The characters were climbing the mountainside, eager to reach the summit and descend into the valley beyond the heights. "The wind is gaining momentum, forcing the trees to buckle under its might", I said to the players from behind my screen. "Overhead the sky is consumed by black clouds that devour the sun."

"Maybe this isn't a good idea", Rain said to Paul with a worried expression. "I mean we are talking about an arch-magi."

"Don't worry about it. I am the wizard Ki-Relbin Starsparkle. I have everything under control." Paul's character was a Sprite Elementalist; his abilities were still unproven.

"As you descend into the valley the rock-wall melts into the form of a face." I continued. They had found the transformed Elementalist, one of the most powerful creatures in Juravia. A dangerous combination of nature and thought.

"Quick Paul," Scott shouted knowing the imminent danger, "do something." Already the wind was intensifying intermixed with towering flames. It was time for Paul's ingenious plan.

"I cast my first level spell, Protection from Elements", Paul rattled quickly. His words were met with bewildered stares. In response Scott crumpled his character sheet and took a shot toward the waste basket. The other players burst into confused conversation; they knew the end was near.

In response to Paul's magic the voice bellowed "You dare!" The sound caused the valley to quake and boulders to rain down from above. The falling stones burst upon impact showering the area with shrapnel. Paul's face grew white.

"I guess that was a mistake." Paul grinned sheepishly. The others stared at him with blank expressions.

Luckily, the characters did not die in this adventure, but rather received a quest from the sentient but immobile elemental creature. Paul's wizard learned not to offend powerful creatures, Scott happily fished his character sheet from the floor near the trashcan (he rarely makes the three point shot), and the gaming night was a particularly enjoyable experience. And we all learned an important lesson: NEVER trust Paul's plans. Well, maybe the real lesson was know your limitations. Gaming is not just using your sword to hack things to pieces. A good role-player knows when to fight, when to talk, and when to flee.

So, next time the Referee tells you about a powerful creature that lives in the mountains, consider your options carefully. If you don't, your group may be generating new characters before the night is over; we all know how terrible that can be.

Written by Mark Kibbe of Basement Games, Co-Creator of the Forge: Out of Chaos RPG and World of Juravia, http://www.basementgames.com