Into the Fray: A D&D-like, team-building gamelit.

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Did you hear that urban legend of talented young adults vanishing into thin air? Well, here is the scoop: the world is on the brink of a not-so-great ending and the only way out is for a bunch of kidnapped teenagers to ace this extremely tough twelve-floor tutorial. But here is the kicker — the chance of making it out alive? A whopping 7%. Yikes.

Sophia is a former junior Olympic with her eighteenth birthday around the corner. And after her injury, she cannot afford to lay low because of rumors and needs to secure her spot at the university the hard way: cramming. Unfortunately, the system had other plans for her and she got abducted three days later.

So what's a gal is gonna do to up those odds?

Key Elements:

- Inspired by (DnD) Baldur's Gate 3: Expect a world that feels familiar if you dabble in this game.

- Strong Emotionally-Driven Female MC: Follow her as she is trying to survive a crazy tutorial with her companions.

- It's all about teamwork: Loads of talking, bonding, and team-building — it's the heart of the story.

- Slow and steady wins the character and worldbuilding race: Characters grow organically, and so does the world, kind of how you get invested and attached to your D&D character and campaign.

- Grimdark with occasional lighter sub-themes: A bit gloomy but with moments that might make you smile.

- It's an apocalyptic game-lit without stats overload: You won't get bogged by numerical progression here.

- A dash of Profanity and potential for graphic violence: Characters got abducted and their lives ruined, so they might occasionally have bouts of inappropriate language. And their lives are constantly at risk so Graphic Violence might be on the table in later chapters.

- Oh, and finally: This novel uses a bit of Grammarly AI wizardry to ensure grammar is okay.

Temporary Cover

I edited the cover to an AI-enhanced version of my own drawings. For some reason, the AI removed the armor and decided to show a lot more skin and go wild with the hair, only because I specified the MC was Latino for skin tone coloring. I was aiming for a Brave/Encanto feel with nice historically accurate padded armor and weapons. And it got about 80% of my prompt right.

Author Notes

Though this novel is using the sixth mass extinction as a premise, ecology is not a main theme of this novel. So do not fret. This novel isn't political whatsoever and won't indulge in lazy commentary.

Also I think the only true measure of my readers' appreciation for this novel is that they are coming back for more and commenting, whenever they feel like it.

Don't have a good day, have a great day!

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2023
Author: Miss Corbyn

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 74
Views: 43,448

What readers say about Into the Fray: A D&D-like, team-building gamelit.

“This novel has a unique format meant to emulate a realistic D&D campaign. It follow the point of view of one unreliable narrator and character. But it is still all about teamwork and problem solving. The style is fluid and easy to read. But except for the l…”
Happy Bookworm Coffee AddictRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“The first chapter is similar to many books I’ve read, however from there on it is unique, and continues that way until at least Chapter 10, where I am writing this. The characters are somewhat shallow at first as we don’t know them, and many have been affec…”
Brianna StormCloudRoyal Road4.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(3)

Happy Bookworm Coffee AddictRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This novel has a unique format meant to emulate a realistic D&D campaign. It follow the point of view of one unreliable narrator and character. But it is still all about teamwork and problem solving.
The style is fluid and easy to read. But except for the length, it's mostly a light novel.
And it show in the narrative too. The story is simple and effective but lack a strong theme and direction. The author clearly put a lot of work and passion in this novel. But it is still an early draft and passion project.
As for characters, they have some real depth and character progression. But due to the style, except for the main character, they are missing a bit of flesh and bones to really stand out. It's therefore a bit hard to relate sometimes.
Finally, to drive the point home that it's an early draft, Grammar isn't flawless but improving. The author is still pretty green. But seem to be listening to its community feedback.
All in all, it's a really good D&D fanfiction rather than a original novel. The author is clearly not confortable with description and combat scene, for example. But for what it does, it does right and always deliver.
Brianna StormCloudRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
The first chapter is similar to many books I’ve read, however from there on it is unique, and continues that way until at least Chapter 10, where I am writing this. The characters are somewhat shallow at first as we don’t know them, and many have been affected by ‘The Tutorial’, slowly they begin to show their layers.
Give the book a try, you might be surprised
The Reality Next DoorRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
Alright, let's dig into this!
I rate Style with a 4,5, here is why :
The style of the chapters is engaging and creates a vivid picture of the fantastical world the characters inhabit. The narrative flows smoothly, making it easy to read. Descriptive elements paint a clear picture of the environments and creatures, enhancing the immersive experience for the reader. However, there's room for a bit more variation in sentence structure and pacing. Introducing occasional changes in rhythm could add an extra layer to the storytelling, keeping the reader even more captivated.
Now, to the grammar which I rated 3,5, here is why :
While generally well written, there are a few minor grammatical issues and typos that could be addressed. These don't detract significantly from the overall quality of the writing, but a careful proofreading session would polish the text further. For instance, in the line, "Except there was nothing to be found there," rephrasing for clarity could improve the sentence.
I rated the story with a 4,5, here is why :
The story is intriguing, with a mix of mystery, exploration, and puzzle solving elements. The concept of the Chain Chest Puzzle adds depth and curiosity to the plot. However, during some moments, the story hints at potential complexities and challenges but doesn't fully explore or capitalize on them. Delving deeper into these aspects could elevate the narrative and add layers of suspense or tension. I almost decided to drop the stars to four, but knowing how complex and hard writing is, I ended up on 4,5 stars.
I rated the character score with a 4. Here is why :
The characters are distinct, and their interactions contribute positively to the story. Each character has a unique voice, making the dialogue exchanges engaging. However, there's an opportunity to delve more into the characters emotions during significant moments. Exploring their feelings could enhance the reader's connection with the characters, adding depth to their personalities.