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WIL WHEATON: Previously on "Tabletop," my friends Chris
Hardwick, Sam Witwer, Kevin Sussman, and Chris Pramas came
over to play the "Dragon Age" RPG.
Here's what happened.
On the road outside of Greenthorn, the four of us
fought and defeated a pair of nasty darkspawn shrieks, which
led us to believe that maybe the fifth
Blight is really happening.
Then, when we arrived at our destination, we discovered
that the entire village of Greenthorn had been killed or
ran away, because a whole bunch of skeletons and nasty
undead things had spilled out of a creepy old tower which
had mysteriously appeared on the hill above the village
just a few days prior to our arrival.
When we last saw our heroes, we were standing outside the
tower waiting to go inside.
What's on the other side of the tower door?
You're about to find out as "Dragon Age" concludes.
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]
WIL WHEATON: This is an example of a classic pen and
paper role playing game that lets players explore the world
of Thedas, from Bioware's award-winning "Dragon Age
Origins" and "Dragon Age II." There are three things you
need to know.
One--
we are Grey Wardens in the land of Ferelden.
The second thing you need to know is that whenever we have
to resolve a conflict, we will roll three dice.
If we roll doubles on these dice, we will get to do
something called a stunt.
Just how cool that stunt is is determined by the dragon die.
The last thing you need to know--
I love this game.
It is awesome.
Everything we need to know about our characters is on two
pieces of paper.
We're doing this old school.
No minis.
No maps.
Everything happens in our imagination.
Get ready for "Dragon Age."
KEVIN SUSSMAN: My name is Kevin Sussman.
I sometimes am on that show, "The Big *** Theory."
CHRIS HARDWICK: My name is Chris Hardwick.
I run a thing called "Nerdist." I host shows and I
do stand-up comedy.
SAM WITWER: I'm Sam Witwer, and I'm an actor.
I am starring in a show called "Being Human."
CHRIS PRAMAS: My name is Chris Pramas.
I'm a game designer, writer, and publisher.
And I designed the "Dragon Age" tabletop role playing
game which we are playing today.
WIL WHEATON: So we've been standing around at the base of
this tower for two weeks, waiting for you.
I'm so glad you finally came back to join us.
I guess we can go ahead and keep going, guys.
CHRIS HARDWICK: We had to listen to so many boring
stories in that two weeks.
WIL WHEATON: They were awesome stories.
This reminds me of when we were playing before.
CHRIS HARDWICK: [GROANS]
Arcane Lance to the face.
WIL WHEATON: I haven't been gaming for almost 30 years
just because I like to roll dice.
I like to tell stories.
Just so I'm clear, we're standing at the
base of this tower?
CHRIS PRAMAS: Yeah.
There's a front door.
It's a big, large wooden door, reinforced.
WIL WHEATON: I think we should walk up to
the door to the tower.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Well, I see no reason not to do that.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Would you like to cast Rock Armor now?
KEVIN SUSSMAN: I would actually like to cast Rock
Armor now, because that'll last me for an hour.
So what do I need to--
that's 10 right there.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Yeah, you're good.
SAM WITWER: And how does that look again?
WIL WHEATON: Cast Rock Armor.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Rock Armor!
SAM WITWER: Afterward, the effect comes-- right.
WIL WHEATON: I'm going to make a perception check to see if I
can see anything around or hear something
through that door.
But you know what?
Screw that.
I'm opening the door.
SAM WITWER: My god.
WIL WHEATON: I'm that kind of dwarf.
That's the way I do things.
I've been around.
Listen, get busy breaking down doors or get
busy telling stories.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: Break down the door.
WIL WHEATON: Yeah, all right.
So I'm just going to go up and push on the door.
Does it do anything?
CHRIS PRAMAS: So it opens out.
WIL WHEATON: All right, so I stand there like Midvale
School for the Gifted.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Pull, push.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So what they taught you in Dwarf School is
you don't want the front of your keep to open in.
Makes it easier on the battering rams.
