Hooked on Books discussion

January 1, 2025
Open-Ended
Individual

Race: Human
Class: Rogue
Class Level: 3

Links
Q&A
Quest Check-in
Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Challenge Rules
📘No graphic novels, poetry, or cookbooks allowed.
📘Standard Rules Apply

Race Tasks: (choose one)
1. Read a book with a character that matches the race type you choose
2. Read a book with all the letters of the race type you choose in the title/subtitle/series (example: GOBLIN)
3. Read a book with the race type chosen listed in the text of the book: please state the page or % (example: DWARF)

Class Tasks: (choose one)
1. Read a book with a character that matches the class type you choose
2. Read a book with all the letters of the class type you choose in the title/subtitle/series (example: WIZARD)
3. Read a book with the class type chosen listed in the text of the book: please state the page or % (example: BARBARIAN)

Please choose one race & one class
Race options:
Elf
Dwarf
Goblin
Orc
Human
Shifter
Fairy

Class Options:
Barbarian
Druid
Ranger
Rogue
Wizard
Fighter
Monk

Link to Class options to explore skills: https://5e.tools/classes.html#barbari...

Please Note: Each player will read a total of 2 books for this. One for race & one for class.

Your spreadsheet is in message 1

Quest #1

A prized 'sack of flour' has been stolen from you, but you've tracked it down to a highly secure bank. The bank will not give it back to you. Do you give up, or plan a heist?

If you give up: spell out CONCEDE
C
O
N
C
E
D
E

If you plan a heist.
Step 1: Gather your heist materials
Minimum 4 books - items should be on covers or in the title

Step 2: Security - security guards & alarms
Read a book with a security guard character (to distract him)
Read a book with the word alarm in the text (to disable it)
{Create your own additional tasks as needed to fit your plan}

Step 3: Execute your plan - tell me your plan
Use book titles BUT please use filler words as needed to tell me your plan. Minimum of 4 books.

You have conceded this quest. You will never know whether that bag of flour was more than just a plain bag of flour. You never took a moment to ask why it was locked up in a bank in the first place. Banks don't typically lock up bags of flour. Maybe it was magical. But alas, you have made your decision...


Quest #2

After a night in a tavern, each member of the party wakes up in the body of another member with no memory of what happened. One party member's body is gone, however, their mind instead inside a sentient item... a bag of beans.

Are these magic beans? Maybe, maybe not; plant them and find out. Worst case scenario, you could eat them. Do you eat the beans? If they are magic beans, how do you use them? Can you get everyone back in their bodies?

If you eat the beans, spell out BEANS
B
E
A
N
S

If you think they are magic beans, start here
Plant the beans
Read a book with dirt on the cover
Read a book with all the letters of BEANS in the title
Read a book with water on the cover
Read a book with a sun on the cover

Step 2: Find a solution to the body problems listed above. Use book titles BUT please use filler words as needed to tell me your solution. Minimum of 4 books. (everyone will do step 2 no matter the choices above)

For those of you playing solo... you will play this as if you were a member of the party experiencing this issue. How would you solve this? You can play as any member the party, one that is in another body or the beans. But you must present a solution.

It seems like we have a case of identity swap and a mysterious bag of beans. Let's explore the possibilities.

As you are now a sentient bag of beans, you have a unique opportunity to observe the world from a new perspective. You remember the events of the previous night at The Boar's Nest, but you don't know how to reverse the situation or get back to your original body.

You can try to communicate with the other party members, who are now inhabiting each other's bodies. You might be able to gather information about their experiences and figure out how to break the curse.

As for the magic beans, you could try to plant them and see what happens. If they are indeed magic beans, they might have the power to grant wishes or manipulate reality. However, there's also the possibility that they could have unpredictable consequences, as hinted at in the note from "My Oxford Year."

In the worst-case scenario, you could eat the beans, but that might not be the best idea. You don't know what they contain or how they might affect you.

To get everyone back in their bodies, you might need to find a way to reverse the curse or break the spell that caused the identity swap. This could involve exploring the properties of the magic beans, searching for clues at The Boar's Nest, or seeking out the help of a wise mentor or a powerful wizard.

Some possible steps to take:

1. Communicate with the other party members: Try to gather information about their experiences and figure out how to break the curse.
2. Explore the properties of the magic beans: Plant them and observe what happens, or try to eat them and see if they have any effect.
3. Search for clues at The Boar's Nest: Look for any information that might help you understand what happened and how to reverse the curse.
4. Seek out a wise mentor or powerful wizard: Find someone who can help you navigate the magical world and find a solution to the identity swap.

