“Does a 17 hit?” Isa looked from her d20 to Michelle, the Dungeon Master. The dark haired woman, sitting with a tri-fold screen in front of her, shook her head.

“Damn,” said Marissa, “what kind of AC does this thing have?”

“More than 17.” This from Alice, who rolled 2 d20 dice next. One was green and the other gold. The gold one showed a 9, and the green one showed 19. “Does a 25 hit?”

“It better,” muttered the man sitting across from Isa. His name was Felix, and he played the cleric in their weekly Dungeons and Dragons game.

Ever since she’d gotten back from her own adventure in Varana, Isa had come to her friend Marissa’s house for Thursday D&D, which Marissa said stood for Dungeons and Drinking. The nickname aside, the game was the focus.

Isa couldn’t be sure, but this very game group might have caused her little adventure 3 months ago when she spent what felt like a month in the magical land of Varana where everyone lived their lives as characters inside a D&D campaign.

“25 hits,” Michelle told Alice. “The other was a miss? Roll for damage.”

“2 d6 plus 4,” Alice said as she rolled the dice.

“Wait,” Michelle held up a hand. “Only one attack hit.”

“Yeah, but Broswin is right there.” Alice pointed at the mini figurines on the table. “Sneak attack.”

“I am within 5 feet,” Isa said as she touched the fighter mini, nudging it just a touch so that it sat squarely within the gridlines on the map. As she pulled back her hand, Isa bumped the 5-headed pipe-cleaner constructed creature sitting adjacent to her mini and knocked it over.

Felix raised his arms in the air. “Success! The enemy is vanquished.”

“Hardly,” Michelle said as she righted the monster. “What was your attack again?”

“16,” Alice said promptly. Michelle nodded and jotted down the number behind her screen.

“Nice work, babe.” Isa moved a strand of Alice’s dark brown hair from her face. “Way to stabby-stab him.”

When she’d left Marissa’s house months back, Isa had stopped at a bar for a drink, slipped through a crack in reality and ended up at a Varanese bar called Lund’s Tavern. Through luck, determination, and help from many people, Isa had made it back to the real world. Where she promptly started playing the game version of what she’d been living.

It made a twisted sort of sense. Although she’d called Portland “the real world” the entire time she was in Varana, there had been nothing make-believe about the place. She’d almost died more than once there. And yet, she sort of missed Varana, so playing D&D gave her a little reminder of her time in that world. Plus, there was Alice. They’d met at Marissa’s game night, and now that they’d been dating for several months, the D&D session was a fun couple-y activity for them.

“Telmar,” Michelle said to Felix, “you’re up.”

“I’m gonna cast prayer,” said Felix.

“I like it,” Michelle said. “What’s it do?”

“You could throw some healing my way,” said the woman sitting next to Felix. Her name was Della, and she played the mage in the party.

“You’re about to get plus 1 on AC, attack, damage…..” Felix looked at the card in front of him; “... ability checks and saving throws. Not too shabby.”

“What’s the range?” asked Michelle. She looked at the minis on the table.

“25 feet,” said Felix. “I think I get everyone.”

“Not Marissa, not Nim, I mean.” Isa pointed at her friend’s ranger figurine which was back a bit from the group.

“I got barkskin on.” Marissa waved dismissively. “I’m good.”

“And that is good for a minute, y’all,” Felix added.

“Is that enough time to take down the hydra?” Della said aloud.

“That’s 10 rounds,” said Alice.

“Yeah, but the hydra already laid into us,” Marissa pointed out. “And it’s about to have its second turn.”

“Which is why I wanted healing,” said Della.

“I have a healing potion,” Isa told her.

“You’re not going to use your turn to give the mage a healing potion.” Alice frowned.

“I would if she was bleeding out.”

“Thank you, Broswin.” Della said to Isa and glared at Alice.

Although they were friends outside of the D&D campaign, Alice’s rogue, Magrat, found Della’s mage, Arwella, annoying in the game, and vice versa, so they were always digging at each other. Arwella’s background was “scholar,” and Magrat’s was “sailor,” so they barely understood each other’s vocabulary much less their motivations.