WIL WHEATON: Oh, OK.
So with my non-mace hand, I pull on the door.
What does it do?
CHRIS PRAMAS: It opens.
WIL WHEATON: So I pull the door open and I look inside.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So you see a corridor, and then it ends in
another door.
CHRIS HARDWICK: You did such a good job with the first door,
I think you should tackle the second door.
WIL WHEATON: Here I go.
SAM WITWER: I actually don't know what we're
going to find, actually.
I'm damned curious as to what we're going to find.
CHRIS HARDWICK: I think the tower has been
here the whole time.
I think the tower has been cloaked in magic and just no
one knew was there.
WIL WHEATON: I look at the hinges of the door to see if
it opens inward or outward, but I make sure that they
don't see what I'm doing.
And then I push it or pull it as is appropriate.
CHRIS PRAMAS: You pull it.
WIL WHEATON: Yeah, so I pull it open, and what do I see?
CHRIS PRAMAS: There are what look like to have been
barricades that were destroyed.
And there's also shields, split shields and things.
WIL WHEATON: Can we tell what the barricades were set up to
protect, like which direction they were set up to protect?
CHRIS PRAMAS: The door to your right.
WIL WHEATON: I think that's the door we should go through.
That door was clearly important to them.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Or should we split up?
SAM WITWER: Oh, let's split the party.
Let's definitely--
WIL WHEATON: Splitting the party's a great idea.
That never ends badly for anyone.
Clearly, a number of Greenthorn villagers died
protecting that door.
Something matters behind that door.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: Yeah, absolutely.
WIL WHEATON: I want to go back there and roll a lot of ones
finding out what it is.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Well, I don't know what this rolling thing
is you're speaking of, but I think we should do it.
WIL WHEATON: It's a dwarf thing.
SAM WITWER: It's a dwarf thing.
WIL WHEATON: I thought everyone would be running out
of the tower, but it actually looks like they
ran into the tower.
I don't know what we're going to find the higher we climb.
CHRIS HARDWICK: When we get to the top of the tower, I think
we're going to find Gorik telling another story.
WIL WHEATON: I make a show of not looking at the hings and I
just kick that [BLEEP]
in.
CHRIS PRAMAS: You kick the door open.
WIL WHEATON: Now what happens?
CHRIS PRAMAS: So there is a pretty large
chamber before you.
You guess it was once a barracks for soldiers.
To your left, there is a stairway that goes up.
There are functional barricades that are arranged
around the stairs.
Behind those barricades, you see two skeletons.
There is a skeleton that it looks like was nailed to the
wall with a sword.
And there is a piece of parchment nailed to the front
of the corpse.
So there's two skeletons with bows behind her barricades,
and then there's two other skeletons--
SAM WITWER: Wait, are they standing?
KEVIN SUSSMAN: Are they able to think?
WIL WHEATON: They're like attacking skeletons?
CHRIS PRAMAS: They're moving around.
SAM WITWER: Oh, they're moving--
OK.
WIL WHEATON: All right, [BLEEP]
on.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Roll initiative.
So the skeletons actually win initiative.
WIL WHEATON: Wow.
We lost initiative to skeletons.
Skeletons are actually pretty easy, especially for a guy
like me with a mace.
Their bones are very susceptible to macing.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So Wil, you are going to take--
let's see.
CHRIS HARDWICK: It's always better when he's got to go,
"Let's see."
WIL WHEATON: I know.
It's like, hold on.
I can't add this high.
I need a graphing calculator.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Yeah.
You're going to take 7 points of damage.
WIL WHEATON: Seven-- oh, but my armor soaks 5,
so I only take 2.
That's not bad.
SAM WITWER: You're good.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Then I rolled a one, so the second one's not
going to punch through your armor.
WIL WHEATON: Ugh, what was that?
SAM WITWER: Nothing.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So you're going to get a throwing spear at you
which is going to do 12 points of damage.
SAM WITWER: Goodness.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Because he did a mighty blow.
