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I feel so conflicted about F-Zero 99.

Like, on the one hand, it’s a new F-Zero game. People seem to really love it, they say it’s super fun, and for the first time since the Game Cube F-Zero is actually relevant and people are talking about it. Those are only good things.

I’m so happy it’s good, and I’m so happy that new people are dipping their toe into the series.

…But.

On the other hand, I feel like the finger on the monkey’s paw curled. We FINALLY got a new F-Zero, Nintendo finally acknowledged the series. And it’s a battle Royal reimagining of the first game.

It’s like winning a lifetime supply of ice cream, but it’s only chocolate ice cream, and you’re allergic to chocolate.

I want to be excited about it, but I don’t really play battle royale games, and it’s definitely not what I was hoping to see from the series. A new entry or at least a remake of GX or something since Nintendo seems to be on a roll of remaking Game Cube games.

But I also don’t feel like I can be upset about it too much either, because the game is actually good and at least it’s something, right?

Am I alone on this?

[bonkusdonkus]

Well, it is Fromsoft...

Do you think AC6 will have a poison swamp?

Like, I know it doesn't make sense for giant mechs to get poisoned, and Miyazaki is not the project lead. But it's Fromsoft.

I absolutely would not put it past them to just sneak one in there. Hell, Elden Ring had at least two, and a bunch of other areas you could at the very least call a dangerous swamp, if not poisonous. These guys really like swamps, apparently.

My knowledge of Armored Core as a whole is limited, but from my admittedly small amount of research I've certainly seen some wild combat environments. Like, Armored Core For Answer had you fighting in cities buried in the desert, skating across the ocean, and even on top of huge flying habitats. What we've seen of Rubicon 3 has also been pretty varied, if equally bleak.

I'm calling it now, there's gotta be at least one swamp level, poisonous or not.

[bonkusdonkus]

Video Games are still GOOD! Just look a little closer!

I feel like everywhere I go I see people bemoaning how games aren't fun anymore, or getting stuck in a rage loop about how their favorite game series have been turned into cash farms by big AAAs who don't understand what video games are. And like, I get it. A lot of the big online Live service franchises have just turned to mush at this point, trying to squeeze every last penny out of you, and using psychological tricks to get you hooked so you keep coming back for more. And some of the big AAA single player games really feal like they're either recycling the same formula over and over, or chasing every trend they can find in a desperate bid for relevance. The games we love get drained of all the passion, artistry, and love that made us fall in love with them in the first place, replaced with monetization and mediocrity to squeeze our nostalgia for all it's worth. The devs make big promises, then fail to deliver over and over, and we get phoned in apology after phoned in apology.

It's exhausting, infuriating, downright unacceptable. I totally get why people get so bent out of shape about it. But, I also get really upset when people say things like "There are no good games anymore!"

Because... Listen. Listen, listen, listen.

There are still incredible, mind-blowing games coming out all the time. Games made with love, passion, and with creativity unrestrained by incompetent corporate leadership who don't know their butt from a hole in the ground. This year alone has been a MASSIVE year for videogames!

We got a Deadspace remake that was actually good, a 3D kirby game, TOTK, Pikmin 4, Like a Dragon Ishin, Final Fantasy 16, a remake of Metroid Prime of all things, Baldur's Gate 3 is tearing up the internet as we speak and breaking record after record, Street Fighter 6, the Resident Evil 4 remake, Hi-Fi Rush, the list goes on and on! And that's not even all of them! MORE are coming! Armored Core 6 is right around the corner and I CAN'T WAIT!

And that's not even mentioning the endless tide of incredible Indie games! There's so many! Indie devs have been goin NUTS this year. We got Dredge, a fishing horror game of all things, games like Psuedoreglia reminding everyone why 3D Platformers once ruled gaming, Warhammer Boltgun is just a solid boomer shooter especially if you're a 40k fan, Sons of the Forest, Wildfrost, Darkest Dungeon 2 finally came to steam, Dave the Diver somehow made being a fishing roguelike super engaging, Blasphemous 2 is almost here and it looks sick, and those are just the ones off the top of my head. So. Many. GAMES. just from this year!

If you're one of those people struggling with modern gaming, I understand. It's rough out there. But I'm begging you, please, please! Don't give up on video games! If you're sick of watching Activision Blizard spiral their beloved franchises into oblivion in a conflagration of short sighted greed, or seeing Ubisoft release the same handful of games over and over again with a different coat of paint, try expanding your horizons a bit.

Maybe experiment with some genres you've never tried, or try some old classics that you never got around to playing! Look into some Indie games, there's like a thousand videos on you tube shouting out tons of good ones, or just look at some reviews! There are so many games, of any genre you can imagine, and even some that defy genre altogether.

There are just too many good games out there to throw up your hands and say "Nope! I'm done!" After a bad experience.

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PLANET NOT FOUND!

Holy crap I just had a revelation about Pikmin! The planet in Pikmin is called PNF 404. The planet is also notably uncharted, and not on any maps.

It just struck me why It's called that. That's not it's name. Olimar's ship computer didn't recognize the planet, it's unknown in it's databanks. It's not the name. IT'S AN ERROR MESSAGE.

PNF means Planet Not Found! it's a 404 error! And every time a new ship comes to PNF 404, they get the same message, so that's what everyone calls it!

Look, maybe I'm seeing connections where there aren't any. or maybe this is already common knowledge in the Fanbase. But I feel like I just unraveled some huge secret, and my mind is blown!

[bonkusdonkus]

… It has suddenly occurred to me that there are an increasing number of eldritch horror themed indie games where you explore a strange ocean/ocean-esque body with terrors beyond comprehension just beneath the surface in a boat/boat esque vehicle.

Sunless Sea

Sunless Sky

A House of Many Doors

Dredge.

And those are just the ones I know about. Like, do I need to break out the Doofenschmirts nickel meme, or is this becoming its own sub-genre at this point?

Not that I’m complaining. I love that stuff. I’d honestly prefer more nautical eldritch exploration games over whatever new looter shooter, live service, always online garbage the industry barfs up next.

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Maybe it’s because I’m an edgy dork, but I have a soft spot in fantasy settings to do sort of a reverse thing with some of the old fantasy stereotypes.

For example, in my setting that I’ve had cooking in the back of my mind for years, Gnolls are usually good aligned. They travel in semi-nomadic packs on set routes across the world, and they see it as their duty to keep those routes safe from bandits and monsters, both for their safety and the safety of other travelers. Travelers and merchants across the world use these routes because they’re some of the safest around, since no sane monster or bandit wants to tangle with a wandering army of 8ft tall hyenas who can bite through steel.

They also strongly believe in hospitality, and any fellow wanderers they meet they greet as kin, offering them food and shelter. Big friendly giggle dogs who love to meet new people.

