#And later on in the mod there are some very powerful blocks and abilities

[somethingwittyandweird]

If I can add: I'm a second voice for Hexcasting being an absolute one of a kind mod that enables a certain kind of wizard experience uniquely well. And the way it does it is by making you the player *learn,* not simply having you go through the existing mechanics of Minecraft with a wizardy texture over the process.

The classic wizard is a wizard because they study: their arcane prowess comes from academic learning, research, etc. The measure of a wizard's power is how much they *know.* They can cast the magic circle because they've studied its mystic patterns a thousand times. They can inscribe the ancient scroll because they've learned every glyph on it. They make magic brews based on their experimental knowledge of the interactions between ingredients.

So it is with Hexcasting: knowledge and study are the path to improvement. Where most mods offer progression synced with Minecraft- i.e. the items you can have and their strength are based on the availability of resources gated behind different biomes/dimensions/etc.- Hexcasting's progression is about learning and about practice. It gives you the runes upfront and you have to teach yourself how to combine them: before you can make a spell that does x to target y, you have to learn the 5 rune sequence that it takes to 'target y' and then add on the rune that 'does x'. And because basically every useful spell has to be directed to a target in some way, you'll get a *lot* of practice drawing the 'target y' sequence. Then you'll also learn the similar but not quite identical sequences for arriving at y in different ways. As you continue, you'll become familiar with the runes, what they're able to accomplish, and how how each of them is used.

And as you design and cast more of these spells, you'll actually genuinely gain proficiency- you get better and faster at drawing familiar sequences without flipping back through the sigil notes, and you'll understand more about how the sigils interact, which lets you write and cast more complex spells. The ludonarrative harmony of practicing your spells until you're good at them- not that you've unlocked better items, but that *you* have improved in your ability to cast- is what I think makes this mod so good at delivering on the wizard fantasy.

thank you for immediately plugging hex casting, i was just about to ask if anything has fulfilled your inner wizard

time to fill my brain with it

no problem! i will always take every opportunity to plug hexcasting, it's genuinely a one of a kind experience imo

ultimately the main thing holding it back is minecraft itself, which i don't think has mechanically rich enough environments to use hexcasting's potential to the fullest. most everything you can do to a block or item in minecraft is pretty discrete and self contained with no real ripple effects or broader consequences. there are exceptions, of course, but those are generally pretty limited in scope. if you cast a spell to ignite a block, the fire will burn whatever it's on and spread until it can't anymore. that's it

in guilder, if you cast a spell of "instantly immolate that thing ten feet in front of me," all of that heat has to go somewhere. being too trigger happy with spells like that will very rapidly raise the temperature of the room you're in and you may very well start baking yourself if you're not careful. this is the kind of nonsense that i want from my wizard games

noita exists on the opposite end of the spectrum from hexcasting with incredibly detailed and interactive environments, but a spellcasting system that very much isn't what i want at all. i don't want cool premade effects, i want a wide variety of basic tools to affect the environment with and the capacity for the complex logic necessary to make my own cool effects using those

unfortunately, i have done a lot of searching and to my knowledge the game i want just does not exist. i've seen tiny frgaments of it in other games before, but nothing that gets anywhere close to the big picture

[crepes-suzette-373]

[Ch 1119 spoiler] Sanji can activate his exoskeleton at will?? So it wasn't him flipping unconsciously, he was doing it on purpose???

Or, if it's not at will, at the very least he's fully aware that it's activated.

WHAT!?!?!??!!?

This is really important!! If he can be self-aware when the exoskeleton was activated or he can turn it on and off at will, then he knows this is happening when he said "Power of Love". He might just be sarcastic, but he still knows full well that what he is calling "Power of Love" is the Germa mods.

See below how one moment the brow is normal and the next he can just casually do Ifrit Jambe (brow flipped, of course):

I know I probably shouldn't assume too much with very minimal info, but... there doesn't seem to be any alternative explanation at this point?

If Sanji doesn't mind calling the exoskeleton mods "Power of Love", then it's not impossible for the mods to be "redeemed" into just a force of good later. All we need is to make sure there is to somehow remove the time bomb trigger of his emotions getting messed up.

For the longest time I've noted that Sora was only protesting about the boys' emotions being fiddled with (theory post here). She did not say she's not okay with them having powers.

TL;DR in my analysis I've come to the conclusion that the reason why Sanji's modifications also disappeared when Sora's medicine worked on him because all the modifications are in the lineage factor. Whatever is in that medicine, it affected the entire lineage factor and so it blocked both the emotion manipulation and also the physical manipulation. We just don't really know the why and how specifics yet.

