Yes, it pretty much happened this way
Bruce the Bad needed money, and he sort of needed it..... well, real bad (pardon the pun). Bruce hadn't been able to meet his monthly payment of 100 gold to the High Wazir. He had 24 hours to make good or the his magically enhanced ummm "thingy" was going to be sort of "cut orf. You could well understand that this sort of inspiration tends to result in frantic activity from any one of the male persuasion.
Bruce rushed off to the nearest inn, ready to ride his luck and turn his meager 12 GP into some gamblin winnings. Why Bruce thought that his luck would turn and that he could with impunity spit in the eye of Fate no one will ever know. The place was packed with Dwarven kin - all drinking and lustily singing. You know the sort of thing, "GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD....", or is that the dwarven marching song - I always get the two confused. Anyway, Bruce sidles up to a lonesone dwarf, and decides to try his luck.
"I bet you 10 Gold that my todger is bigger than yours", he challenged. Straight away, the dwarf up and accepts the bet - YOUR ON MATE - I'LL SEE YOU JIMMY.
The DM sizes up the two characters and decides Bruce has an 85% bonus.
Bruce pulls his old fellow out (and rolls a 12), Dwarf immediately follows suit (and rolls 100). YA CALL THAT WEE THING A WEAPON - GIMMEE ME GOLD
. In a panic, Bruce tries to flee the tavern to save from paying out (DM rolls for crowd control and agility - fumble - how bad - fumble). With a total lack of dexterity, Bruce succeeds in treading on his cape, and falling sideways into an adjacent card table (knocking himself unconcious in the process).
Bruce wakes up in patch of yellow snow outside the inn - his party of friends and allies fall over themselves laughing at his misadventures. Bruce staggers down to the river to wash himself off. A crowd is gathering there and a strange challenge is being issued. A local noble is standing proudly next to his racing bull as he boasts to all and sundry of the prowess and speed of the beast. 100 gold versus a year of indentured service to anyone who can outrace man and beast. Bruce sees his opportunity and makes the challenge, "Race you to Holder's Bridge, and to make it interesting, my 5 companions (indicating our team standing across the road) challenge as well (no, he didn't tell us). First man standing on the northern bank wins.
Noble (sneers) : Where are your mounts?
Bruce : How we get there is our business - we have a deal - agreed?
Yes fools, laughs the noble, spurring his bull into action.
Quickly Bruce gathered us all and explained what was going on. After we all punched him out some, he explained his plan. Next minute, the 6 of us are aboard a clapped out and rickety raft, about to take on "Widow's Cascades", a series of severe rapids that stood between us and 300 gold (funny how he never told us the full story). The most worrying thing is that BRUCE the BAD is steering the raft.
The DM decides that there will be 5 rolls for steering proficiency while making the journey. Failing a proficiency roll meant that all passengers had to make a dexterity save to avoid falling out. Those who fall out had 3 agility rolls to make it back to the raft or they perish of hypothermia induced bludgeoning amongst the rocks. Bruce not being used to a raft under difficult conditions was accorded a 25% efficiency, and duly failed all rolls.
As you would expect, Bruce fell off the raft at the 1st opportunity. The bad news (for the rest of us) was that he made his 3rd and final roll to clamber back into the steering position. Voldarr (myself) fell out 3 times and would have died but for a friend who watched over me. Humungus, twin brother to Bruce, met his fateful end that day. In the end, Terl, our rogue, pushed Bruce off the raft and took the steering duties on himself. He had to keep kicking Bruce back into the water each time it looked like he would clamber back on.
In the end we made it to Holder's Bridge, and having taken the shortest of short cuts, the DM allocated Bruce a 95% advantage on the wager. With a flourish, Bruce rolled a 3 (groans by all0, and the DM falling over himslf laughing rolled a casual 99.
I miss the days of Bruces infectious bad luck
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