There's always that strange store in the mall.  Who knows what you'll find there.

Evil McMuffin??

They exist. Trust me, they exist...

I did mention a wierdass store in the current game. I'm thinking maybe my guy works there as well.

That's one reason I mentioned that the comic book store that Greg works at is aggresively looking for new markets, including RPGs, card games, and knick knacks.   A corner for the latest McGuffin, evil or otherwise, would be something the manager would try as well.

Part III of "It's Only A Game".

=====================

I stared at my friend Alex, now a hideous leering beholder.
You're serious, you want me to impersonate Steven and fool his parents?

Even with only one lidless eye, I could swear that Alex cocked an eyebrow at me as he sneered.
It's what you DO, isn't it?  For the love of Gygax, Gregory, you're a frakking doppleganger, after all!  Unless your spongy brain can come up with something else to get their darling baby boy back to them, scale-free?

I sighed an nodded reluctantly at Alex, looking at the beautiful dark elf woman that used to be the towering jock-turned-gamer, Brad, and then at Steven, who could have solved all of this by not being the dog-sized red dragon that he now was.  Neither of them had any better ideas.

I looked over at dragon-Steven, trying to picture what he used to look like.  I felt my body melt and ooze like wax.  When I was finished, I looked at everyone.

Brad nodded her head, but made a face that let me know that I was close, but not exact.  She said:You look like him, but you're too tall.  You're at your height, not his. 

Sighing with frustration, I nodded and changed to a shorter version of Steven.
Alex cackled with amusement.
I find it VERY funny that when you turned into Angelina Jolie, you were dead on, but you're having trouble with a kid that's been sitting across the table from you for over a year!

I felt myself blushing with embarrassment at the slight to a young man that I was supposedly friends with.  I looked over at the dragon, tried to come up with some kind of apology, but he merely squeaked and shrugged, as if to reassure me that if I had to know a complete stranger better then him, then Lara Croft was a good choice.  I smiled at him.  Then something occured to me.  Dopplegangers can read minds!  That's one of the main weapons in their arsenal of impersonation.  I tried to read Steven's mind..... and failed.

Oh, come on!!!! I thought to myself.  If I was going to be turned into some gray skinned thing, then at least I should get all the magic powers that are coming to me!  Unless....
I turned to Brad....

can't believe this is happening to me.  Janet is going to friggin' kill me!!  My life is over.  Hell, I'm not even really sure if I'm attracted to her anymore.  I think my body is into BOYS, for god's sake!  I mean, when I first saw Greg, the first thought in my head was.... wait, why is Greg staring at me like that?

I blinked at her, stupidly.
Sorry, just trying to plan this out.  Got lost in thought,there.

Alex, of course, was the soul of discretion.
HA!!! He was reading your mind, elfie!  So, Greg, find anything juicy?

Brad looked at me, horrified.  Greg, you ...... didn't?

I threw up my hands in a panic.
It's not like that, Brad!  I was trying to see if I even could read minds.  I tried it on Steven and, well, I couldn't.  So I just looked at you to see if I even could, or if it was something to do with Steven being a dragon.

I talked very fast, hoping that Brad wouldn't realize that I'd heard her comment about me.  She still looked pissed, but she seemed ready to let it slide.  Granted, if her new body was attracted to me, that might have something to do with it.  I almost hated to have to eventually tell her that the feeling wasn't mutual.   Sighing that this might not be "a thing" between us.  I turned to Steven.
Ok, big guy, where are your car keys?

The little dragon instinctively reached a clawed hand towards where his pants pocket would be, if he had pants.  He seemed to remember his nudity and made an embarrassed squeak and shrugged.  Blinking, I had a moment of panic myself and reached for my car keys, in my pocket.
I felt nothing but Steven's pants.  No keys, no wallet, no nothing.  Crap.
I looked at Alex.  Right.  Never mind.
Glancing at Brad, I noted her black silky dress, with the overcoat of elvin chainmail armor.  Please tell me that you don't carry your car keys in your own house?

Brad looked confused for just a second, then quickly realized what the problem was.  I have the keys to my Explorer on the counter, but how are we going to get Steven's car home?

I squeezed the bridge of my nose in exasperation, though I was almost amused by the fact that the action didn't seem to have a lot of effect on a doppleganger.

Alex, as usual, found the situation hilarious.
One life-or-death crisis at a time, sweetie!   Let's get "Steven" to his mommy, and then we'll worry about the car.  It's late for our young friend's stodgy parents, so it's doubtful that they'd go out to check the cars tonight. 

As annoying as he was, Alex was right, again.