SAM WITWER: So 7 gets through.
CHRIS PRAMAS: And then the other one--
he's going to do a dual strike.
This throwing spear is going to punch through you and into
one of you.
WIL WHEATON: Wow.
SAM WITWER: Right through the cheek.
Through the cheek.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: No, I don't that's going to happen.
CHRIS PRAMAS: It's you.
SAM WITWER: Mother [BLEEP]
[BLEEP].
CHRIS PRAMAS: So you're going to take 7 points of damage.
You are going to take 8 points of damage.
CHRIS HARDWICK: I don't have a lot of health left.
WIL WHEATON: But you have Rock Armor on.
CHRIS PRAMAS: You have Rock Armor on.
WIL WHEATON: So that's only four.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So you only take four damage.
So then Keegan, it is your--
SAM WITWER: Watch this stunt action.
I'm in there.
I'm mixing it up.
But I'm not stunting.
My ability to stunt is stunted.
15.
CHRIS PRAMAS: That's a hit.
SAM WITWER: You know what I'm saying?
WIL WHEATON: Yeah, good job.
CHRIS PRAMAS: These skeletons are not nearly as alive and
quick as the shrieks.
SAM WITWER: Let's do one of those.
WIL WHEATON: Oh yeah, that's pretty awesome.
SAM WITWER: 16 damage on one of the bowmen.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Hey-o.
So you crunch into this thing, and bits of bones fly
everywhere.
And it is barely being held together by whatever.
SAM WITWER: But it's still up.
CHRIS PRAMAS: It is still up
WIL WHEATON: That's a tough skeleton.
CHRIS HARDWICK: So I'm going to fire Winter's Grasp at the
ones in the middle of the room to try to take care of them.
So 6, 12--
OK, so I hit it.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Winter's Grasp is a single target.
It's not--
CHRIS HARDWICK: Oh, I thought they were in a--
WIL WHEATON: But Flame Blast is 8 yards
long and 2 yards wide.
CHRIS HARDWICK: They might be-- are they within 8 yards?
CHRIS PRAMAS: You could move so that you could
catch both of them.
CHRIS HARDWICK: As my minor?
All right, so I move within range and then cast Flame
Blast, which is a 12, which I need to get, which I rolled.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So they will each take 2d6 plus 1 damage.
SAM WITWER: Not bad.
CHRIS HARDWICK: I got 5, so that's 6 on one
and 10 on the other.
WIL WHEATON: Wow.
Nice.
Chris is a great spellcaster.
I usually play magic users.
Chris is the magic user.
Chris is doing all the damage.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Gorik.
WIL WHEATON: Double ones!
CHRIS PRAMAS: Wow.
SAM WITWER: You stunted.
CHRIS PRAMAS: You only need a 12, Wil.
Can you hit a 12?
WIL WHEATON: Gosh, I don't know.
Let's find out.
That's 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11--
oh, but the charge makes it 12.
And I stunted?
And I get 4 stunt points.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Yes sir.
WIL WHEATON: I don't know how the [BLEEP]
that happened.
CHRIS HARDWICK: That's pretty cool.
WIL WHEATON: So I'm going to go ahead and dual strike these
guys on account of them being right next to each other.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Wil's dice rolling is getting a little
bit better, but he's still hitting ones every time.
Which is, you know--
if you can get two high rolls like the ones, not the biggest
deal in the world.
But still, there's something weird and mystical happening
with his dice rolling.
CHRIS PRAMAS: You crunch through the one that was
almost dead-- falls to pieces-- and then slam into
the other one.
And bone flies and chunks of armor fall off.
So, Thinli.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: Not quite enraged.
WIL WHEATON: But getting there?
KEVIN SUSSMAN: I'm kind of irritated.
WIL WHEATON: Are you sure you're not enraged?
Wow.
13 plus attack bonus?
CHRIS PRAMAS: Yeah.
You certainly hit, and then you get 3
stunt points as well.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Oh, lightning attack.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: I think lightning attack.