Also, it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I like evil elves. An ancient, ageless empire that once ruled the world by twisting nature itself to their whims. The younger races have driven them back, their dominion crumbles, now they hide in their timeless forests, watching, plotting, waiting for the younger races to whither and age as all mortal things do, so that they might reclaim their verdant domain once more…

Like I said, I’m an edgy dork, and reversing tropes is fun.

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Zelda has changed, and is going to keep Changing.

You know, with Tears of the Kingdom right around the corner, I’ve been thinking about Zelda and where it’s going.

I loved Breath of the Wild, and I’m like 95% sure I’m going to love TotK too. It looks awesome, and it’s obvious that Nintendo has taken the first game and turned it up to 11.

 But, it’s undeniable that Breath of the Wild was a huge step away from the classic Zelda action-adventure formula. And with any big step, it’s inevitable that some people are going to feel left behind.

I hadn’t actually realized how many people there were who didn’t like the changes of BotW until they started speaking up about how they didn’t like the way TotK looked. Breath of the Wild turned the Zleda formula on it’s head, discarding the story-driven linear dungeon exploring adventure, for an open world sandbox. 

Personally, I really resonated with the changes, but a lot of people hated it. And seeing TotK apparently doubling down on those changes has really disheartened a lot of folks.

And even if I don’t really agree with them, like... I feel for you guys, I get it. A series you love is changing in a huge way, and there’s no way of knowing if you’ll even like what it becomes by the end of it. Heck, I’m an old school Paper Mario fan, I’ve been there.

And I know there’s gonna be some Asshat who’s like “Oh wHy Don’T YoU jUsT PlAy sOmE OTher ActIoN-AdVeNtuRE AnD StOP WhINinG! UgH, GaMErs ArE So EnTiTlEd!”

Listen. No one makes games like 3D Zelda anymore. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Okami, and that game came out 17 years ago! And even if they did, it wouldn’t be Zelda, not exactly. People love Zelda for all the classic adventures it gave them, the stories and battles they hold close to their hearts. I don’t think it’s fair to criticize those people for being upset that Zelda isn’t going to be like that anymore.

Because let’s be honest with ourselves, BotW changed Zelda forever. Period.

I don’t presume to know where LoZ is going after this, Nintendo is nothing if not unpredictable, but I’d bet my bottom dollar that we’re going to be seeing the influence of the two Switch Zelda titles for a long, long time. As of writing, BotW has sold upwards of 29 MILLION copies, making it the top selling Zelda game of all time by a cool 21 million, more or less. ( Last I checked, number 2 was Twilight Princess, at 8 million.)

Tears isn’t out yet, but I bet it’s gonna sell like hotcakes too.

And on top of all of those numbers, we can’t forget that this is Nintendo we’re talking about. Obsessed with gameplay mechanics and innovation as they are, it’s hard to imagine them trading in this new wide-open sandbox for a more linear adventure now that they’ve figured it out.

Even if Nintendo does address a lot of the big complaints people had about BotW, like the story and the lack of classic dungeons, (which I hope they do, I’d like to see some more work in those areas too,) the runaway success of the game and the near inevitable success of Tears of the Kingdom mean that Nintendo really doesn’t have a reason to go back to the Ocarina of Time style ever again. Maybe I’m wrong, but if I were a betting man, I’d say the Zelda sandbox is here to stay, at least until Nintendo dreams up some wacky new thing to replace it.

So, yeah. On the one hand, I’m very excited for Tears of the Kingdom, and whatever comes after it. It’s a fresh, exciting new direction for the series I love, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us. But on the other hand, I am a little sad for what we’re losing in the process, and for the people who are really hurting for a good old fashioned zelda game.

I can only hope that this divergence in the Zelda series has the same affect it did so many other times when Nintendo left a beloved game or series behind: Inspire other people to go and make their own!

 I mentioned Paper Mario earlier. When that series went through a big change, it inspired games like Bug Fable and Born of Bread to step up to the plate and fill in the gap left behind. And it’s not just Paper Mario either! You can see it all over the place now, games inspired by series like Star Fox or F-Zero that have been abandoned by Nintendo! I hope that’s what happens. As much as I love the new style, I think it would be a real shame to see the old way disappear.

[bonkusdonkus]

I’ve been thinking about bunnies again!

A while ago, I made a list of list ideas, headcanons, and hombrew thoughts on the Harengon, one of my favorite D&D races. Mostly because WotC just kind of slapped them into a book, mumbled something about how they like freedom, and left it at that, and I didn’t like that.

Well I’ve had more ideas since then!

I will now shotgun them onto the Internet so others may steal and\or get inspiration from them! Same rules apply as last time, Harengon and Rabbit folk are interchangeable terms, you can use any of these you like, or don’t! Okay! Let’s talk about bunnies!

Harengon traditionally have extremely long, extremely difficult to remember names. Their names are often literal paragraphs long, or even multiple pages. Some Rabbit Folk actually have names so long they literally need a novel sized book to write them down, and that’s just their first name. Harengon surnames can be encyclopedia sized. On average. As bizarre as it sounds, there is a reason for this. It’s a defense mechanism! In the Feywild, names have immense power. Giving a Fae your full name can have terrible consequences. So, being native to the Feywild, the Harengon counteracted this by making their names impossibly long and complicated, so that remembering them to use against them is near impossible. Plus, many Fae have short attention spans, by the time they’re even halfway through reciting their name, the dangerous Fae will probably just get bored and leave. Obviously, in every day life most Harengon only use a part of their full name, but traditionally all harengon are taught to memorize the full thing, just in case.

It’s common knowledge that Harengon are considered lucky. They have an unusual propensity for pulling victory from the jaws of defeat, or landing that one-in-a-million chance. Hilariously, this means that many casinos or gambling dens often ban Rabbit Folk from playing. Less amusingly though, it has also led to some ugly superstitions. One fairly harmless belief is that a kiss from a Harengon grants the kissed good luck. Some considerably less harmless beliefs are that drinking Harengon blood will give their luck to the drinker, or that having a charm made from Harengon teeth will ward off misfortune. There is little to no evidence that either of these superstitions are true, but doesn’t stop the depraved or the desperate from trying to find out…

On occasion, a Harengon will be born with pure red eyes. No pupils, no whites, just red. These Rabbitfolk are typically referred to as Unfortunates. Not because they’re particularly unlucky, but because they have a peculiar… Aura, let’s call it. Whereas normal Rabbitfolk are known for their supernatural luck, Unfortunates seem to almost suck the luck out of people around them. Specifically, people who wrong them. This is a very difficult thing to catalogue or measure, so it very well could just be a cultural belief of the Harengon, and not an actual phenomenon. But, well, they are from the Feywild. It also could be true…

Harengon aren’t immune to poison, but they are immune to several notable poisonous plants, such as hemlock and nightshade. In fact, they think these plants are quite tasty. They often eat them raw in salads, or cooked much like spinach. But the most famous use of these poisons, is the infamous Snake Blood wine. A potent, magically charged alcoholic wine said to taste like angel’s dreams and unicorn tears. Fanciful descriptions aside aside, it is an exceptionally valuable item, a luxury among luxuries. Brewing it is not only extremely difficult and time consuming, the method is a jealously guarded secret among the Harengon. And while it is still very much poisonous to most species, It can be imbibed by non-harengon, in very, VERY small amounts. Because of this, among wine enthusiasts, it’s become something of a pilgrimage or right of passage to taste the legendary Snake Blood wine of the Rabbitfolk.

