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The Saving Throw
Contest Entry Aug. 9, 2006
Gaming moments with multiple endings, but only one is the real ending.

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Troll Bridge
featured on Aug. 9, 2006 contributed by Carabbit

A group of friends and I were starting a new campaign way back in the day using the old Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Second Edition rules. I played a sorceress. My companions were an impressionable and simple rogue named Tibs, a generic fighter as the barbarian Judd, and an NPC named Phil the Friendly Guard. Our first adventure was to go orc hunting in a cave in the nearby mountains.

And so, as level 3 PCs, when we came up against a troll in the cave we were a tad over-matched. The troll's orc entourage we handled easily enough, but the troll itself (with its nasty regenerative powers) managed to knock out our fighter and barbarian, which, at level 3, were pretty much the only effective party members. And so I convinced Tibs and Phil, the only remaining party members standing, to help me drag our unconscious companions out of the cave and away from the troll.

What I didn't count on was that the troll gave pursuit.

Outside of the cave was a chasm spanned only by a worn rope bridge. We started dragging them across when the troll accosted us on the bridge. Heroically, Tibs engaged the troll alone at the middle of the bridge while Phil and I dragged our companions to the safety.


 Which ending is the real one?

A.

Once we were safely across, I turned back to see if I could help Tibs out and had an epiphany.

"Tibs!" I shouted. "Cut the bridge!"

I was halfway through congratulating myself on my brilliant idea when, to my utter shock, Tibs pulled out a knife and cut the bridge apart where he stood, in the middle, not after he had gotten himself off.

Troll and Tibs fell a thousand feet. Neither survived.


B.

Once Phil and I had dragged our companions safely across, we turned back to help Tibs who was getting pasted. Phil rushed in at my command and relieved Tibs while I pumped a cure spell in our rogue. We ran back to the ledge while Phil held off the troll. I turned back and used my only remaining spell to hurt the troll a bit, not that it was going to do much good because of their regenerative powers.

On his next turn, Tibs came up with a brilliant idea. He moved forward, dagger upraised.

"Tibs, what are you doing?" I shouted.

"I'm going to cut the bridge!" He shouted back.

Troll and Phil fell a thousand feet. Neither survived.


C.

Once we were safely across, we turned back to see that the troll had, unfortunately, rolled a critical attack and Tibs was bleeding profusely. I knew I had to act quickly to save my companion and so Phil and I rushed forwards.

With Phil engaging the troll, I managed to pump some healing into Tibs but he was still unconscious. It took some effort but I managed to drag him back to the pile of unconscious companions. Phil was being quickly overwhelmed so I ran to him and bolstered his hit points for a while longer. Then I prepared to cast my last spell, the Flame Sphere.

Now, fire is one of the better ways to combat trolls and just as I was congratulating myself on my brilliance of placing a giant flaming ball of pure offense between the troll and me, the flimsy rope bridge lurched. I realized my mistake far too late.

Phil high-tailed it off the bridge on his next turn but on my initiative, the whole thing snapped in half.

Troll and sorceress fell a thousand feet. Neither survived.


Results for this Contest Entry
The correct ending was A.
There were 7 total guesses made. 2 were correct and 5 were incorrect.
The author gets 19 points for this story. (4 points + 3 per incorrect guess)
Those listed below get 13 points for guessing correctly on this story. (3 points + 2 per incorrect guess)
   Karlinn and Xanalith


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