I'm going to make a second attack against the enemy.
Maybe after the first attack, I'll be even more enraged.
Let's see what happens.
WIL WHEATON: I hope you're more enraged.
SAM WITWER: You're peeved.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: Plus 5.
It's 2 plus 5.
CHRIS PRAMAS: 7.
And then make a second attack.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: You make me so angry!
CHRIS HARDWICK: Look how pissed you were!
WIL WHEATON: Look at how mad he was-- an 11!
CHRIS PRAMAS: So yeah.
You whack into him and then spin around and just take the
head off the skeleton.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: I'm in one of my moods.
CHRIS PRAMAS: You are.
SAM WITWER: He gets this way.
I love Kevin's character.
I love his rage.
I love his crippled arm.
And he's never done this before, so that's fun to see
him going through this for the first time.
WIL WHEATON: So we get those two guys down?
CHRIS PRAMAS: Yes.
WIL WHEATON: All right!
Go team us!
CHRIS HARDWICK: There's only two left.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So I'm going to attack you, Sam.
And so they miss both of you, and then it is
your turn to go.
SAM WITWER: 7, 13--
yeah, plus 5.
I didn't even aim.
WIL WHEATON: Look at what you're doing right now.
SAM WITWER: 11, 14 plus 17.
17.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So yeah, you basically just split these
bones right down the middle, and they fall
apart to either side.
SAM WITWER: He had to split.
CHRIS HARDWICK: I will fire my Arcane Lance at the one
remaining skeleton.
WIL WHEATON: Whoa.
Wow, that is a super stunt.
CHRIS HARDWICK: 17 plus--
CHRIS PRAMAS: 5 stunt points.
CHRIS HARDWICK: So I got 5 stunt points.
So I'll skirmish, knock him prone, and then cast Mighty
Blow on him.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Very good.
So the Mighty Blow gives you an extra d6 damage.
CHRIS HARDWICK: 2d6.
So 11?
CHRIS PRAMAS: So, yeah, you blast it
and it falls to pieces.
CHRIS HARDWICK: 'Ey!
CHRIS PRAMAS: So they have all been slain.
WIL WHEATON: I honestly thought that the tower was
going to kick our ***, especially the way I've been
rolling today.
It felt pretty good to get in there and beat the [BLEEP]
out of those skeletons.
Let's go read the sign that's stabbed through with a dagger
to see what it says.
I like those signs.
Those things are kind of cool.
CHRIS PRAMAS: All right.
Woo, handouts.
WIL WHEATON: It's in an envelope?
KEVIN SUSSMAN: I totally did not expect to be
handed a slip of paper.
And what made it even better is that it was in an envelope.
CHRIS HARDWICK: "To those who survive--"
CHRIS PRAMAS: Maybe someone one else would
like to read it.
WIL WHEATON: You guys, this reminds me of a time--
CHRIS HARDWICK: That you were about to read this?
WIL WHEATON: "To those who survive, as Queen Moira
recommended, I lead a sortie against the Orlesians who came
to kill her and so end the rebellion."
CHRIS PRAMAS: The idea of the tower is that it was besieged
by Orlesians 50 years ago.
So when the players enter the tower, they are seeing the
remnants of that battle from 50 years ago that's been
hidden away in the Fade for all this time.
WIL WHEATON: "Long live Ferelden, Ser Victor
Greenthorn." PS.
Gorik Dunharg is the greatest storyteller that ever lived--
CHRIS HARDWICK: You're adding the PS.
Know that it says here.
Also, Fonzor's kind of a really respect falls really
respect them but I can tell you the says.
Us to do.
WIL WHEATON: So they think--
augh!
Everybody says it's about the Grey Wardens.
They say that we're rebels and that we're coming to kill the
queen, and then they do that stuff.
And then they drove them back into the thing and they're in
the tower, and they're making their stand in the tower.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Did any of that make sense to anyone?
CHRIS PRAMAS: No, not at all.
Try it again.
What happened?