Therefore, Sanji keeping the powers is not against Sora's intentions. Once again, as long as he doesn't lose his ability to empathise and be kind, the exoskeleton and superpowers are fine. It'd be exactly like the Kamen Rider parallel, where the Rider got his whole powers from the evil organisation that he was fighting. He was just using that ill-gotten powers for the sake of good.

In some of my older theory posts I mentioned since Vegapunk is out of commission, extracting or manipulating very very specific strands of the lineage factor might be doable using Law's fruit powers, since it can selectively extract out his disease. We'll see later...

I'm kind of cautiously hopeful/excited. When I made the solar eclipse theory with Germa being the moon and Sora being the sun, I'm not sure if the intention is that he needs to get rid of the eclipsing moon to "become the sun" (remove Germa mods entirely), or the moon can stay but needs to be "adjusted/realigned" so that it can function properly because moonlight is simply the sun's reflection after all (fixing the Germa mods so that the exoskeleton and heightened speed and strength can stay, but no longer has any impact on his "heart"/emotions).

My personal preference is the latter, but in the fandom people were hyping up the former. I've seen some theories saying that Sora's medicine gave Sanji superpowers that is not the Germa mods somehow, so I wasn't overly confident with my theory, but this new chapter indicates that the version that I like is not completely impossible or off base. Crossing fingers...

Also this gives me a liiiiiittle bit more hope that 124ji can be healed later too. Think about it, even a full lunar eclipse doesn't make the moon go entirely dark and disappear. It just makes it look red and weird. There's still light in there.

[reimalebario]

Character Creation Challenge 2024 - Day 5

Up until now I’ve been doing fairly simple characters for fairly simple systems because, although I do want to do this, I haven’t had a lot of time or energy because this month is frankly horrific. So I also haven’t really talked much about the games or the character creation process within them.

But tonight I have a bit of time to myself and I’m going in.

So, read along as I create a character for … (duhn duhn DUHN!) … Powers & Perils! Not a recent game but also not one very many people would describe as “a classic” so much as “a relic best forgotten”. But I do own the core set, the setting box “The Perilous Lands” (which, to be fair, is very good and I used it as the setting for a long Rolemaster campaign) and the module The Tower of the Dead. But I have never dared try to convince my group to actually play P&P.

Well, let’s get started!

The first thing I have to do is roll 2d10 for each of my ten Characteristics to determine my “Native Ability in each. Well, the actual first thing is to open Excel because there’ll be a lot of shit to keep track of here, but the second thing, then, is to roll Characteristics. OK, I actually first need to choose Race and Sex before I roll as this game gives you characteristic mods for both. Which isn’t great but there it is. I’m going for a human woman. Human to keep this from getting too complicated (the other choices are Elf, Faerry and Dwarf). Woman because, all in all, women get slightly better modifiers than men. Anyway, I get 7, 15, 15, 16, 13, 13, 6, 10, 7 and 13 for Strength, Stamina, Dexterity, Agility, Intelligence, Will, Eloquence, Empathy, Constitution and Appearance respectively. 

You may be wondering what “Native Ability” means about which the rulebook has this to say: “Native Ability represents the phenotypic potential of

the Character.” I think this makes it very clear. Thank you.

Constitution and Appearance are special. For these, I need to roll on a tablel to determine a multiplier to determine my Current and Maximum Ability as, for some reason, these values can’t change. I get multipliers of 5 and 2 so my Current and Maximum Ability in them are 35 for Constitution and 26 for Appearance. For all of the others, I simply roll 2d6+14 for a number of Multipliers that I must assign to the other eight Characteristics in blocks of 0.5 to get the numbers by which I must multiply the Native Ability to find the Maximum Ability. I get 19 which isn’t great. I assign them in a way that mainly focuses on my character’s physical stats as I see her being, perhaps, a thiefy sort.

Next I need to roll a d100 twice to determine Age and Station. She’s 18 years of age and Station 1 which translates to Free man, Common soldier or servant. I now roll for Initial Increases on 2d10 plus Station plus double Age. I roll 17 on the dive for a total of 54. These must be assigned to the four categories Characteristic Points, (Combat) Experience Points, Expertise Points (for Skills) and Wealth. At least 5 points must be assigned to each category and I start by putting that minimum into Wealth because with the lowly status I enjoy, I’ll get virtually nothing for them anyway. I’ll put 7 into Experience to be Combat Experience Level 1 but i imagine being less of a fighter than a runner awayer, so I’ll split the bulk of the points not quite evenly between Characteristics and Expertise giving me 76 Characteristic Points and 340 Expertise Points for use in buying Skills later. I’ll spend the 70 Characteristice Points to boost my Characteristics closer to their lofty potentials.