Alright.  What's the plan?  Do I sneak out again after they go to sleep and come back here?

You can try.  Don't worry, though.  We'll handle it here.  Try to find an excuse to come back over tomorrow, if you can think of something. 

=======================

That's it for now, I need to let my muse recharge.

Plug your muse in the electical socket, that often perks 'er up.

Yes, usually with shocking results.
It is handy to keep up with current events, though

D&D Monster game- The next chapter.
=========================================


I drove Brad's Explorer down the road.   I wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that my gaming group was turned into monsters......somehow.   Or, that during the strangest thing that's ever happened to anyone EVER, we had to worry about incredibly stupid things like the fact that everyone's car keys and wallets vanished as well.  Thank god that Brad didn't have his on him, since it was his house.
I shook my head at the bizarre irony of actually BEING a real-life D&D monster, and my biggest worry is that I need to get a new driver's license and car keys.

I pulled over, down the road from Steven's house.
Steven's parents were constantly looking for an excuse to force their high-school aged son to quit "that game".  We'd had several close calls, from various "documentaries" that Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong saw on some cable network, to a "friend of a friend" who "knew a guy who know a woman who's son's schoolmate killed his family, or maybe his dog, after a D&D game".
Alex, who's a little tightly wound to begin with, was constantly pushing to let Steven get kicked out, just to save the effort of constantly fighting with them, which, in his opinion, wasted valuable gaming time.

Christ, I muttered to myself, I almost want them to see their kid NOW, just to see the look on their faces.  I actually laughed at that.   Then, I got out of the car and walked Steven's house.  Luckily, I'd been there several times, as Brad and I were considered the best "spokespeople", instead of irritable Alex and their flaky DM.
I walked down the empty suburban street and up Steven's driveway.  I looked like Steven now, thanks to my doppleganger powers.  Hopefully, I I had enough inherrant skills with impersontation to fool his parents.  I wasn't incredible hopeful, but I had to try.  We had to fix their kid before they found out that he'd somehow become a baby red dragon.

I almost knocked, distracted as I was, before remembering "oh, wait, I technically live here".    I just opened the door and went inside.  Predictibly, they were waiting up for me.

Steven Andrew Armstrong!  Do you have ANY idea what time it is?  Mrs. Armstrong's voice sounded a lot more shrill than when she had talked to Greg as an adult.

I looked at the clock.  It was eleven thirty pm.   Half an hour after we normally have him home.  Seriously, thirty measily minutes.  I was tempted to say "Yeah, I'm a little late.  What's your problem, you old bat?"  But that wasn't something Steven could say to his mother.  Granted, he'd say it, but not to her face.
Dopplegangers impersonated best by reading the minds of their targets, but I'd been unable to read Steven's new draconic mind.  So, summoning up my meager acting skills and my memories of my friend's behavior, I gave myself over to the mentality of a teenager.
So, instead, he just said: Yes.  Um.. I'm sorry.

"Sorry"?  Is that all you have to say?  Is "Sorry." a good excuse for being....THIRTY MINUTES LATE!

My god!  I thought, were MY parents this annoying?  Granted, my high school D&D games had been with other high school kids, but still...  I had to calm the woman down.  Steven's father was behind her, looking bored but annoyed as well.   I REALLY didn't want to get a lecture from them right now.  I had to pacify them and get the hell out of here.  I pulled out a trump card that I hoped would work.

I was talking with the guys after the game and we kind of lost track of time.  I was talking to Brad and Greg about...um...college.  Yeah, college. They were giving me advice on where to go and how to prepare for it.

Predictibly, it worked.  The mother looked surprised (Steven, admittedly, struck few people as 'college material') but pleased.  Her husband looked more suspicious, but obviously didn't want to prolong the argument either.  I kept my gaze off him, but couldn't help myself as I peered into his mind....

....believe I gotta miss the playoffs 'cause my weird freak of a son can't play sports like a normal friggin' kid.  Dammit, he's hanging out with those fruity friends of his doing God knows what, probably some damned orgy or something.  The prissy little poindexter is probably tradin' bjs for meth or something.  Dammit!  I can't believe that when Sam starts talking about his kid winning the big game every Friday, all I can say is that Steven STILL hasn't gone into a clocktower with a rifle.  Hell!!  THAT would be more normal than playing that queer game with his faggotty friends.  I mean, Jeeze!  If that Greg kid isn't a flaming homo, I'll eat my hat.  Granted, Brad seems pretty cool.  Nice strong jawline.  Sign of good character.  He keeps himself in good shape too, that's always good.  He's got a good, strong set of shoulders, firm handshake, and such big, strong arms...