KEVIN SUSSMAN: Hold on.
Hold on.
CHRIS HARDWICK: What do the words smell like?
SAM WITWER: He can read it by smelling it.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: Touch of vanilla.
The smelling of letters was not very helpful.
But it's nice to have a thing to smell.
Whoever the first person that got killed was, was a very
good smelling warrior.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So you know that Queen Moira was the mother of
King Maric.
Maric is the father of the current king, Cailan.
She is known as the Rebel Queen.
During the Orlesian occupation, she led the
resistance against the Orlesians.
And eventually she was betrayed and murdered, and
then it was up to her son Maric to finally rally
everyone and kick the Orlesians out.
But someone talking about Queen Moira dates that to 40
to 50 years ago.
CHRIS HARDWICK: It feels like a weird ghost tower that has
been there-- that was there at one point, and then maybe just
through some weird time rift--
CHRIS PRAMAS: This tower--
this whole area just stinks of magic and the Fade so much
that it may be possible that this spent time in the Fade.
CHRIS HARDWICK: When we get to the top of the tower, I think
we're going to find the Rebel Queen.
I do not think she's dead.
I don't know why, but I just feel like she's up there, just
waiting to be discovered.
WIL WHEATON: Whatever put this tower here, I have a strong
feeling it's at the top of this tower.
SAM WITWER: Well, let's make sure that we don't go back to
Fade in this damn thing.
What if it goes back?
WIL WHEATON: If we are destined to go to the Fade,
into the Fade we shall go.
CHRIS HARDWICK: [BLEEP]
yourself!
SAM WITWER: Yeah, Jesus.
I'm not going into the Fade.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: Seriously, [BLEEP]
you.
WIL WHEATON: I go and look at the next door, and then push
or pull it.
SAM WITWER: Alone, stroking his beard for himself.
Not even for anyone else.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So you open the door, and this
room a 60 by 60 square.
In the middle of it are four crowns that look like they're
made of steel.
And then flanking the table on either side are four statues.
So eight statues total--
four per side.
SAM WITWER: Can you describe the statues?
Are they armed in their statue way?
Are they statues of guys with swords?
CHRIS PRAMAS: The subject of each statue seems to be the
same person.
It is a woman.
It seems to be Queen Moira, the Rebel Queen.
At the foot of each statue, there is a single word.
And so the statues are labeled beauteous, compassionate,
glorious, mighty, righteous, steadfast,
whimsical, and wise.
SAM WITWER: Righteous, steadfast--
and then what?
WIL WHEATON: Whimsical and wise.
CHRIS HARDWICK: You missed a mighty.
WIL WHEATON: Where's the mighty go?
CHRIS HARDWICK: In between glorious and righteous.
WIL WHEATON: Of course it does.
I was testing you.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: What the [BLEEP]
was he talking about?
CHRIS PRAMAS: The other thing that you notice across the
room is there's a battle axe sunk into the wall.
And there's another piece of parchment.
WIL WHEATON: I like notes.
"To those who survive.
The fury of our sortie infuriated the Orlesians.
They are not used to those who stand and fight.
From what we've seen from on high, the Orlesian army
remains in the valley.
They must believe that Queen Moira is still here.
I hope this means she made good her escape.
The flame of rebellion must burn until we are free.
For Ferelden, Ser Victor Greenthorn." PS.
If you ever have the good fortune of sitting at the foot
of Gorik Dunharg as he tells you a story--
CHRIS HARDWICK: He did not add that.
WIL WHEATON: Say thank you and listen--
SAM WITWER: That's ad-libbed.
WIL WHEATON: For truly, yours is a good day.
CHRIS HARDWICK: They don't even use PSes.
WIL WHEATON: So this means that Queen Moira, with all
these statues--
[GASP]
I wonder if one of the statues is Queen Moira in statue form.
SAM WITWER: It could be.
WIL WHEATON: And the other ones are
actually just statues.
