Dungeon Quest Online

Chapter 4: Roguish Charm

Tyler Wilson - Weasel, Rogue, Prankster

20 years prior to launch

"Backstab, Backstab!" Tyler yelled.

He jammed the F4 key on his keyboard to trigger the macro. He had dozens of them, but this one allowed his character to shadow step behind the boss and deliver the killing blow using backstab. In one smooth motion his rogue delivered the coupe de grâce. The boss collapsed to the ground and a loot chest appeared on a pedestal at the rear of the room.

His guild mates cheered and rushed to the chest to claim their prizes. All the gear and items in the chest were trash to Tyler. He already had the best gear and weapons in the game. As a senior member of the guild, they required him to run noobs through the dungeons to gear them up for raids and guild competitions. The only time Tyler enjoyed playing anymore was against other players. None of the quests, dungeons, and raids provided much entertainment. They were just too easy, and he didn't even remember the last time he had struggled to beat one.

Someone needs to make a new game I can enjoy, thought Tyler.

He loved massively multi-player online games, or MMO, but there was no challenge anymore. When a player hit the end game content and beat the final boss, the challenge faded. Tyler would get the best gear and weapons and then everything became rote. He could go around to the towns looting and killing for the heck of it, but solo play also held no appeal to him. He preferred games that required teamwork and strategy; games that depended on group composition and skill.

Too bad Dungeon Quest didn't have an online version.

Everything about Dungeon Quest was so much more fun than any of the current MMO's out there. He played with his best friends, they made their own strategies, his characters were custom made, and they had an amazing GM. Tyler recalled the game last weekend and the goblin encounter. He'd thought about sabotaging Aaron and forcing the encounter, but held himself in check. For Dungeon Quest, he was always a team player. Any other time, he had no qualms about screwing with people.

Aaron, you lucky son of a gun, Tyler thought and grinned.

If not for the stealth check Aaron received, they would have wiped and ended game. Then again, whatever Tristen had planned with his surprise, they may need to restart, anyway. Whatever it was, he refused to spill the beans. Tyler suspected it was a new hair-brained concoction of death and intrigue or perhaps a new expansion for the game. Tristen came up with new ideas that put the party in dire circumstances all the time. In fact, it had been a month or two since the last, so it made sense he would introduce a new one soon.

Either way, Tyler planned to roll the same character he always did. He had resolved to roll the same character in any game he played, no matter the medium. It suited him and mimicked his persona in the real world. He didn't steal or throw daggers at anyone, but he often sneaked around and played pranks on people.

I can't wait until tomorrow!

Tomorrow marked the day of his biggest achievement in pranks to date. Junior high ended in just two weeks and everything aligned for this day to be epic. If everything went as expected, there would be no evidence to point back to him. The school year had been drab, and he hoped to end it with a flourish and bow.

There were five planned pranks, one for each of his classes. He needed to get everything lined up, which was difficult when all the classrooms were in constant use. Tomorrow the stars aligned because every one of his classes would be empty the hour prior. Half of the school was out on a field trip for the day. His class went on the field trip two weeks prior and that's when he'd schemed his masterful plan.