I wrenched myself from Mr. Armstrong's mind as Mrs. Armstrong seemed to be finishing her lecture on responsibility, tempered by my, that is, Steven's, new college ambitions.

"wow," I thought, "Steven's dad is seriously effed up."   I decided to keep that to myself the next time I saw Steven.  I thought about going into his mother's mind, but decided it would do more harm than good.  I nodded at her and nodded with feigned contrition.
I was able to go to "my" room without further delay.

Once in Steven's room, I closed the door, and had the urge to scrub my mind with a Brillo pad.  Dumping his bookbag onto his bed.  I took out Brad's cell phone (crap!  another thing I'd need to replace!) and called him, taking care to keep my voice low.  Steven didn't have a cell phone, as his parents probably assumed he'd use it for drug deals or something.

As it rang, I walked over to the mirror on the wall.  It was actually one of those paintings on a mirror that you win at the county fair, but I could see myself ok.  That is, I could see Steven.
I shook my head.  It was sooo incredibly weird to look in a mirror and see someone else's face.  I touched Steven's nose, smaller than mine, and ran my fingers through his much shorter hair.  Weird.  Luckily, my new body didn't need my old glasses (which had vanished with my car keys, naturally), so it was no problem to see as the normal-sighted Steven.  I leaned into look at my skin.  Was it even human skin?  I brought my fingers up to it, not sure what I'd....

Hello?  Greg, is that you?
I was startled by Brad's voice.  "Idiot", I thought, " YOU called HIM, remember?"
Yeah, Brad, it's me.  How's everything over there?
Thank god it's you.  When the phone rang... well, I had this horrible fear that it was my wife, you know?   I mean, I guess that I could have said that I was a new member of the game, but if "Brad" couldn't come to the phone, well, I didn't want to think about what she'd think.
I smiled, but cringed inside too.  I'd also hadn't quite gotten around to thinking about the long term effects of what to do when the rest of us had to rejoin our friends, family, and co-workers.  Hell, I couldn't impersonate EVERYONE, could I?
Everything's going to be ok, Brad, alright?  I just have to wait until "the parents" are asleep, then I'll sneak back over.  Just hold out until then.
I was afraid he wouldn't be able to hear me with my whispering voice.  Then I remembered: Oh, yeah,  elven ears.

No problem, just HURRY.  Alex is...... well, just get back.  And Steven went outside and hasn't come back yet.  I can't imagine what could have happened, but neither of us can really go outside and look for him.
Ok, ok, I'll be there soon.  Just HOLD ON.

I was loathe to hang up, but had to.  If Steven's insane parents overheard their son planning to "sneak back" to his adult friends, there'd be hell to pay.
Then there was a knock on the window.

You know, you hear the phrase "jumping out of your skin", but you never think anyone can do it.  Believe me, I came damned close.
At the window was a baby red dragon.
Steven? I hissed. What the FRAK are you doing?
I rushed over and opened the window, letting the dog-sized dragon inside.

The guys are worried SICK about you, man!  You can't just...
No, never mind.  The kid had been through enough.
Don't worry about it.  Glad you're here.  Do your parents ususally stay up later then this?

He shook his scaly head.
Well, ok then.  We just have to wait, then.

I found that my mind reading ability worked through walls, at least depending on where I was standing.  Mr. Armstrong's thoughts were painful to overhear, and his wife's were almost as bad, also being obsessed by how her friends, neighbors and co-workers perceive her.  She also despaired at not being able to "brag" about Steven's accomplishments, as she thought he was as weird as her friends did.  She didn't question his sexuality, like his father, but she seemed to constantly worry for his sanity, being continually on the edge of assuming that anything he did was a "warning sign" of a psychotic episode.
I scanned their thoughts reluctantly as they got ready for bed.  I was terrified at the thought that they might have sex before going to sleep, which were thoughts I HAD to avoid overhearing, but they apparently had a church function in the morning and went to sleep quickly.  When Mr. Armstrong's thoughts morphed into "that damn supervisor gave me too much work again and where are my pants?", then I know he was asleep.  Mrs. Armstrong's dream about trying to finish a cake in time to keep her son from killing the president was my clue that she was also asleep.  And, also a nutjob.

Ok, "Falcor", the 'rents are asleep.  Let's make like horsecrap and hit the dusty trail.
His quizzical look may have been puzzlement at any number of things that I'd said, from the "Neverending Story" reference (which was, admittedly, before his time) to my father's old saying, a variation on "make like a tree and leave".  I shook my head and translated.  Your folks are asleep.  Let's get the hell out of here.