When Isa joined - her fighter Broswin had been hired by the mayor of the town to accompany the adventurers in exploring a nearby ruin - Alice and Della had delighted in telling Isa the elaborate scenario that had thrown the group together as adventurers. Michelle, sitting behind her screen sipping a beer, had smiled as they told the tale. She’d created the campaign, Isa knew, and had taken evident delight in hearing it re-told by the friends.

“Alright,” Michelle shook a handful of dice. “The hydra’s turn. 10 foot reach, people.”

“I’m fine.” Marissa did a little seated dance with her hands in the air.

“Were you hoping for a party wipe?” Isa fake-glared at Marissa.

“Got my eye on that sweet longsword of yours.” The moment the words were out Marissa covered her mouth. Everyone at the table roared with laughter.

“I’m stealing that,” said Felix.

“It’s a fairly specialized pick up line, Fey.” Alice tossed a mini marshmallow across the table.

“You have no idea what kind of action you can get at a con.”

“Maybe you can,” said Della. “All the straight men are too busy one-upping each other on geek cred to pay any attention to the opposite sex.”

“I find all my girlfriends at game nights,” Alice said.

“All? Huh.” Isa popped an eyebrow at Alice and bit into a pretzel. “Tell me more.”

“Guys, we’re gonna be here all night if you keep getting distracted.” This from Marissa.

“We haven’t played in 2 weeks,” Felix said. “We need to ease into it.”

Michelle held up a handful of d20s. “5 heads, 5 dice. Bam goes the hydra!” She let the dice fall behind her screen.

The campaign had them in a swamp currently, a place Isa had never encountered in Varana, but that was probably just good luck. If she’d stayed, no doubt Mery or Joth would have dragged her to a swamp eventually, and Isa would have found herself face to face with a real hydra.

The game version was bad enough: 5 heads meant 5 attacks. Each head sat atop a snake-like neck, giving it a 10-foot reach. Its attack - a bite attack - had a plus 8 toward success. And the damage this thing could do - 1 d10 plus 5. Isa knew this because her fighter Broswin had taken 13 damage from just 1 of those heads. She only had 52 to begin with and to lose a quarter of them in one chomp?

“OK….” Michelle glanced at the small card in front of each player that listed their armor class and passive perception. “Isa, you are OK. That 19 AC saved your butt. Alice you’re OK. Della and Felix, let’s roll some damage.” Dice tumbled behind the screen. “Lucky! Felix, you take 8 damage, and Del, you get 6.”

“Are you bloodied?” Felix asked her, meaning was she below 50% of her hit points.

“Yep, but it’s my turn, and it’s payback.” Della held a card up. “Fireball.”

“Hey,” said Marissa, “would you be cool with holding your action until right before its turn? If we can chop off a few heads, your fire damage will keep them from growing back.”

“I want you both to make nature checks,” Michelle said.

Both women picked up their d20s, shook them, and rolled. “Fuck,” said Marissa. “10.” Della smiled. “15.”

“OK,” Michelle nodded. “Arwella would certainly know, from her extensive reading, about the fire trick. What do you wanna do?”

“I’ll hold my action.”

“Don’t forget your prayer buff.” Felix pointed his finger at the group.

“Crap!” Della looked at Michelle. “Would that have saved me?”

“I don’t think so. I think he rolled an 18 or 19 against you.”

Isa grabbed her pencil. “That’s plus 1 to….”

“AC, attack, and damage.” Alice touched her arm and whispered, “You OK? Why are you so distracted?”

“That paper is due Monday,” Isa replied softly. “I should be home working on it.”

Alice nuzzled her ear. “All work….”

“Gives Jack an A in the class.”

Marissa rolled attacks for her longbow. Before she could give Michelle the results, the DM said, “Isa! Roll damage for your last attack. I goofed on the AC for Mister Snakeyhead.”

“That’s Snakey McSnakeyhead,” Felix said quickly.

“So 17 does hit? Nice!” She rolled the d8 for damage.

“But you won’t get the buff from the prayer,” said Alice. “Telmar cast that after your turn.”

“8 damage.” Isa tried to keep the disappointment from her voice.

“Great.” Michelle made a note. “OK Nim, whatcha got?”

“A 23 and an 18. Which both hit, right? So that’s…..” She rolled 2 d8 die. “19 damage. Damn. We need to drop these heads, and no 19 is gonna do it.”