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Use the magic beans wisely, and try not to make things worse!

I see options but not a solution. You are to present a solution to the problem. Be creative. There are no wrong answers. I may find holes in your answer but there are no wrong answers. I am going to let you resubmit this. You are on the right path. You have the ideas but you need to choose something and run with it.

Donna wrote: "I see options but not a solution. You are to present a solution to the problem. Be creative. There are no wrong answers. I may find holes in your answer but there are no wrong answers. I am going t..."

This is way harder than I thought! lol

Let me try again...

Some possible steps to take:

1. Communicate with the other party members: Try to gather information about their experiences and figure out how to break the curse.
2. Explore the properties of the magic beans: Plant them and observe what happens, or try to eat them and see if they have any effect.
3. Search for clues at The Boar's Nest: Look for any information that might help you understand what happened and how to reverse the curse.

Solution:

First, I'll try to communicate with the other party members, who are now inhabiting each other's bodies. I'll use the book "Down the Darkest Road" to gather information about their experiences. This book is about a group of people who are trapped in a mysterious place, and I think it might provide some insight into how to break the curse.

Next, I'll plant the magic beans to see what happens. I'll use the book "The Boar's Nest" to help me navigate the process of planting and observing the beans. This book is about a group of people who are trying to survive in a harsh environment, and I think it might provide some useful information about how to care for the beans.

Finally, I'll search for clues at The Boar's Nest to see if I can find any information that might help me understand what happened and how to reverse the curse. I'll use the book "My Oxford Year" to help me understand the magical properties of the beans and how to use them to break the curse.

To summarize all these, I'll start by communicating with the other party members using the information from 'Down the Darkest Road'. Then, I'll plant the magic beans using the guidance from 'The Boar's Nest'. Finally, I'll search for clues at The Boar's Nest and use the magical properties of the beans from 'My Oxford Year' to break the curse. And if all else fails, I might just have to eat the beans... or use them to make a delicious 4th of July BBQ.

I hope this is good enough 🙏

Quest 2 A
Unfortunately, your research didn’t yield much and you ate the beans. This has some unfortunate side effects in the form of an Ettin. Anyone who digested the beans is now an Ettin, commonly called a two-headed giant. You now share a body with the teammate that you ate. You are going to need some help. Do you seek the help of a high-level cleric? Or go on a quest for a cure?

Seek Cleric:
C
L
E
R
I
C

Quest for Cure:
Read a book with a cave on the cover
Read a book with magic item
Read a book tagged magic
Read a book with all the letters CURE
C
U
R
E

Quest 2B
The cleric has requested that you quest for the Book of Cyrinishad. Do you look with the red wizard of Thay? Or do you search with the Harpers?

Look with the Red Wizard
Read a book with a wizard
Read a book with a red cover (minimum 50%)
Read a book that ends with a letter in THAY
Read a book tagged supernatural

Search with the Harpers
Read a book with a secret organization
Read a book where someone preserves history
Read a book where a character tries to keep the balance between good & evil
Read a book with an MC that fights tyranny or oppression

Quest 2C
The wizard leads you to a hidden chamber, a magical arena, or an arcane sanctum. This is a place where the Red Wizard conducts their trials, and it’s filled with mystical symbols and enchanted objects.
The wizard explains the rules:
• You must prove your worth by completing a series of magical tasks or challenges, each designed to test your knowledge, skill, and bravery.
• The trial has dangerous consequences for failure


Challenges Within the Trial

1. Arcane Knowledge Challenge
Read a book with mysterious symbols on the cover
Read a book where a character hunts or researches ancient texts
Read a book that features an ancient magical riddle
Read a book that ends with a letter in SPELLS

2. Elemental Manipulation
Read a book that shows the element WATER on the cover
Read a book with all the letters of AIR in the title
Read a book with the word EARTH in the text
Read a book with the word FIRE in the title intact

3. Illusion and Perception Test
Read a book with a character who creates illusions
Read a book where your perception of a character changes
Read a book where the character faces an illusion or a mind game
Read a book with the word ILLUSION or PERCEPTION in the text





4. Combat Test with Magical Constructs
Read a book with characters who fight using magic
Read a book with a magical trial or contest
Read a book that starts with a letter in COMBAT
Read a book with a wizard or magical being