I can optionally roll for Special Events where I roll once on a table for every full ten years of my character’s life so far (so: once). I will totally do this. I get a 41 meaning my character (whom I will now name Fela) has been imprisoned in the nation where the adventure is starting until she escaped 1d6 (4) days ago and is a wanted criminal. Oh, there’s a table to determine the severity of the crime that Fela committed. I roll a 31 – Felonious Theft. There’s a reward of 1d10 (10!) Gold Coins for her return. She could turn herself in and be rich! The reward is dead or alive, so Fela better watch her back.

OK, I need to determine a lot of boring ficured characteristics based on her stats. I’ll spare you the detail and just do it in Excel and get back to you.

There, done.

I need to get some skills now. I didn’t say, but earlier I need to choose to be either Barbarian or Civilized and just quietly chose Civilized without mentioning it but this affects my starting Skills. As a Civilized character of Station 1, Fela gets the following for free: either maximum possible EL (Expertise Level) in City Survival and EL 0 in Rhetoric or maximum EL in Survival in a different native terrain and EL 0 in Tracking. I see Fela as more of an urban type so I opt for the former. She also gets to choose between Husbandry, Forester or Miner or any two skills with a cost to learn of 15 (Exp points) or less. I’ll just take Miner. No wonder a life of doing crimes seemed more alluring.

Okay, now I finally get to spend my 340 points. There’s a confusing skill list where some of the skills are actually bundles of other skills. One such skill is “Thief” which is also the first skill I want to get for Fela. Its cost to learn is 100 for freelance thieves but only 75 for Guild thieves. But to become a Guild thief, Fela must roll equal to or less than her maximum possible EL as a thief (on a d100) to be accepted! This number is 48 and I roll a 60. She’ll have to go freelance and pay full price. It was probably the guild that shopped her to The Man! She pays 100 for a Starting Level which, due to a peculiarity of how Starting EL’s are determined and her Characteristic values is 51 – greater than her Maximum of 48. I’ll just give her the 48. I’ll also get her the Dancer skill to give her something to fall back on when crime isn’t paying enough. I’ll pay 76 Exp Pts for Dancer at her maximum EL (6). Why not let her learn to Read & write? I’ll spend 45 points on a starting EL, so she can read and write very poorly. Finally, I should probably get her some Combat Skills. I’ll get her Dagger – Fight and Dagger – Throw at EL 2 and 3 respectively and Scimitar at EL0 because why not? (That leaves Fela with 2 Exp pts unspent which I’ll just say are put into Scimitar to help her pay for her next EL in it.

I suppose I should buy her some equipment for her 10 Copper Coins and it’s late and I want to go to bed. 

Here’s a screengrab of as much of her character sheet as I could be arsed to fill out:

To be completely fair to P&P, this is actually a pretty compelling character, I think. Maybe I should give running it a go?

Speedy, continued

Speedy helps Fela get away from the countless people pursuing her for the rich bounty on her head and they go on many hilarious (mis)adventures together in The Perilous Lands after which Speedy’s stats increase to this:

Speedy Maledict

Apprentice

Muscle 44, Speed 59, Stamina 31, Mental 54, Luck 16, Total 204

Damage 5, Init 6, Heal 4, Power 6, Luck Roll 7, Force 20

Physical 45 (19x2)

Life Points 38

Skills: Pilot-1, Mechanic-1, Street Criminal-3, Unarmed-1, Rapier-3, Theatrical-1, Wilderness-2, Gamma Raygun-1, Futuristic-3, Magical-3, Stage Magician-1

Powers: Magneto-1

Rapier, Gamma Raygun, Backpack, Mechanic’s tools, 4 Gold Coins cash, Lockpicking tools

He’s starting to pick up some arcane abilities. Perhaps these will come in handy in the strange alien site he finds himself transported after foolishly picking up a strange beetle-shaped artefact in a dungeon? Perhaps, but almost certainly not.

[coder4u]

Minecraft Coding For Kids- Beginner’s Guide In 2023

Is Minecraft a game of coding ?

Without a doubt, Minecraft is cool—even the majority of parents can easily concur on that one! What about the long-term educational, entrepreneurial, and general benefits of the sandbox game for kids?

