‘He’s being haunted by Will!’ Andy Vaughn, Dungeon Master of our small band of geeks, glanced up wearily and shook his head. ‘For a clever lad you can be extremely gullible, Stu. He’s pulling your leg. Tell him, Dougie, and put the idiot out of his misery.’ ‘Can we just get back to the game, please?’ said Dougie, trying to change the subject as he picked up the die and rolled it across the table. The twenty-sided gem bounced off the pizza box and rattled to a halt. Andy leaned forward from behind his Dungeon Master’s screen, peering over the edge of his glasses to inspect the roll. ‘Seven. That’s a fail. You’ve picked the chest’s lock all right, but you feel something sharp prick your thumb.’ Stu laughed at Dougie’s misfortune, showing the true camaraderie that provided the heart of every adventuring party in the world of roleplaying games. ‘Can I have a look at what’s inside?’ he said, showing more interest in the chest’s contents than the injury Dougie’s halfling thief had sustained.
