearly snarling each breath out of her teeth that she came to the sad conclusion of having to pick between her body and her sanity. Tears brimming in her eyes, she gathered all the magic she could and pressed it against the malevolent aura assailing her mind, the darkness fleeing her overwhelming force like a shadow does dawn peeking over the mountaintops.