One of the most common jokes people make about Harengon is that they love carrots. Because, you know, bunnies. The Rabbitfolk have no particular attachment to carrots, culturally or biologically. Though it’s not unheard of for them to like the orange vegetables, it’s no different than if a human liked them, just a matter of personal preference. However, some Harengon have heard so many stupid carrot jokes, that they have developed a deep seated hatred of them. There are multiple incidents of Harengon actively going out of their way to destroy carrots, out of sheer spite.

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You know, for all their flaws, something I always appreciate about Nintendo is that they are dedicated to the idea of innovation, and making unique games.

Like, even if you aren’t a fan, you have to admit that no one makes games like Nintendo.

They set out to make a multiplayer online shooter, and instead of yet another first person military shooter, they make a game about squid people fighting over who painted the level more in a post apocalyptic hell scape.

Pikimin is a top down RTS game for consoles about tiny plant people trying to save astronauts, the Chibi Robo is an Open World adventure were you play as a little robot who befriends sentient toys and does chores and tries to prevent a dysfunctional family from falling apart, Metroid Prime is a first person shooter with a heavy focus on exploration and puzzle solving that tells a better story with no dialogue than Call of Duty has in the last 5 games combined.

The list goes on and on. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Nintendo games are one of a kind. If they have any similar games, it’s because someone else saw what they did and emulated them. (For the record, I definitely am in the love ‘em, category, if you hadn’t already guessed. Lol.)

Nintendo doesn’t chase trends or fads, and they don’t try to piggyback off other peoples ideas, like so many others do. For the most part, Nintendo marches to the beat of their own drum.

Buuuuuuut… If you are a long time Nintendo fan, than you know that Nintendo’s dedication to innovation has a dark side. A frustrating, infuriating, nonsensical dark side…

There are two sides to it. The first is the less frustrating one, at least to me: Sometimes their ‘innovations’ are just dumb gimmicks that just get in the way.

Remember in the Wii era when Nintendo tried to force motion controls into literally everything? Remember the Wii U game pad? Remember when Mario Party switched to the car mechanic, completely defeating half the reason those games were fun? Remember LABO? Remember Remember the Virtual Boy? Remember when Nintendo got mad that no one liked the Wii U game pad, and made Star Fox Zero, a game that not only tried to force the game pad to be useful in a way that mostly just made it more annoying, but also pissed on the entire Star Fox fan base who had been patiently waiting for years for a new game after the already controversial Star Fox Command? Yeah.

Sometimes Nintendo gets it in their head that “new and innovative” is the same thing as “good.” It is not.

Sometimes Nintendo’s weird ideas flip the whole industry on it’s head, or give us an unforgettable experience we’ll cherish we’ll love forever. And sometimes they’re just dumb.

But that’s not the real dark side. No. The real problem with Nintendo’s obsession with progress and uniqueness, is how they treat their IPs.

When Nintendo gets bored of a franchise or can’t think of any new gimmicks to shove into it they just… Throw it away. Leave them to rot, who cares what the fans think?

If you are a long time Nintendo fan like myself, you know the pain I speak of.

F-Zero, Mother, Star Fox, the Mario & Luigi RPGs, Metroid, Wario Land, Pikmin, Advanced Wars, and that’s just a few of the IPs that have been shunned.

Metroid and Pikmin fans have been extremely lucky recently, they just got their wishes granted, the rest of us have to sit on our butts, praying in vain that Papa Nintendo will remember our favorite franchises exist in the next direct.

Pour one out for the Star Fox fans, the last game they got was sacrificed to try and salvage the doomed Wii U, and Star Fox Command was… Um… Well, let’s say as I said before, controversial.

The Mario & Luigi RPGs have been left to die alongside their developer, robbing the Mario franchise of one it’s best spin offs, and Paper Mario… Well, that’s a whole other can of worms. Hoo boy.

Then of course, there’s that infamous interview, where they asked Miyamoto when the next F-Zero game was coming, and he got all confused, like, “Why would you want a new F-Zero? There’s nothing new to do with it.” And every F-Zero fan collectively screamed “JUST GIVE IT ONLINE MULTIPLAYER!” But their screams went unheard, and unheeded.

Listen, I love Nintendo. They can be frustrating, old fashioned, stubborn, and wildly unpredictable, but I’m still a fan. The first video game device I owned was a Game Boy Color, and I’ve owned every Nintendo console since the 64. Their games hold a special place in my heart, even now that I’m older and have played and loved plenty of other games too. But that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna get pissed when they do stupid crap.

To end this rant, I’ll say this: For a company that is so reliant on their legacy, they are really, really bad at utilizing it. Do you have any idea the amount of money I would pay for an Earthbound Remake? Or the ability play game cube games on my Switch?

And on top of that, Nintendo has been taking a lot of risks and experimenting with their biggest IPs recently. Kirby just made the transition to a 3D platformer, Breath of the Wild has changed Zelda games forever,Pokemon Legends Arceus is the first Pokémon game in at least a decade to step toe outside of the established formula. And these are just a few examples. Heck, Pokémon Snap is back!

So many new and exciting directions for beloved series! And it’s clearly working, because the Switch just passed over 122 MILLION copies sold! Keep going Nintendo! Now is the time to go back and give some more IPs a fresh coat of paint and a new spin!

I just want to see Nintendo give that treatment to some of their benched IPs, throw their fans a bone. Do you know how bad I want a more story focused Star Fox game? Give it lore and world building and more character growth!

Or for Nintendo to acknowledge that Pokémon Colosseum existed, like, at all.

[bonkusdonkus]

Gargoyles are Friends!

So, a pet peeve I’ve always had in any fantasy universe but especially TTRPGs like D&D and Pathfinder is that Gargoyles are almost always depicted as being evil beings. Why? Because they look scary?

Listen, Gargoyles are not evil, they are protectors! 

Back in the day, when everyone thought sneezing funny meant you were possessed and that vampires and ghosts lurked in every shadow, Gargoyles were built on big buildings (mostly churches) to scare away evil spirits and demons. That’s why they’re so deformed and creepy looking, to scare away evil! (They were also kinda like early gutters/drains to prevent water damage on big buildings, because a lot of them had spouts in their mouths like a fountain, but that’s neither here nor there.)