5. The Final Test: The Choice of Magic (choose one)
A. Necromancy
Read a book about the consequences of mastering forbidden magic
Read a book about raising the dead
Read a book tagged zombies
Read a book from the Zombies! list

B. Divination
Read a book where a character can see the future
Read a book that starts with a letter in FATE
Read a book that has a title word that rhymes with EYE
Read a book that has 3 of the same vowel in the title (like DIVINATION – no more, no less)

C. Elemental Mastery
Read a book about elemental magic
Read a book from the Earth, Wind and Fire list
Read a book from the Elemental Control list
Read a book that starts with a letter in MASTERY

Announcement: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I am bumping this to show activity since you are actually playing.

Bumping this to show activity

🌒 Quest 2D: The Shadow Unbound

Recap:
The Red Wizard—impressed by your strength, focus, and intuition—hands you the Book of Cyrinishad. The moment your fingers touch the cover, visions flood your mind. The book does not merely contain knowledge—it alters it. You sense that even your perception of reality has started to shift. This book rewrites beliefs… even your own.

In your shared Ettin form, your mind is already split between two identities. Now the Book threatens to fracture it further. If you are not careful, you may forget who you are entirely.

You must choose:

Cleanse the Book's corrupting influence and seal its power.

Shatter your self to master the Book fully and become something more… or less… than human.

🌑 Shadowbound State: The Mind Split
Because of the Ettin condition and the Book of Cyrinishad's effects, you now possess two minds within one body, and their conflict manifests in dreams, magic, and decisions. The other mind is your second head—another identity, which may be a warped version of your original self or the soul of the party member you consumed when you became an Ettin.

To regain harmony—or gain full control—you must complete the following:

🌘 The Trial of the Split Mind (Complete all)

Confront the Darkness Within
📘 Read a book where someone confronts their inner darkness or identity.

Mirror of the Self
📘 Read a book with a mirrored or split personality character.

Trapped in Shadow
📘 Read a book with a character literally or metaphorically trapped in shadow, illusion, or mental prison.

Redemption or Ruin
📘 Read a book that ends in redemption… or with someone beyond saving.

🌗 Final Choice: Cleanse or Shatter?
After completing the four books, you must choose between:

🕯 Cleanse the Book
Burn the Book of Cyrinishad in a ritual of truth, regaining clarity and dissolving the shadow-self.

📘Read a book with fire or flames on the cover
📘 Read a book where truth breaks illusion

🕳 Shatter the Self
Embrace the divided mind, fusing with the Book’s sentience and becoming a being of forbidden knowledge.

📘Read a book with a character who rewrites or reshapes reality
📘 Read a book that blurs the line between fiction and truth

🌌 Quest 2E: The Cyrinishad Ascendant

When you shattered yourself to embrace the Book, the Veil itself rippled. The Book of Cyrinishad is not just a tome — it is a seed of belief, one that rewrites reality around its wielder. With it, truth and lie, shadow and light, begin to collapse into one another.

The Red Wizard sees you not as apprentice, but as weapon. The Harpers whisper your name in fear. And the Serpent Brotherhood? They stir — for the Book’s whispers are kin to their own hunger for chaos.

You must now decide whether the Cyrinishad will consume you… or if you will ascend as something greater.

🕯 Tasks of the Ascendant (Complete All)

The Word Made Flesh
Your thoughts become law, your beliefs reshape the world.
📖 Read a book with a character whose belief or conviction changes reality.

The Weight of Lies
The Book tempts you to accept lies as truth.
📖 Read a book where a major deception defines the story.

The Shadow’s Echo
Your second head speaks with its own voice now. Sometimes it is ally, sometimes rival.
📖 Read a book with two characters bound in one fate/body.

The Fractured World
The Book’s influence begins to spread, altering others as it did you.
📖 Read a book where reality bends, breaks, or reshapes itself.

🌗 Final Trial: Keeper or Herald?

Once the tasks above are complete, you must decide: Choose one below

Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge
You contain the Cyrinishad within yourself, becoming its jailor. You wield immense insight, but are forever haunted by whispers of rewriting the world.
📖 Read a book with a guardian or protector of dangerous power.

Herald of the Rewritten World
You embrace the Book’s truth fully. Reality bends to your will. The price: you are no longer entirely human.
📖 Read a book where a character ascends, mutates, or transforms beyond recognition.