Michelle didn’t respond. “Broswin. You are up.”

Isa rolled successfully on her two attacks and rolled max damage on her rolls. “28 damage!” She beamed at Marissa, who raised her beer bottle in salute.

Michelle removed one of the pipe-cleaner heads. “Nice work.”

“So 28 is the number to beat?” Della asked Michelle, who shrugged and said, “Make a nature check.”

Della rolled her d20 and groaned. “5.”

“Anyone else want to make a check to see if you can ‘remember’ how much damage you need to chop off a head?”

The whole group, minus Della, rolled their d20s. A chorus of voices rose, but all but one roll was under 10. Felix slapped his hands. “Natural 20!”

“You don’t--”

“--crit on a skill check,” he finished for her. “Way to take the joy out of my life. So 24 for my nature check.”

“You,” said Michelle pointing at him, “know - maybe thanks to your god - that if a hydra takes 25 damage in a single turn, it loses a head. With a 24, you also know that at the end of its turn, 2 heads will grow in place of that one unless someone cauterizes the wound. And you know that if the head regrows, the hydra regains 10 hp for each head.”

“How we gonna do this?” Felix muttered.

“You have sacred flame, right?” Isa said to him. “Cantrip?”

His eyes got big, and he nodded his head.

“Magrat’s turn,” said Alice. She rolled the dice. “Got a 20! And a 14 plus 6, plus 7 - thank you, Telmar - 21 for that one.”

“Double damage for the crit, and let me consult the book of crits to see what else happens…. That’s a piercing weapon? Nice - stunned for a round.”

“That’s 28 damage total, between the hits.”

Michelle removed another head. She fluffed out the 3 remaining heads as if they were flowers in a vase.

“If it’s stunned….” Felix cocked his head.

“Yeeeees?” said Michelle.

“It wouldn’t know to regrow those heads, right?”

“It’s not a conscious decision. It’s a reaction to trauma.”

Felix shook his head. “You just had that answer right there.”

“That’s my job.” Michelle smiled. “Having all the answers. And it’s your turn.”

Felix looked at the spell cards in front of him. “Much as I want to whoop some fire on that hydra’s ass, I got a mage with half her hit points, so I’m gonna cure wounds as a 3rd level. Plus I am a discipline of life so we get to add another 5.” He rolled 3 d8s and said, “12 plus 5 - 17 hit points to Arwella.”

“Nice!,” said Della as she wrote the number on her character sheet. “I’m back to 38. Wow. Thank you. And it’s my turn.” She picked up a handful of d6 dice. “Fireball.”

“What’s the area of effect on that?” Michelle asked.

“20 foot radius, but I have spell sculpt so it’s fine.”

“Cool. And the difficulty check? What’s he gotta make to take half?”

Della looked at her spell sheet. “14. If he makes it, he’ll take half.”

Michelle rolled a d20 behind her screen. “Nope. He rolled a 12. Let’s see the damage.”

Della let the d6s fall from her hand. There were 2 6’s, 2 5’s, a 1 and a 2. “25 exactly!”

“26,” said Felix. “Prayer.”

“Well done.” Michelle pulled a third head from the creature. “Two heads left, and you successfully cauterized the wounds.” She put the 3 heads off to the side. “Won’t be needing these.” She touched the 2 remaining heads with her fingertip. “These guys, however, they have something to say. And they are going to each go after the people who hurt them the most. The two with the stabby swords. Broswin and Magrat.”

She rolled dice and winced. “Ooo crit fail on Isa, and an 18 on Alice. Let’s look at the fail first. Michelle pulled out her deck of cards. “Ah, disadvantage on the next attack.” She stuck the card to her screen with a metal clip. She rolled a die. “And Alice - Magrat, 10 damage to you.”

“I use evasion to take half.” Alice jotted “5” on her sheet.

“How’re your hit points?” Felix asked Alice.

“Good. 23.”

“OK! Top of round 3.” Michelle placed a new mini beside the hydra. The figurine had a long sweeping robe and one hand outstretched. “And,” said she to them, “an older man appears beside the hydra. He pats its side affectionately and glares at all of you.” She looked at the group. “What’s his name?”