CHRIS HARDWICK: My guess is that if we put the crowns on
the right heads, one of them comes to life.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: So the idea is she has four
of these eight traits.
WIL WHEATON: Usually when you run into a puzzle like this,
if you do it wrong, you get shocked or blasted with flame
or turned into a newt.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Can I make a cunning check to see if I
remember anything about putting crowns on statues?
Is there any sort of magic?
There must be a thing, right?
CHRIS PRAMAS: Yeah, you can make a roll.
It is really fun to watch the players interact with the
story that I've come up with.
And particularly when they get really involved in it and I
have to, on the fly, come up with reactions.
There are things in the history books that are sort of
like this, but you don't know.
You haven't read about this in particular.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Can I make a guess with the crowns?
I think I'm ready to solve the puzzle, Pat.
I think we should put a crown on mighty, righteous,
steadfast, and wise.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So you put crowns on those heads, and
nothing seems to happen.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: Balls.
SAM WITWER: Maybe switch something for compassionate.
How about switch righteous for compassionate?
CHRIS HARDWICK: Let's try it.
CHRIS PRAMAS: No go.
SAM WITWER: Let's put it back on righteous.
Switch--
what were the ones, again?
WIL WHEATON: Mighty, righteous,
steadfast, and wise.
Let's take them all off and only put one steadfast and see
if that does anything.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Nothing happens.
WIL WHEATON: [BLEEP]
SAM WITWER: Let's go with compassionate, righteous,
steadfast, and wise.
CHRIS PRAMAS: A fine choice.
SAM WITWER: My stupid, flat-topped, mulleted
character stepped up and delivered the
solution to the group.
CHRIS PRAMAS: The crowns light up and then stairs appear on
the other side of the room leading up to a door.
SAM WITWER: I want to watch the stairs and take off one of
the crowns-- see if the stairs stay or remain.
CHRIS PRAMAS: They disappear.
SAM WITWER: Interesting.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: I want to take the crown and do this.
CHRIS PRAMAS: You're still a ***.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: Yes, I'm a ***.
I'm a 70-year-old ***.
I killed living [BLEEP]!
WIL WHEATON: Before we get to the top door of the tower, I
just got to tell you guys that I was in a
tower like this once.
And when we got to the door that was at the top of the
tower and we opened it up, on the other side--
SAM WITWER: With two-handed axe, is it
possible to chop yourself?
Get a good hit in?
Or is that impossible?
CHRIS PRAMAS: It's totally possible.
CHRIS HARDWICK: I'd like to see if I can cast Rock Armor
over my ears.
I would guess that there is a huge combat coming at the end.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: It's going to be some kind of magical guy or
magical thing.
WIL WHEATON: I, mean if it's just crammed with darkspawn,
we're dead.
SAM WITWER: I'm fairly convince the
Nazis are behind it.
And I cannot wait to fight the triceratops.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So you guys have come up to the final door.
And you pull it open.
And inside you see another 60 by 60 chamber.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Yay!
CHRIS PRAMAS: In the center of the room, there's a raised
dias, and there are two chairs on it.
In one of the chairs, there is a live person who is manacled
to it, and he is wearing chain mail and
traveling clothes, basically.
Looks like he has been beaten and roughed up.
And then next to him in the next chair, is a dead person
wearing plate armor.
It's just a skeleton, not a moving skills.
The armor has a foreign pattern engraved into it.
And then behind the two chairs, facing you, there is a
ghostly figure who is wearing that same armor.
Very severe look on his face.
Bearded.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: I haven't dealt with the magic stuff yet.
Nobody has hurled any kind of magic ball at me.
CHRIS PRAMAS: When you open the door he says, you've
come at last .
I knew this Orlesian was a filthy liar,
like all of his kind.
WIL WHEATON: Guys, it's the ghost of--
CHRIS HARDWICK: Ser Victor Greenthorn?
WIL WHEATON: That's the one.
CHRIS HARDWICK: You think it's him?
WIL WHEATON: Yup, and I think they probably captured the
Grey Warden.