That, he understood.  I opened the window and climbed out.

As I walked to Brad's SUV, I called him to let him know that we'd successfully escaped.
The phone rang four times and went to voice mail.    I called again.  Same result.
Oh hell.  Were they outside?   I ran to the car and opened the door for Steven.
C'mon, lizard-boy.  We gotta go. 

Speeding back to Brad's place, praying to avoid cops, I hoped everything was ok.

We are still working our way through the DnD scenario, which is probably going to carry on for a little while, but I thought that we could take some time to brainstorm other scenarios.

What I am working towards with the game is a series of linked adventures, taking the same group of characters and throwing them into adventures that may or may not be linked together.  We have a good and diverse group here with various transformation interests so what sorts of scenarios would everyone like to see?  Sci-Fi, horror, fantasy settings.  Forced or voluntary transformations.

Let's open up the floor to discussion.

Hmmmm. Well, we're currently in a fantasy setting. Unless someone really wants to do another one right away, I'd suggest that we go with either horror or sci fi. Horror I can definitely see being forced transformations. Sci fi could be either one.

Sci-Fi could be used to let the characters "download" into other bodies (the movie "Avatar" is a good example) or have radical changes done to them.

Horror would work to keep it more easily in the present age.   People could be forced out of their bodies and have to possess others, or be inflicted with lycanthropy or vampirism.
(or even something as cheesy as a spell that "turns you into a random movie monster")
This message was last edited by the player at 08:41, Tue 17 Nov 2009.

Eh, the ideas are there. I'm not specifically a fan of basing it all off a single modern setting character, but that's a minor point, and not one I have a problem with in the long run :)

Some of my preferences are just fine, and I could go with any of those ideas. The GMs have my preference list, though, and I can be one picky customer at times. :3

Eh, I'm not fond of the download idea. Just sounds like Surrogates and we don't have a Bruce Willis to root for.

I am liking the horror however. The modern setting does seem appealing as well. Perhaps we had all died in an accident and were brought back as various flavours of undead?

The undead thing works.   The "download" was only a suggestion,  certainly, and wouldn't have to be as straightforward as the movie (I haven't seen it, though).
The download could be into robot animals, inhuman robot bodies, or any random thing.

I also had an idea of everyone each getting some kind of artifact that allowed some kind of 'change' as well, like a ring of human-shapeshifting, a recipe for a "Mr. Hyde" formula, a staff that makes one into a "avatar", or collar of "were-creatures".

just brain-storming.

Horror would seem to be a good setting.  The characters being infected by vampirism, lycanthropy or whatever else sounds like a natural fit for the game.

Finding objects, potions and what not could work too, although that brings to mind Magical Girl anime or power rangers/Sentai.  That might be fun to play around with as well.  The characters acquiring items that cause them to transform into super powered alternates.

Aren't we already doing sort of a Download bit, taking on the form of our DnD characters?

Actually something that might be interesting is something like Greg's DnD scenario, where the players take on the characters in the real world. Doing a transformation where the characters stand out might be interesting. How will everyone around them and they themselves deal with suddenly becoming something strange?

Ive always liked the idea of power with a price... basically, PCs get a McGuffin that allows them to do wonderous things, but at the cost of their humanity or something similar.

Undead is at the cost of their lives and possibly souls. They could be tempted to increase their powers at the cost of other people's lives.

In reply to Scott Carson (msg #50):

Thank you for the kind words.

I agree that keeping the next game in a modern setting would be an interesting twist.
(although, goodness knows, I'm in NO hurry for this scenario to end.  *grin*)

Yeah, it would be pretty disconcerting to find a Half-Drow running around in modern society. It's not like they don't have ENOUGH trouble already.

Although, I'm a fan of finding an object which transforms the character into a superpowered alternate.

Just my two cents :)

Unless you wandered into a sci-fi convention or a Twilight premiere.   Then you'd have your own harem.     *grin*

*smiles*

Hmmmmm....that wouldn't be so bad then, would it?

Anybody know a good fantasy convention going on?

:)

There's ALWAYS a convention SOMEWHERE.   *grin*

*looks around frantically*

I'm a Half-Drow right now...WHERE? WHERE?WHERE?

Lucky you - Liam would only fit in at a furry convention, and I'm sure he can do without the kind of attention he'd get there.

I rather like the turning into superheroes idea, but only if we get cooler powers than generic magical girl stuff.

Me too. If we're turning into superheroes, I have one idea in mind.

(Greg and the DM probably have a pretty good idea as to who I might be :D)