So from a fantasy point of view, these guys should be good guys! Like, Neutral Good constructs, here to protect from the shadows!

Heck, Disney of all people got that right! Remember in the Gargoyles in Notredam who raised Quasimodo? Or the whole cartoon Gargoyles, which is about a bunch of gargoyles who fight evil!? There was even that one stupid Frankenstien movie where Gargoyles where humanity’s secret protectors! It was called I,Frankenstien, and it was bad, but at least they depicted Gargoyles semi-decently!

WHY ARE GARGOYLES ALWAYS DEPECTID AS EVIL/GENERIC MONSTERS! THEY’RE REALLY COOL, BUT THEY’RE ALWAYS EVIL FOR SOME REASON! THE WHOLE POINT OF THEM WAS TO WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

...Thank you for listening to me ramble about my oddly specific gripes about oddly specific things in depictions of things I think are neat in modern fantasy. In short, I want good guy gargoyle’s to be a thing in fantasy. If I ever get around to making that homebrew setting in Pathfinder/Dnd that I’ve always wanted to make, I’m gonna put nice Gargoyles in it.

[bonkusdonkus]

I don’t know if this a hot take or not, but Monk is my favorite martial class!

I just really have a soft spot for martial arts, especially the fantasy, magical over the top kind. It’s such a cool blend of crazy action movie schlock like running up walls and catching bullets with your bare hands, and the endless quest of self-betterment. Like, you have trained your body and mind into a well-oiled machine, a force of nature, you have sharpened your very life force into an instrument of your own will, and tapped into a well of focus and self-discipline that others could only dream of, a perfect marriage of grace and power.

And you can use that enlightened grace and power to punt bad guys into the stratosphere and grow a spiritual arm out of your chest and punch dudes in the face, and that’s just rad.

Lol silly Jackie Chan antics aside, I love monk, but something I’ve always struggled with them is origin stories. Because you don’t just wake up one day punching energy blasts at dudes and parkour running up the sides of buildings. That kind of thing takes years of dedication and training, and you don’t just do that kind of thing for fun on the weekends.

I’ve always struggled to find a different origin than “was raised in a monastery,” so in an effort to combat that, and hopefully help others who also struggle with that, I’ve decided to compile a list of origin ideas I pulled out of my butt! Because while there’s nothing wrong with being raised in a monastery, variety is the spice of life, and I want some!

As usual when I make lists like these, feel free to snag any ideas you like for your own PCs/NPCs/Whatever you want to use them for! Or don’t! It’s your call!

You were born on the street. You had nothing, and no future, until in desperation you started taking part in underground tournaments and illegal street fights for money. You couldn’t afford weapons, so you used your fists. It turns out, you were pretty good at it. You rarely won, pitted against giant thugs and savage beats for the entertainment of society’s dregs, but you survived, and you got paid. And for a while, that was enough. Then one day, a grizzled old gladiator sees you fight. They take you aside and tell you they see potential in you, and with training, you could be a real champion. That, and as a gladiator, you would receive free food and board. You accepted their offer, and trained with your new mentor to become something more than a street rat.

Your home city has a problem. Namely, that there are an alarming amount of criminal mages. The city watch is simply not equipped or trained to deal with crazy magic wielders hurling fireballs everywhere, and since most of the mages in the city are criminals, they have no one to effectively fight back. So, they have decided train an elite strike force of warriors to counteract the rampant spell flingers, specially trained in subduing hostile mages. You are one of these elite warriors.

You are cursed. There is dark magic within you, clawing at your mind and body, gnawing, lurking, hungry. Whether it be Vampirism, Lycanthropy, or some other dark malady, there is something in you yearning to take over, eager to plunge you into madness. But you weren’t content to sit idly by and let it happen. Having heard of the immense self-control and inner peace of monks, you studied their ways, teaching yourself meditation techniques, katas, and the iron will you needed to battle the monster within. So far, it’s been working. Your training and discipline has paid off, and the darkness in you has been kept at bay. For now, at least.

Your childhood was a lonely one. You had indifferent parents, more concerned with their jobs or social lives than you, your extended family were equally indifferent, and you had few if any friends. Your only faithful companion, was the TV. Left largely to your own devices, you watched a lot of it. Cartoons, dramas, cooking shows, basically whatever was on. But one day you found a channel that would change your life for ever. A channel that basically only showed reruns of old martial arts movies and shows. From goofy power rangers-esque shows to poorly dubbed to kung fu shlock, from brutal tales of revenge to tongue-in-cheek parodies, if it had martial arts in it, it was on the channel. And you were enraptured by it. You saw on the screen what you wished you were: Heroes in charge of their own destiny. And so you began to mimic the moves you saw on TV, slowly but surely training yourself in the ways of the monk in hopes of one day being a master, just like your heroes of the small screen.

You are just another face in the crowd, a nobody. A farmer, a tailor, a roadworker, a secretary, a desk jockey, whatever you are, you’re just another person working a repetitive, thankless job, slogging your way through each day the same as the last one. The monotony is starting to drown you. Until one day you hear about a wandering martial artist looking for students. Desperate to add some spice to your life, on a whim you join their class. Sure enough, it’s just what you needed. The martial arts give you something to live for, shaking off the drudgery of your day to day life. You finally feel alive again. But at the end of the day, your still just a nobody, albeit one with a strange hobby. It’s not like you’re going to get dragged into a strange adventure out of nowhere now that you know how to fight... Right?

Normally, you’re a total dweeb. You’re bashful, clumsy, and lack any kind of hand eye coordination. But after getting a little too drunk once, you made an... Interesting discovery about yourself. While inebriated, you become on unstoppable fighting machine! The second you get some booze in you, you go from clumsy disaster to unstoppable whirlwind of fury! A true master of the drunken fist. You have no idea where this strange quirk comes from, you’ve never trained a day in your life, but being able to suddenly become a master martial artist at will is certainly useful.

You are an entertainer. You and your troupe specialize in feats of incredible martial skill, sword dancing, balancing your whole weight on the tip of a knife, performance fighting, that sort of thing. You and your comrades are less fighters and more actors, your battles being carefully choreographed performances rather than actually combat, kinda like pro wrestling. Still, being able to do such incredible feats without killing each other takes a lot of focus, practice and skill, hence your near supernatural abilities. On paper, you’re not a real warrior. But, you know the old saying about doctors, how if they how to put someone back together, they also know how to take them apart? The same goes for martial arts. If you know how to avoid hurting someone, then you definitely know how to do it for real...

[bonkusdonkus]

Maybe it’s a bit cliche, but I have a soft spot for the old “Super powerful A-Hole does a bad thing and gets turned into a normal person and booted out into the world to teach them a lesson in humility/empathy,” trope. Especially in the context of DnD!