That's probably Aldrick LaPonte,
because he's from Orlais.
SAM WITWER: I don't know who you think we are.
But all we wish is to rescue our friend, if indeed you are
Aldrick, and leave in peace.
CHRIS PRAMAS: I think that you are the lickspittle lackeys of
this Orlesian dog.
Slaps the guy with his ghostly armored gauntlet.
WIL WHEATON: Whoa, what a [BLEEP].
I am rolling absolute Mabari war hound [BLEEP].
I'm not going to try to fight this guy.
I'm going to try to trick him.
I say to him, Queen Moira sent us.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Did she?
At last.
WIL WHEATON: I pull out one of these messages that doesn't
have any extra things written on it about me.
And I say, the queen is pleased that Ser Victor has
followed her command so well thus far.
It would be a tragedy if he were to fail
in his final duty.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Yeah.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So he puts his hands on the
shoulder of the skeleton.
WIL WHEATON: Oh, that's good.
CHRIS PRAMAS: And he says, Ser Victor did
not fail in his duty.
The queen ordered him to hold off the Orlesian horde so she
could escape.
And he did that.
And then he could've found his own way out or escaped or
surrendered for honorable terms.
But Ser Victor Greenthorn had a greater sense of duty.
And he fought them, and he drew them in, and he let them
besiege his tower.
And he watched all of his men be cut down one after another,
and then ultimately gave his life when an Orlesian
Chevalier slew him in single combat where we stand.
WIL WHEATON: Oh, that Victor Greenthorn.
As it turns out, he has a twin brother that he doesn't--
and as I say that, I just charge the ghost with my mace.
Cause I'm not talking us out of this.
CHRIS PRAMAS: It's like in the military they say, no plan
survives first contact with the enemy.
That is totally the way running adventures is for role
playing games.
So you run up to him with your mace, and he
sort of melts away.
And you can hear his voice now echoing inside this chamber.
And he says, I was watching Ser Victor Greenthorn when he
met his end.
I am a spirit from the Fade.
They call me Duty.
WIL WHEATON: [CHUCKLE]
Duty.
CHRIS PRAMAS: I was moved by Ser Victor's dedication to his
queen and to his country and to his duty.
WIL WHEATON: Duty.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So when the Orlesians were going to
destroy this tower, I pulled it to me.
And since then I have watched this valley and kept it safe.
And then this man returns here bearing Ser Victor's sword
from Orlais.
Now what am I to believe?
WIL WHEATON: There is a greater evil in this world
than Orlais ever was.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Oh, yes!
SAM WITWER: Yeah, we're heading right
into the fifth Blight.
I don't know if you've been paying attention to current
events, but this is a bad situation.
So if you let us take this man, then you will have been
serving not only the greater good, but also
your masters of old.
So come on, dude.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Everyone dies if we don't take him with us.
Everyone.
CHRIS PRAMAS: It seems so long that I've been watching this
valley, watching through the signs, waiting for
the queen to return.
But she has never come.
SAM WITWER: Yeah, about that--
KEVIN SUSSMAN: That whole queen thing--
SAM WITWER: You take this one.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: I thought I was going to get
hit by a magic ball.
But instead I got hit with a magical riddle, and I wasn't
ready for it.
Um--
she's doing fine.
WIL WHEATON: It is entirely accurate to say that the queen
rests comfortably.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Do you consider yourselves truthful men?
CHRIS HARDWICK: Oh, [BLEEP].
She's dead.
OK?
She's dead.
SAM WITWER: It's been a long time--
CHRIS HARDWICK: She's dead.
We have a whole different battle that
we're trying to win.
SAM WITWER: She was compassionate, righteous,
steadfast, and wise ruler, but her time is done.
CHRIS HARDWICK: That's right.
WIL WHEATON: Nice.
SAM WITWER: You like that?
WIL WHEATON: Yeah.
SAM WITWER: Her life has come to a natural conclusion, and
it may be time for you to move on as well.
