I squeak in shock as everyone starts freaking out. Houseworth scoops up his dice and shakes them, the D20s visible through his hardlight fingers. He lets them fly into the dice tray, and I hold my breath.

  Houseworth totals all his modifiers. “The first one is a 20, the second is a 24.”

  Dad looks at me. “What’s your Armor Css, daughter of mine?”

  I slowly answer.

  “18… both hit me…”

  Dad nods. “Okay, Helm, roll damage on both of those.”

  Again, Houseworth’s fingers snatch up the dice and rolls.

  “That’s… a total of 25 sshing damage.”

  I stare in shock. In a surprise attack from one of my own allies, I’d been cut down to a 5th of my total HP. No-one says anything for a long, long moment as I take the damage down.

  Dad looks to Jeffrey. “Ironhand, what’s your pn? You’ve just seen the crazed Dwarf sm his axe into Naa’ril, blood spurting from her back and side as the blows nd, one after the other. The two Mind Fyers are still present and readying themselves.”

  Jeffrey nods. “I’m going to step up behind Helm and go for an attack, followed by a Flurry of Blows.”

  He rolls three times at my dad’s nod.

  “Okay, that’s two 19s and a 16!”

  Houseworth nods. “My AC is 19, so two hits.”

  Jeffrey nods, adding up the damage. “Oh, I’m also going to need a Dex save from Helm. I’m using Open Hand Technique to try and knock him prone till the start of MY next turn.”

  Dad whistles. “Okay, Helm, roll a Dexterity saving throw, please.”

  Houseworth rolls. “12?”

  Jeffrey grins. “And down he goes! You’re prone now!”

  Dad cps his hands. “Oh, that’s excellent work Jeffrey! Now, is that your turn, or do you have anything else?”

  Jeffrey grins. “I’m adding Ki-Fuelled Attack, so I can make an extra unarmed strike, which I believe is at advantage against a prone target?”

  Dad nods. “Correct, go for it.”

  Jeffrey rolls. “23! And that’s four more bludgeoning damage!”

  I wince. Dad cps his hands twice.

  “Okay, the Mind Fyers go next, and the battered-looking one raises a hand, pointing at… Faeln! Make me a Wisdom saving throw!”

  Dana grins. “21!”

  Dad raises his arms. “For the briefest moment, there’s a flicker of light at the tip of the Illithid’s outstretched finger, but it fizzles out and fades. The attack fails. The other one points at Nesta and tries the same attack! Wisdom save, please, Sylvia?”

  Mum grabs a dice and sends it flying after a good shake.

  “…6, even with modifiers.”

  Dad snaps his fingers. “Okay! As the second Mind Fyer points at you, Nesta, you feel your mind assaulted by powerful psychic waves, and fall under the Mind Fyer’s control. A crown of jagged iron forms atop your head, and a feverish madness fills your gaze. Now… since it’s your turn… please make a melee attack against the nearest ally to you, which is Faeln, if I’m not mistaken!”

  Mum looks apologetic, rolling her dice. “It’s a 21. Sorry, dear.”

  Dana shrugs. “Hits. How much am I gettin’ rinsed for?”

  “Only 4 sshing damage. Not the worst.”

  Dana marks off the damage and grins. Mum gets to make another Wisdom save to try and break free of the Crown of Madness, and succeeds on a 23.

  Dad cackles, “one Mind Fyer hisses in Common, “See how you handle your own allies turning against you! Let us continue the tests!” Okay, Faeln! Your turn!”

  Dana cracks her knuckles. “Alright, time to get serious. I’m going straight for the wounded one, two attacks, and I’m moving my Hunter’s Mark from the dead one to my target!”

  Dad nods. “Okay, make your attacks, ranger!”

  “17 and 25!”

  “Both hit, roll damage!”

  Dana’s dice rattle and tumble as she mutters numbers under her breath.”15 sshing and 6 from Hunter’s Mark, 21 in total.”

  Dad makes notes again, and grins. “The Mind Fyer screeches, foul ichor spraying from the deep gashes the Ranger’s dual scimitars carve into its form, and it stumbles, but doesn’t fall.”

