diatuooc | Test Drive #2

Test Drive #2

That Wand Is a Wonder!

You pulled down a book from a tall shelf in the Library of Starchime and promptly got hit in the head by a wand that was resting atop it. It looks innocuous, a cylinder of wood, but as soon as you pick it up, light streams out of the end. The barest motion is enough to make fantastic colors, and with a gesture you send light streaming across the library!

Light is all it does, right? Right?

Pranks for the Memories

Diatu Magicademy is a school -- one with different social groups, different Houses, different classes, different levels of experience... in short, pranks are inevitable. The latest one to make the rounds is the Sticky Glyph: step on a certain mathematical rune and the next person you touch sticks to you like glue. Casually brush against them, shake their hand, bump backwards into them -- however you did it, you have a new friend now, like it or not. The glyph wears off in about an hour -- do you wait it out, ask for help, or try to undo it yourself?

The Dueling Club

One of the more popular magical clubs, the Dueling Club is precisely as it sounds: wizards crossing spells, each trying to be the one to 'defeat' their opponent. How to do that varies by the sort of duel -- knocking your opponent off a platform, or getting them wet, or just good old rendering them unable to keep dueling. Less experienced students, like you, get the "water duel" treatment. Use your spells to get your opponent off of their stool in a small pool of water before they do the same to you! Losing means soggy shoes and a laugh at your expense; winning means pride, respect, and a chance for advancement into the club's informal ranks.

Chimera!

Transporting chimera is highly illegal without proper permits -- which is precisely why smugglers do it, and precisely why smugglers are valiantly struggling to extinguish their airship, while the beast responsible ambles down the gangplank and people flee like crazy. A small chimera, its shoulders are about shoulder height to a man. The goat head jabs at the cargo and building it passes, the lion head maintains a watchful forward guard, and the dragon head has taken the "burn it all, burn it all!" approach to greeting its new circumstances.

This is your chance to be a hero, and save the city of Anastara from certain doom at this beast's claws, heads, horns, and fiery breath. Or your chance to run like heck and hope it doesn't notice you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Will you please put that down before I have to force you to do so?" Where was a fighter when you needed one? Or at least someone with an AC that wasn't a joke.

Okay, here! You can have it! [Carelessly, he tosses the wand over at V.] Do you know how to use it?

"Willard!"

The odd bird flew up, grabbed the wand from the air and flew off.

"You clearly have an combined intelligence and wisdom modifier fit for the grave!"

Hey! I was still using that... [Or, you know, he was planning on it. He watches the bird take off with the wand, frowning deeply before turning back to V with a shake of his head.]

Seriously, what are you talking about? I have intelligence and wisdom, but I don't know what a modifier is. You're not making any sense.

"No, you were attempting to kill us all with that! A magic wand is a tool or a weapon, and in that case it is clearly a weapon and you were waving it about like it was some moron's puppet!" Yes V had a specific moron in mind when that was said. And a specific irritating puppet.

"I don't know what class you think you are, though I would suspect NPC with your clearly low stats. So let me say this simply. Leave the use of magical items to those of us who have maxed ranks in use magical items!"

I know it's a weapon, but that one wasn't even doing anything dangerous! Calm down! [He holds up his hands placatingly.] Besides, I've used plenty of other magical items before. Super powerful ones, too. So whatever NPC means, I think you've got the wrong idea.

"For all I could know that could be imbicilic luck! You've yet to give me reason to think otherwise. For all I know imbicilic luck is some obscure prestige class I've never encountered before! Weapons are not toys to be waved around in a room full of fragile books and undefended students!"

[He genuinely thinks on that, even though he has no clue what imbecilic means.] I guess I am pretty lucky. But, hey, I seriously wasn't trying to hurt anyone! Or any books. It was just beams of light, if it was anything dangerous I wouldn't have messed with it!

...Well, not inside, anyway.

"And how exactly had you ascertained before you started to, as you say, mess with it, that it was benign?"

...Okay, so maybe I, uh, hadn't. But I knew right away that it wasn't going to hurt anybody. I would've put it down if it seemed like bad news, trust me.

"I do not, in fact, have any cause in the slightest to trust you. What you did was unforgivably stupid." And disturbingly familiar. "Do you have enough healing spells prepared to have undone any damage people might have taken? Mending spells to fix the books and shelves?"

Uh, yeah, of course I do. I know Curaga. [A beat. Oh, yeah, he forgot.] Wait... never mind, no I don't. [He deflates a little.] But I could fix the shelves by hand. I'm super good at building stuff. The books... er... I mean, I could try to fix them, I guess...?

"I am not overly encouraged, nor am I terribly impressed by your prowess. Might I suggest that the next time you come across an item of clearly magical origin, that you get a proper mage to inspect it before you touch it."

Test Drive #2

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