I just think it fits so well! You’ve just got so many big scary things running around to choose from! You’ve got gods, dragons, devils, giants, djin, angels, archfey, and that’s just a tiny handful of your options!

And then you have the whole thing where they’re all pissed, running around trying to return to normal and/or get revenge on whoever did this to them, but they end up getting wrapped up in some crazy adventure with a bunch of ragtag mortals against their will, and they grumble and moan about it all the time… And then go and get attached to said ragtag mortals, and slowly start to realize that maybe mortals aren’t so bad, and then suddenly realize that they’re getting dragged kicking and screaming into a redemption arc whether they like it or not!

Yeah it’s cheesy as all heck, but hey, cheese is delicious! It’s a really fun idea for an NPC or a PC, and it even has some fun built in intrigue and drama!

(Side note, my favorite picks are dragons, Rakshasas, and Angels.

Rakshasas I like because the idea of a devil having to see all the harm their actions and “agreements” with mortals have caused up close and having to come terms with that, and Rakshasas are my favorite devil.

I like the Angel idea because Angels in DnD (or at least the ones I’ve seen,) despite being creatures that always serve the “greater good” are often depicted as being aloof, and unable to look beyond the bigger picture, often not caring about the plight of the average person so long as the wider world is safe. I like the idea of one being forced to look closer, and experience the trials and tribulations of life for themselves.

And I like the dragon idea because I like dragons, and the idea of an ancient dragon being transformed into a Kobold and being really salty about it makes me laugh. That’s it! Lol)

[bonkusdonkus]

So I have a bad habit of coming up with crazy ideas for characters that will probably never fit into any campaign I’m in. I just can’t stop myself!

That’s one of the funnest things about D&D for me, just brainstorming wacky ideas. This is a game that encourages you to do some creative gymnastics while you play, and dang it if I don’t get carried away sometimes.

(I’m also pretty sure I’m not alone either, if what I’ve seen other people in the community say holds any weight, lol.)

So I’m an attempt to get some of these guys out of my brain, I’m gonna vomit some random character ideas I’ve had here. They could be player characters, NPCs, villains, whatever, these are just an assortment of random thoughts I’ve had rolling around in my head. Feel free to steal any ya like, or use them for inspiration for your own ideas or whatever. Or don’t! You do you!

An ancient Dragon has become deeply disillusioned with the world in their old age. They’ve seen how broken it is, and seen how little those with the power to do something about it actually care. They ponder this tragedy, they wonder, and think, and ruminate on it, and somewhere amid all their pondering they slowly begin to lose their grasp on reality, slipping into a fiery haze of fantasy and madness. They transform themselves into a mortal, forgetting their true form, and set out into the world as a noble knight, determined to right all wrongs!

A sentient weapon formed a powerful bond of friendship with their wielder, forged in the fires of battle. But one day, their companion was murdered. But not in battle, like a warrior, no. It was a shameful, treacherous murder. Perhaps they were poisoned, or killed in their sleep. Regardless, the weapon is furious and heartbroken that it could do nothing but watch as it’s friend died, and has sworn to bring the killer ( or killers) to justice. But the only way it can do that, is to possess the empty corpse of their friend.

A powerful Devil (cambion, secubus/incubus, Rakshasa, whatever, take your pick,) disguised themselves as a mortal to seduce a mortal whose alignment can really only be described as Stupid Good, and corrupt them, for kicks and giggles. Just to blow off some steam, ya know? Being a Devil is tough work after all, what’s the point if you can’t toy with some mortals from time to time? But then it uh… Kinda backfired. Because they went and caught for feelings for the dope, and suddenly find themselves being dragged kicking and screaming into a redemption arc, because not even a devil is immune to himbo energy. (Bonus points if some of their old fiendish “colleagues” kidnap their lover, and now they have to go on an adventure to save them, trying to figure out this whole “being a decent person” thing along the way.)

Three Kobold friends all share a dream of being famous bards, one is an amazing musician, one is an incredible dancer, and the last one has a phenomenal singing voice. There’s only one little problem: All of them are extremely shy in one way or another. So, to collectively achieve their dream, and overcome their various insecurities, they hatch (heh) a cunning plan: To work together and become the most famous bard the world has ever seen!… By stacking on top of each other and wearing a robe/trench coat/big fancy clothes to fool people into thinking their a single Dragonborn, with the dancer on the bottom, the musician in the middle, and the singer on top. Truly, a flawless plan.

A mad wizard, in an attempt to sow chaos in an innocent farming community, Used True Polymorph on a dairy cow to turn it into a massive red Dragon! But uh, it kinda backfired. Because instead of going on a rampage like the wizard expected, now that Bessie had sentience she was much more interested in having a chat with the nice farmers who raised her. And their neighbors. And their neighbors neighbors. And their neighbors neighbors neighbors. Basically, instead of creating a dangerous beast, the wizard created the town chatterbox and gossip monger. Perfectly harmless, but a bit of a blabber mouth.

Because of a clerical error in the contract, instead of binding their Warlock into their service, the Patron accidentally magically married them instead. Now, they’re both bound together in unwilling, seemingly unbreakable holy matrimony. Oops! Now the two of them have to work together to break their accidental bond, bickering and bitching the whole time. (Bonus points if they actually do fall in love at some point along the way. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a good enemies to friends to lovers story!)

Kenku twins who both want to cure the Kenku curse, but have diametrically opposed methods. The first is a cleric, and hopes that through faithful service and a worship, they can convince their god to help them find a cure, or just outright remove it. The second is a wizard or artificer, and despises the gods for abandoning them to the curse. They seek to cure the curse through science and magic, believing that the gods can’t be trusted, and that the Kenku must heal themselves, not rely on fickle celestial beings. Though the twins love each other dearly, they’re ideological differences mean they are often often at odds with each other.

A band of pirates follow a treasure map they stole to a tiny abandoned island in the middle of nowhere. They dig in the marked spot, and find a huge chest! But when they open it, instead of a treasure, they find a very confused and very lonely Warforged made entirely out of precious stones!

Adoption is an admirable thing. Not only are you growing your family, you’re reaching to those in need, giving them a loving home. Now, in a world where there are so many different races, interspecies adoption is not unheard of, albeit a little uncommon. That being said, many adventurer or ex-adventurer couples choose to adopt, having found many youngsters in need on their journeys. Though, they tend to bring home some uh…Exotic new family members. Just ask the Lingthrow family, which consists of three Minotaurs, two young dragons, eight Gnolls, four tieflings, an Aasimar, four separate kinds of devil, three orcs, a goblin, two kobolds, a quatl, three Warforged of various designs, two Tabaxi twins, an enlightened horse, five Dragonborn, and two very, very proud retired adventurer parents.