I can already imagine our youth of the future playing Minecraft. This quote is quite old, which is why I’m adding it. (It comes from author and businessman Joe Pulizzi in an essay titled “Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs Are Playing #Minecraft Today” that was published on LinkedIn.)

The journal article came out in 2013! Years later, I remain in agreement.

Why ?

since the most popular genre for our courses is consistently Minecraft.

But it goes beyond just the fact that children are playing Minecraft. In fact, you could argue that a child’s first experience with Minecraft is where its power truly begins.

From there, their experiences may diverge into a variety of worthwhile and possibly profitable streams. For instance, some people are producing Minecraft material for YouTube, while others are using the game as a springboard into a field like computer science.

The latter is what we’re discussing right now.

What is Minecraft coding for kids ?

Kids that are interested in coding for Minecraft can use it to customize its gameplay and goods. Coders, for instance, can make their own blocks and even come up with original adventure maps to share with peers.

Coding Languages used in Minecraft

Java was used to create Minecraft (not to be confused with JavaScript). So when it comes to Minecraft coding, Java is the main programming language. Java, in particular, is a potent multi-platform programming language. In addition to Minecraft and the Android operating system, it is used for a variety of other business and professional applications.

Thus, in addition to modifying Minecraft, children may utilize Java to create a variety of games for users around the world. All of this suggests that Java is one of the greatest programming languages for children.

Is Minecraft Good For Kids ?

Games are not just games, as was stated above and below, but rather a very genuine and spectacular process that occurs easily and frequently for kids nowadays. Games, on the other hand, become entry points for kids to investigate and do more than just “play,” such as wanting to dive into the field of computer science by learning to code.

And just as astounding, there is also the ability to perform these things. That is to say, there are numerous groups willing and equipped to teach coding to children who choose to pursue their interests.

Therefore, thanks to the coding classes and guidance available to them, kids who want to use code to take their passion for Minecraft to the next level may certainly do so.

1. Minecraft Game Design

In a course called “Game Design with Minecraft,” students learn to build Redstone machines and circuits as well as resource packs to re-skin their blocks and other goods. They also use command blocks to advance maps.

2. Build Mods with Minecraft

Students in this course study the fundamentals of Java on their journey to modding with Minecraft, moving from game design to a more specialised application for coding. Here, kids will acquire the knowledge and abilities required to design unique tools, blocks, and monsters for their very own adventure maps.

What Are Minecraft Mod Coded In ?

Simply put, Minecraft modifications let developers change and customize their favorite game in ways that they can only imagine! They can teleport across enormous bodies of water, mine bread from deposits, and do a lot more with mods. They can even pretend to be gods and use a mighty hammer.

Java Coding

Variable

A running program’s variables contain data about the program. Variables in Minecraft are used to hold the names of the blocks and things.

String

Text can be stored as a string; for instance, the words “carrot,” “apple pie,” “pear,” and “orange juice” are all strings. In Java, you may declare a string by typing “string” after the variable name.

If Statement

If a condition is satisfied, code can be executed thanks to an if statement. Code is run in Minecraft when a player attacks a creature to determine whether it has been vanquished.

Of course, there is a lot of coding jargon and definitions to master when it comes to Java for kids. But for the time being, it’s useful to relate these concepts to how they affect gaming so that children may begin to make connections between what they can accomplish with code and how those actions impact gameplay.

How A Child Learn To Code Through Minecraft

The ability to customize Minecraft is one of its unique aspects, both when it originally came out and even now. Thus, altering the game’s original computer code through the use of mods, often known as "mods," is a common method of game customization.

These mods are extras created by outside parties, frequently kids themselves, to improve the game. Learning Java and gaining expertise in Photoshop, debugging, and revision control are all necessary for designing mods.

Why Minecraft Is Important ?

Extremely devoted players and modders have created a whole community around Minecraft. Nearly everything a player might desire to personalize the game is available, including countless texture packs, game changes, custom maps, and skins.

A variety of topics are covered on websites, including how to build simple machines, how to create free gameplay servers (learn how to create and host a Minecraft server), and streams of people playing the game right now.

However, all things considered, in addition to playing and learning how to code, Minecraft still has a number of educational advantages that have yet to be discovered. It has also evolved from an independent game into an artistic tool for communities to collaborate on and create. Players of all ages will enjoy the projects, whether they are artistic, narrative-based, or logic-based machines.

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[gattsuru]

Vintage Story falls pretty heavily into this category, as do a large number of modded minecraft modpacks: by making the rewards for aggressive exploration minimal or aesthetic, .