  Now it’s my turn. I move up to the wounded Mind Fyer, and Houseworth gets an attack of opportunity against me, but he’s still prone, and biffs it.

  I make two attacks on the Mind Fyer, two-handing my warhammer, both hitting on a 23, and dealing 9 bludgeoning damage on the first. Then, as everyone holds their breath, I roll the second attack’s damage.

  “10 points of bludgeoning damage?”

  Dad grins. “Tell me how you kill this Mind Fyer.”

  I gasp, then clear my throat. “I want to nd the first hit into the stomach to double it over, and then bring the hammer down on the back of its head!”

  Dad cps. “As the wounded Mind Fyer sees the battered Tiefling cleric approaching, it raises a hand, glowing purple energy coruscating between its gnarled fingers, but too te, as the head of Naa’ril’s warhammer arcs through the air, fshing dully in the light, and crashes into the Mind Fyer’s abdomen. It exhales in a rasping whoosh, crumpling to its knees and clutching its crushed midriff, as the hammer comes back, up, and over, Naa’ril’s grip tightening on the haft, and, with a messy THUNK! The blow nds, staving in the creature’s skull and leaving it lifeless and still on the marble floor, brain fluid leaking from the holes on the sides on its head that function as ears.”

  As I end my turn, Houseworth has to skip his since he’s prone, and it comes to Jeffrey.

  “I want to hold my turn until Helm gets up. When he does, I’m going to do the same as I did before to try and knock him prone again so he can’t attack anyone.”

  “That’s fine. So, the Warforged Monk is holding his focus to defend his allies from a sudden betrayal, which brings us to… the Mind Fyer. Seeing two of its kind sin in brutal fashion, the Mind Fyer raises it arms, and emits a pulsing wave of pure psychic energy, using its Mind Bst. I need Intelligence saves from…. Faeln, Nesta and Helm!”

  “That’s a nine from me.” Houseworth says, looking surprisingly invested.

  “19 here!” Mum announces, and dad turns his gaze to my girlfriend.

  Dana rolls, and the dice comes to rest… 18.

  “Okay! Helm, you are stunned for one minute, which means that you cannot move, attack, or get up until you succeed on an Intelligence save. Now, the three of you still take… 27 psychic damage from the Mind Bst!”

  Everyone starts making shocked noises, but dad points at Jeffrey. “Since you don’t need to supervise the Dwarf for a turn, I’ll let you go now because it’s fair. What do, Jeffy?”

  Jeffrey blinks. “Oh, uh…. I’m gonna move up and start beating on the Mind Fyer. Unarmed strike, then spend a Ki Point to use Flurry of Blows, and then activate Open Hand Technique!”

  He rolls the first hit, then roars, “NATURAL TWENTY! Total of 26 to hit!”

  Dad cps. “Roll the damage, and then double it!”

  “….. Nine for the first! Now for Flurry of Blows! That’s… 22 and 24 to hit on those!”

  “Two more hits, roll damage!”

  “That’s 8 damage for those, and then I want to knock it prone. That’s a Dex save, please!”

  Dad nods, and makes a quick roll. “That’s… a three in total. The Mind Fyer is now ft on its back, winded and very surprised by how things have gone. Nesta, you’re up!”

  Mum nods. “I’m going to move up and make a two-handed longsword strike with my Hexbde, with advantage since the Mind Fyer’s prone.”

  She rolls. The first roll is a 5. The second… is a natural 20!

  “Whoo! Nat 20, total of 23 to hit! Double damage, here we come!” mum starts dancing in her chair as she rolls the damage.

  “That’s a seven… doubled to 14!”

  “Lovely work, Sylvia! Now, the Mind Fyer’s squirming, trying to avoid the blow, but the Elfin Warlock fakes it out by swinging and then reversing the direction of her bde while the Illithid is already dodging, nding a savage cut to its face, severing two of its mouth tentacles and sending them rolling and twitching across the floor! Back to the top of the turn order, we have Faeln!”