A Kobold Paladin has become utterly convinced that if they do enough good deeds and fight enough evil, they will turn into a Golden Dragon. As cute as that is, no one really takes the little guy too seriously. After all, they’re chasing a fairy tale. Obviously Kobolds can’t turn into dragons… Right?

[bonkusdonkus]

I think one of my favorite D&D ideas is when a creature that would normally be considered evil, is a good person. I feel like I should clarify that I’m not saying that every monster should be a good guy, because frankly having a moral quandary every time you splat some baddies for gold is… A bit much, in my opinion. D&D is an RPG at heart, and RPGs need disposable bad guys to function, and to make those actual moral quandaries have some real punch, contrast is important.

But! Having said that, Having some monsters break the mold can be lots of fun for world building, open up some cool storytelling moments, and be a fun change of pace! So here are some ideas for some ‘evil’ creatures being good guys, or at least nuetral! Feel free to steal any ya like!

An isolated town out in the woods has a symbiotic relationship with a pack of werewolves, who protect the town from monsters and raiders in exchange for food and shelter.

An Ancient Black Dragon, having spent so much of their time around ruins and such, has become fascinated with mortal civilization, and taken up archeology.

A Rakshasa has decided that they are sick and tired of watching naive and desperate mortals throw away their souls in devil deals, and has set out to do something about it. They act as a sort of double agent, helping trapped mortals who were tricked or coursed into contracts get their souls back, and helping souls who are already unjustly trapped in hell escape from the inside.

A mad cult has taken over a city, locking the gates, preventing any one from entering or leaving, intent on sacrificing the innocent citizens to their dark god! Little do they know, that a pack of Wererats has been quietly smuggling their intended victims out of the city through the sewers, right under their noses…

A young Red Dragon has taken to ‘hoarding’ refugees from a brutal war raging in the countryside. Unfortunately, they’ve encountered a problem. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of refugees, and their cave simply isn’t big enough for all of them, especially since more keep coming. Wanting to ensure the safety of their ‘hoard,’ the dragon is out looking for a new lair big enough to accommodate them all.

A blind person’s dog is killed in a demon raid, and they’re utterly heartbroken. But, a few days later, they find a litter of puppies, abandoned during the raid. They takes them home, determined to give them a loving home, even if they were strangely hot and smelled a little… Sulphur-y. They grow up to be huge, wicked smart, and unfailingly loyal. The person loves their dogs with all their heart, so much that their neighbors don’t have the heart to tell them that their ‘puppies’ are actually Hell Hounds. (They probably already know though. Because, ya know. They’re not dumb, and Normal dogs don’t generally speak Infernal.)

As total war rages across the land, wounded soldiers are often left behind to die by their armies, the commanders more concerned with winning the war than saving lives. Rumors have been swirling about strange figures scuttling around abandoned battlefields after nightfall, tending the wounded with bandages made of spider silk and burying the dead. Most of the soldiers who return from these encounters don’t remember much, but a few whisper tales of red eyes, kind voices, and spiders the size of horses…

Ever since the new captain of the city watch was appointed, the crime rate has plummeted to near zero. A lot of the city’s criminals have either turned themselves in, or fled the city. As for the rest, well. They’re not around anymore. Probably because of the massive Weretiger that mysteriously appeared at the same time the new captain was appointed, and began hunting down every single would be murderer, slaver, and other assorted scumbags in the city.

A famine has struck the coastline, the fish have been chased away by the presence of aggressive Merrow raiders. Things were starting to look bleak for the fishing towns, until, inexplicably, some of the villagers begin to have strange visions of a great under ground lake, so unimaginably full of fish that they could barely swim, and with fruit trees of every kind growing around the shore. Driven by desperation, they followed the visions, and sure enough, the lake was real! But it was also occupied. By an Aboleth! But rather than try to attack anyone or invade anyone’s mind, it just… Let’s them take the food. Huh.

A doctor was turned by a vampire with a sick sense of humor. They wanted to see the doctor give in to their bloodlust and feast on their patients. But the doctor’s will was too strong, and not only resisted their dark urges, they have mastered them. Now they travel the lands by night, using their powers to save the sick and wounded, and helping other unwilling vampires control their urges.

An ancient white dragon had recently lost her one and only clutch of eggs to greedy adventurers. She was in despair, lonely, and struck by the realization that she likely didn’t have much longer to live. Then, one day while she was out flying, she stumbled across a camp of slavers. The slavers fled the moment they saw her, leaving the camp abandoned. Curious what the humanoids had been up to, the dragon investigated, only to find the camp full of hundreds of large eggs. The old dragon’s eyes had started go a few decades back, so when she saw the eggs, he mistook them for large chicken eggs. Thinking raising chickens might be a fun distraction in her old age, she took them home. Only, when the eggs hatched a few days later, it wasn’t chickens that came out, but Kenku chicks! After having a bit of a mental breakdown, (and swearing to hunt down those slavers, because they had been about to sell what was essentially unborn children into slavery!) She decided to raise the chicks as her own. 50 years later, her lair is the home of a thriving Kenku community, watched over by their kindly and very happy dragon grandma.

A very strange bard wandered into town the other day. Honestly, they’re the best bard anyone in the town has ever seen, they can sing, they can dance, they tell the best jokes, and their laughter is utterly infectious. None of which is the strange part. No, the strange part is that the bard is a Bone Devil decked out like circus performer. They even have a little jesters cap with bells on it to boot.

[bonkusdonkus]

I like bunny people! I grew up on series like Redwall, so woodland creature people have always had a special place in my heart. So when when rabbitfolk were announced as an official race, I was thrilled!

And I think WotC did a decent job, they’ve got some cool abilities, but they didn’t really give them any background or lore, or… Really anything, to be honest. If I recall correctly, the official flavor text more or less boiled down to “they’re bunny people from the Feywild who like freedom.” And that was basically it. Which is… Not particularly flavorful.

Still, I think the Harengon/Rabbitfolk have a lot of potential, so here’s a bunch of headcanons, ideas, and homebrews that I’ve got floating around my brain! Feel free to steal any you like for your own games, if ya wanna! Or don’t! It’s your call!

(Also, just a fair warning, I will probably be using Harengon and Rabbitfolk interchangeably, just so you know. They mean the same thing, just figured I’d say so so that people don’t think I’m sliding in a random sub race or something.)

Everybody knows that the Harengon have sharp hearing, those floppy ears aren’t just for show, but a lot of people fail to realize exactly how sharp. Most Rabbitfolk can easily hear through walls, pick out individual voices in a crowd, and hear the heartbeats of other beings. Some can even identify people by their individual heartbeats and breathing patterns, if they know the person well enough.

Harengon are native to the Feywild, and while many of them have left for more mundane places for one reason or another, a little bit of Fey weirdness tends to follow them wherever they go. Maybe they plant a rose, and then when it grows up it turns purple, maybe all the stray cats in their neighborhood are unusually friendly towards them, maybe when they hum a tune, if you listen closely you might hear someone playing along with a flute. Just, minor, harmless, magical weirdness. There’s no real rhyme or reason to it, it just happens sometimes.