CHRIS PRAMAS: And you say that Ferelden is free?
SAM WITWER: It is.
WIL WHEATON: Ferelden is free.
The world is imperiled.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Run to the light.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Come up onto the dais.
You guys link hands with him, and you can feel--
SAM WITWER: Who's actually touching the ghost hands?
WIL WHEATON: I think I'm touching the ghost hands.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Grody!
WIL WHEATON: No, it's awesome.
You don't even know.
It's like touching a 9 volt battery with your tongue, but
with your whole body.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Let him smell your finger.
KEVIN SUSSMAN: I can already smell his finger.
CHRIS PRAMAS: So we join hands, and you can feel a
power of magic, essentially-- the Fade coursing through you.
And you get this sensation of leaving your bodies.
And your point of view is suddenly above the tower, and
you're zooming off.
And you're soaring over Ferelden very, very quickly,
giving you vertigo.
You find yourself above streets of Denerim.
And you can see King Cailan is giving a speech to people in
one of the great squares of the city.
And then you move on and you head south and south towards
the Korcari Wilds.
And then as you skim over the top of the Swamp of the Wilds,
you can see teeming there, you can see darkspawn--
ogres, genlocks, hurlocks.
And you bank, and zoom back to the tower.
And then you feel that magic being pulled out of your body.
And then you're yourselves again.
And he says, it's true.
My sojourn must end.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Yeah!
CHRIS PRAMAS: So Duty begins to dissipate.
And he says, be strong, for Ferelden and for Thedas.
Disappears.
Returns to the fade.
SAM WITWER: You know, just talking
ghosts to the afterlife.
Another day at the office.
What did it smell like?
KEVIN SUSSMAN: Like duty.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Oh, you guys.
WIL WHEATON: So we pick him up?
And we help him down.
Are we walking out of the tower?
CHRIS PRAMAS: Yes.
So the tower stays.
It does not go back into the Fade.
WIL WHEATON: Look, you're the Grey Warden.
We're just the recruits.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Yes.
But we need to go find Duncan.
WIL WHEATON: We need to travel to the Lake Calenhad docks to
meet with Duncan.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Yes.
WIL WHEATON: And tell him what we've seen-- tell them that
we've seen that the Blight is coming.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Big time.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Let's go.
WIL WHEATON: Great.
Done.
CHRIS PRAMAS: I'm ready to leave this town.
WIL WHEATON: So are we.
Montage!
CHRIS PRAMAS: So now you know the Blight is real.
You know that your duty will be arduous.
But you move ahead on another day.
And that's the adventure.
SAM WITWER: The really interesting thing is what
happened afterward.
Because my character, having come back from
a successful mission--
he went back to his hometown, asked out the girl that he
always wanted to ask out.
Because he spent a lot of time with--
And really, one night the mullet took over.
He said some things he regretted.
And then fast forward to the custody battle.
So that's a whole other adventure--
Yeah, well, there was a sea nymph, but I didn't touch her.
It's just--
it's confusing.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Well, thanks for watching Tabletop.
I'm Wil Wheaton.
Eat poison and go [BLEEP]
yourself.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Ouch.
CHRIS HARDWICK: Is that how you--
WIL WHEATON: Nope, that's it.
He's got it.
We're done.
Thanks.
CHRIS PRAMAS: Well, thanks for playing, everyone.
I hope you had fun.
WIL WHEATON: That was pretty cool, and I want to know what
happens to all of our characters next.
I want to say a very special thank you to Sam Witwer, Chris
Hardwick, Kevin's Sussman, and especially to Chris Pramas,
who wrote and ran this adventure for us today.
In fact, if you would like to play this adventure with your
group, you can download it right here.
Now I am going to go practice rolling dice.
And I will see you next time on "Tabletop."
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]
WIL WHEATON: Sure, now I roll a 15.
We're rebels, and we're going to kill the queen, and then
it's-- well, then they do that stuff.
And then they drove them back into the thing, and they're in
the tower, and they're making their stand in the tower.