  Dana grins. “I move my Hunter’s Mark to the prone Illithid, move up to it, and then make two attacks on it with my scimitars! That’s… a 21 and an 18?”

  Dad grins. “Both hit, roll damage, and add your Hunter’s Mark.”

  Dana rolls several dice, then counts. “I dealt… 12 sshing and 7 Hunter’s Mark damage. Total of 19!”

  Dad nods, marking the damage off, and then looks towards her. “Anything else?”

  She shakes her head. “Nope! That’s my turn!”

  Then it’s onto me. I exhale. “I would like to use my bonus action to cast Mass Healing Word on the whole party, including Helm, and then attack the Mind Fyer with my attack action.”

  I roll. “So… everyone regains 7 hit points, and then I attack. 19 to hit, 10 damage!”

  Dad grins. “Excellent! Helm, make an Intelligence save to see if you break free of the stun!”

  Houseworth grins. “3! I’m still addled!”

  Dad chuckles. “Now, Jeffrey! You’re on deck! More punching?”

  Jeffrey nods. “Unarmed strike, Flurry of Blows, and then a Ki-Fuelled attack! Four hits!”

  He rolls several dice. “That’s a… 25, a 16, a 9, and a 22!”

  Dad snaps his fingers. “Three of those are hits, roll damage!”

  “That’s a grand total of… 22 bludgeoning damage to the mind fyer!”

  Dad looks directly at all of us, then back to Jeffrey. “Jeffrey… how do you want to end this Mind Fyer’s continued existence?”

  The table erupts as Jeffrey howls in victory, before describing his killing blow.

  “I’m going to leap into the air, and come crashing down, straddling the Mind Fyer’s chest. I’m going to punch left, then right, and then I’m going to pull its head up and drive my fist down its throat!”

  Dad winces. “Damn, okay! Mad Monk time! As the heavy metal frame of the Warforged sms down, the Mind Fyer’s huge eyes widen as it realises it’s completely pinned. It shes out frantically, trying to cw at the monk, but the two blows to the sides of its head knock the sense from it, and it goes limp, helpless as the monk’s mighty steel fist crushes its beak, forcing the curled iron fingers into its gullet. With a final spasm, the Mind Fyer goes still… you are technically still in combat.”

  We blink, then realise. “Oh, crap! Helm’s still hostile and all crazed out!”

  Mum bites her lip. “Well, we could always knock Helm out so we can figure out what’s up with him without the whole ‘murder-frenzy?’ I don’t have any other ideas.”

  We all look at each other, then at Houseworth. “Are you okay with that?”

  He nods. “Yeah, it’s fine. I’d just be attacking you otherwise.”

  With no hard feelings decred, Mum prepares. “Okay, I’m going to make a non-lethal longsword attack against Helm to try and knock him out. I don’t know how hurt he is, but I’m just going to smack him with the ft of the bde.”

  Dad grins. “You still have advantage since he’s stunned.”

  Mum rolls. “That’s a 15… and… a… Natural 20!”

  With the critical, she gets a total of 16 damage. Helm marks it off, smiling. “Still conscious!”

  Next, Dana attacks, looking apologetically at Houseworth as she attacks. “I’m gonna let my Hunter’s Mark fade, and… that’s an 11 and a 24.”

  Dad watches impassively, his fingers steepled. Houseworth takes the damage from one attack, and then it’s my turn.

  “22 and 23 to hit?”

  “Yeah, I take both of those.” Houseworth nods.

  I tally up the damage, dropping Houseworth’s HP by 15 points, then… “It’s my turn. Intelligence save?”

  Dad nods. Houseworth rolls… “19!”

  Dad cps his hands, suddenly animated. “The mental fug ends, and Helm, you reel to your feet, free to move. You are still berserk, so… you must attack… Faeln and Nesta!”

  Houseworth nods. “That’s an 11 against Faeln, and an 18 against Nesta!”

  As my mum suffers 12 sshing damage, she looks a little confounded. “I’m down. I just got brought to 0 hitpoints...”