Rabbitfolk live for hugs. They love hugging and being hugged. If you are friends with a Harengon, you will be hugged, sometimes with great force. Because these guys hop and jump everywhere, and sometimes they see a friend in need of hugging, and decide that the fastest way to achieve that goal is by jumping at them. So yeah, flying tackle hugs are very much on the table.

Much like Elves, who also originated from the Feywild, Harengon have an extended lifespan, about 500 years or so on average.

Despite being rabbit shaped, Rabbitfolk are not herbivores. Or at least, not completely. They have no problem eating animal products, like milk or eggs, and they have no problems with fish either, but red meat like beef or pork makes them very ill, and poultry isn’t much better. Weirdly enough though, they have no issues with reptile meat, and in fact even crave it. Lizard and turtle are beloved staples at many a Harengon table, and snakes? Oh, they LOVE snake! Grilled Python steak is considered a delicacy among Rabbitfolk, and deep-fried Adder meat is a must have treat at county fairs and festivals. Scholars have been scratching their heads for centuries over this bizarre biological phenomenon, but as is the case with many oddities from the Feywild, the best they can do is shrug and say “Eh, it’s fairy stuff, don’t question it.”(Side note, many Harengon call snake meat ‘sneef.’ I couldn’t think of anywhere else to say that, but I had to say it, so there you go.)

Speaking of food, Rabbitfolk have a high metabolism, so they tend to eat a lot more than most folk. Which might be a major reason why food is so important to their culture. For starters, the Harengon are always on the lookout for an excuse to throw a feast, even if it’s only with friends or family. Birthday? Feast! Just finished finals? Get the good silverware out, it’s time to eat! Just got back from a dangerous quest with your party? Celebrate still being alive by stuffing your face! Basically any excuse is a good excuse to eat a lot and have fun. Another big role food plays in their society is a display of trust and friendship. Buying/making someone a drink or a meal without payment or recompense of some kind is a big deal among Rabbitfolk. It’s a statement, both to the recipient and anyone who happens to be watching. It basically means: “This person is important to me, I care about their well being, and anyone who wants to get to them, will have to deal with me too.”

While they are exceptionally cute, the big floppy ears of the Rabbitfolk can be a bit bothersome during strenuous activity, flopping around and getting in the way. So a lot of folks tie them back with something like a hair tie or scrunchie when they’re out and about. Some Rabbitfolk with a bit more coin to sling around might have custom made hats, hoods, or veils to do the job and look a bit fancier while doing it.

Rabbitfolk culture takes things like oaths, promises, and commitments very seriously. Most scholars believe it’s a hold-over from their Feywild origins, where words have a frightening amount of power, and one slip of the tongue or misjudged phrase could spell disaster. Regardless of why, Harengon are raised to weigh every big commitment heavily before making a choice, examining every angle and detail, and when they finally make a decision, they are committed. When Harengon marry, it’s for life! If they sign a contract, they will carry it out the letter if it’s the last thing they do! If they promise to be your friend till the end, they aren’t being hyperbolic, they are by your side hell or high water, ride or die! So yeah, these are some very dedicated hippity hops. Mind you, they aren’t throwing around these promises all over the place, like I said, they’re very careful about it, and will call out anybody trying to swindle them.

Because of their sharp hearing, Rabbitfolk tend to be very in tune to the people around them. They aren’t full on empaths, but their generally pretty good at reading people’s emotions by paying attention to their breathing, heart rate, posture, etc.

Unsurprisingly, given their advanced hearing, Rabbitfolk love music. Since they can hear on a level that most humanoids couldn’t even imagine, it’s an almost euphoric experience for them. Imagine being able to see additional colors in a painting that no one else can, or see a beautiful sculpture in 4D. It’s a bit hard to describe, but I think you get the gist of it. Musicians are highly prized in their culture, and a lot of Harengon become Bards because of it.

Generally speaking, most Harengon don’t mind being called cute. They consider it a complement, really. But sometimes people assume ‘cute’ means ‘not worth taking seriously’ and that Rabbitfolk do take offense to, very much so. They especially hate being treated like dumb children, or even worse, baby talk. There is no phrase in all the planes that pisses off a Rabbitfolk faster than “Wittle Bunny Wabbit.” Some get so harassed, that they develop a little bit of a Napoleon Complex.

[bonkusdonkus]

I have made a ton of posts about Kenku on this blog, so it really shouldn’t be surprising when I say that I love the little feathered gremlins. They’re one of my favorite official races!

So in light of that love, here’s a bunch of random head cannons/ideas for Kenku that I have rolling around my brain in no particular order or organization! Feel free to cherry pick any you like, or ignore them all at your leisure!

The Kenku have their own unique sign language that they use to talk among themselves. It’s not really a secret language, per se, the Kenku aren’t exactly hiding it, but it’s pretty rare for anyone who isn’t a Kenku or doesn’t live in or near a Kenku community to know it, or even know about it.

It tends to surprise people, but most Kenku have no qualms eating things like chicken or scrambled eggs. Corvids are scavengers, they’ll eat just about anything that isn’t, you know, poisonous/a sentient being.

Kenku have hollow bones, which means they are extremely light for their size, much to the amusement of many members of larger species who happen to befriend them, like orcs, Goliaths, Centaurs, Minotaurs, Gnolls, or even just big humans. It’s pretty common practice to carry Kenku around because they’re ‘light as a feather,’ if you’ll excuse the pun. It’s a common sight to see a Kenku perched on a larger friend’s shoulder or being playfully lugged around like a sack of potatoes.

Kenku feathers are actually kind of an amazing crafting material. They’re sturdy, flexible, an excellent magic conductor, and not to mention that Kenku down is sinfully soft and warm. As result, a lot of Kenku use their molted feathers to make things. Writing quills, warm clothes, jewelry pillows, even magic items, all kinds of things. Most of this stuff is of very high quality, but the problem is that a lot of people get kinda… Squeamish about using something made from something that came from a person. (Ask yourself:Would you use a blanket made of human hair? I know I wouldn’t. Lol) However, a long time ago, a wily Kenku merchant convinced his/her customers that these lovely black feathers weren’t their feathers,obviously, they came from a rare black swan! It worked like a charm, and they sold their products like hot cakes. It worked so well, that the name stuck, and now basically any Kenku feather products are usually labeled as being from a ‘black swan,’ with most people being none the wiser of their true origin!

While Kenku can only repeat sounds they’ve heard, they actually have full control of the volume. On paper this sounds pretty useful, but honestly most Kenku just use this ability to scream rude words in public places or scare people for kicks and giggles.

While they aren’t necessarily born with the skill, a lot of Kenku are natural ventriloquists.

The origin story of the Kenku curse may or may not be completely false, or at the very least not entirely correct. No one knows the name of the god they supposedly”betrayed”, when or where it happened, or even what it is the Kenku’s ancestors supposedly stole. There’s a real chance that it’s all hearsay and rumor, or even an act of malice against the poor birds. With the Kenku being largely unable to speak up for themselves, the truth has likely been lost to time even to the Kenku themselves…

Kenku tend to be a bit… Cautious, about what gods they worship, if any. After all, their curse is said to be the work of an angry god, it’s only natural they’d be a bit wary. They tend to shy away from any god with a reputation for being fickle, easily offended, or obsessed with rules and order, and if they are going to worship a god, they’re generally gods that have nice, stable values. Like, a god of family and community, or a god of mercy and kindness. Because a god of family wouldn’t place a massive life ruining curse on your entire race… Right?

Another reason Kenku are cautious of the gods is that many of the more… Dogmatic religious communities view Kenku as being born blasphemers, because of their curse.

Kenku communities are very tight-knit. Everyone knows everybody, they take care of each other, and they all work together to keep their community safe. They’re also more than willing to welcome any other social outcasts they like, So if you walk into a Kenku neighborhood, you could see anything from Werewolves walking around in broad daylight to a friendly black dragon running a barbecue stand. Kenku are often ostracized by society at large, but are highly social and have a strong sense of community, so they tend to adopt whatever fellow weirdo’s they can find.

Kenku never forget a face. Ever. No one’s really sure why, but Kenku have an uncanny ability to remember people, and even pick them out in a crowd. It’s honestly a little spooky sometimes.

Kenku feathers generally come in pitch black, much like common crows, but every now and again you’ll get some Kenku who look like other corvids like Bluejays or Magpies. No one is entirely sure why this happens, as genetics don’t seem to be a factor. A Kenku that looks like a Bluejay can be born from two common crow parents. Regardless of the cause, it’s generally celebrated when it happens, because among Kenku it’s seen as a good omen for the little hatchling, a sign of a good life to come.

Some Kenku like to dye their feathers to look like other birds. Eagles, doves, and Peacocks are the most common, but there’s been a recent uptick of parrots and other tropical birds.

[bonkusdonkus]

Something I think about a lot in fantasy worlds with lots of different exotic races,(mostly DnD, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fantasy franchise any near as many races as DnD) is how their cultures would handle jewelry, make up, or just general self-decoration.

Like, we humans have come up with all kinds of ways to pretty ourselves up, tattoos, hair dyes, piercings, rings, etc. But all of that stuff is based on our anatomy, some of it isn’t going to work for some races. And besides, why would other races/cultures use beautification techniques solely pioneered by humans? Surely they have their own based on their own cultures and bodies! Think of the possibilities!

Like, maybe Tieflings put piercings in the fleshy bits of their tails, to glam them up with jewelry! Or maybe they drill little holes in their horns, and string ribbons or small chains through them!

Or what about the Kenku! They’ve got nice shiny beaks and talons, what if they painted little designs on them, kind of like henna? Plus, they’ve got lots of feathers, maybe they could dye them? Or if they were feeling particularly adventurous, they dye their feathers to resemble other birds, like Bluejays, or Peacocks!

Orcs are pretty humanish for the most part, but the big thing that sets them apart, (aside from, ya know, being green,) is their tusks. I feel like the Orcs would be really into decorating their tusks. Maybe they’d put little caps made of precious metal on them, or paint them in Clan colors. Heck, maybe they’d even carve little symbols or runes into them. It would probably hurt like the dickens, but somehow I can’t imagine that stopping them. Lol

Speaking of carving, Tortles! I bet they carve all kinds of stuff into their shells! Or at the very least paint them! They’ve got a big ol’ canvas right on their backs, why not use them?

Tabaxi are covered in fur, making things like tattoos pretty difficult. After all, the point of a tattoo is to pigment your skin, and unless you shave it off, fur kinda makes that tricky. So what if they tattooed their paw pads? It’s basically the only exposed skin they have, except maybe the inside of their ears, which might be a bit too sensitive to tattoo. Also, I like the idea of Tabaxi painting their claws. They’re retractable, so you can’t see them most of the time, but on the occasion that a Tabaxi does decide to relieve someone of their face, at least they’ll be doing it in style!

Ever since the Rabbitfolk/Harengon (their the same thing, don’t worry about it,) were announced I’ve been thinking about bunnies with earrings. I mean, they’ve got so much ear real estate! Why not use it? Also, I imagine that those big flippy flops get in the way when you’re moving a lot, so I bet Rabbitfolk/Harengon use something like a hair tie, or something to their ears from flying around all over the place.

Centaurs! A cross between a horse and human! You know what that means? Caparisons baby! (For the record, Caparisons are those big fancy cloths knights used put on their horses. If you’ve seen a horse wearing something like a dress or a big skirt, that’s a Caparison. At least, according to my limited horse knowledge. Lol) It’s always struck me as a little strange then Centaurs were okay running around naked from the waste down, so this my answer to that. Fancy horse dresses! Also, I like to imagine that Centaur hair grows more like a horse’s mane than human hair, so really long, and tending to fall to one or the other side of their head. So maybe some Centaur cultures are really into braiding?

Minotaur time! Maybe it’s a bit stereotypical to imagine a Minotaur with a nose ring, but honestly it just fits in my brain. Maybe it has some kind of cultural significance, like maybe it acts the same way as a wedding ring, or maybe it denotes rank in their community. Another important bit are those big lovely horns! I can imagine all kinds of decorations on those bad boys! You could go simple, and just slap a few simple rings on there, or could a little more complex and do piercings,(Does it count as a piercing if it’s a horn?) and hang a bunch of dangly stuff on em! You could paint the horns, carve designs in them, heck, you could even drill holes in both horns, and run a chord or chain connecting them! All kinds of possibilities!

Finally, let’s talk lizards, specifically Dragonborn. Honestly, I can’t imagine Dragonborn painting their scales, or even wearing too much flashy jewelry. The impression I get from Dragonborn is that they are immensely proud of their Draconic heritage, and tampering too much with their scales would probably be seen as either disrespectful, or maybe even shameful.(Because why would you want to hide your scales, the single most visible sign of your glorious draconic lineage, unless you were disgusted by them, ashamed of them?) What I CAN see them doing is trying every possible way to show off and enhance their scales. Dragonborn would definitely take meticulous care of their scales, and that includes shining them up to make shine like a dang mirror. They might even use some kind of wax, or something to protect them from damage.

My point is, with all this rigamaroll I just spouted, is self expression should not be not limited to human sensibilities. No matter what they look like, these are people, and people aren’t manufactured on a conveyer belt. Get creative with your characters looks, take things like species, background, and culture into account, have fun with it!