In (vanilla) Vintage Story, rushing a bunch of ruins will at best get you some ratty clothing, some coal, and a few storage crates (more valuable than it sounds, but still not great for the risk), while setting up a homestead and farm is critical for food supplies, improving efficiency of stored food, later material progression and just surviving temporal storms. Plants take in-game weeks to grow (though they have large harvests), metal is time- and fuel-consuming to work, so on.

The meta approach, as a result, is genuinely to set up a base early and very seldom go more than a day's travel from it, and then only where you can set up waystations or secondary homes at those other locations. Gathering berry bushes or surface ore bits becomes the first focus. Going out at night when monsters spawn or into deep forests that might have wolves or bears is genuinely counterproductive.

Eventually -- usually late bronze or early iron age, generally mid-fall or 25+ hours in -- you can start fighting locusts well enough to go serious ruin-spelunking, but even then as soon as you start seeing higher-tier drifters you're gonna want to hunker down and turtle up with plate or scalemail armor and cautiously clear out areas room by room. When you do, it's to find lore, fancy clothing, and unusual blocks, rather than to boost your progression; even the fanciest stuff ('Jonas Tech') doesn't really boost your ability to handle any real combat- or survival-matters.

The only real serious risk-reward tradeoff early-game is Temporal Storms: going nuts in an open flat area will drastically increase the risk of getting one-shot in exchange for better chances at valuable Temporal Gears (used to reset respawn locations and open teleporters), compared to turtling up in a small room. But the Storms happen on an in-game clock with long delays.

In turn, though, there's little automation and industrialization: at most, you'll have a few windmill-powered tools and some steel-making furnaces at end-game now.

If you want more of the heavy automation focus, base-building focused modpacks may be more productive. Regrowth is a little older at this point, but it's a great modpack, and there's literally nothing to be found the exploration but some nicer scenery. Ultimate Alchemy is a bit shorter of a pack (maybe 20-30 hours?) but it's very heavily about learning automation and unintuitive results rather than just finding the scariest thing and punching it. Star Technology is a GregTech pack, and thus not really great as a first modded skyblock, but it is a bit of a blast. For a non-skyblock version, Manufactio is basically minecraft+factorio, as you might guess from the name, but so heavily favors progression to automate production rather than standard Minecraft exploration play that you can very well never bother dropping below the surface.

I guess... are there any games that reward slow, careful, "accumulative" play? Most games reward aggressive play, right. The fun way to play Minecraft is to slowly build up from nothing, you know, start out hiding in a hole in the ground and after many nights of mining slowly accumulate safety, wealth, luxury, and in the end game industrial style mass production. That's why Minecraft is fun, right, that's the emotional arc, rags-to-rich, slow, steady advancement as you plow ahead day after day.

But actually that's not the behavior Minecraft incentivizes as all, it incentivizes risky, fast paced adventure bullshit, raiding fortresses or whatever idk how Minecraft works anymore. That's not the emotional arc!

So what games do genuinely incentivize this? What games are actually about this?

[bottomlouisficfest]

Addressing Some Drama

We prefer not to address drama publicly because this is fic fest and people are here for writing tips and fics, but since people are making misleading posts about this fest, we decided to address it.

Last year, an individual signed up to be both a writer and a beta in the fic fest, but later dropped out as a writer. They said they were able to continue on as a beta, so we said that was fine and removed them from the fest.

Many months later, we heard from a writer whose fic this person had beta-ed that they had insulted BL writers and the fest and had made this writer feel uncomfortable. We received explicit proof of this, and so the beta was blocked from @blouisparadise​​, as that blog is intended to be a safe space for BL writers. When the person found out they were blocked, they had a friend ask why, and we explained the situation. They later reached out through another friend to apologize, which we thanked them for, but chose not to unblock them from the blog in order to keep it as an encouraging space for BL writers.

To our surprise, the person went on to sign up for the Bottom Louis Fic Fest soon afterwards. We treated them as we do every other writer and welcomed them into the fest despite their previous disparaging comments.

As many of you know, we require all writers to submit a draft of their fic about a month and a half before final fics are due. This draft has no minimum word requirement - it can just be a couple of paragraphs if a writer wants - but it’s a good way to ensure that writers are working on their fics.

This draft deadline is articulated to writers through email and on Tumblr at the beginning of the fest and it is also mentioned as a requirement in the rules for the fest. One week before this deadline occurs, the mods send emails to each participant in the fest to remind them to submit their draft via email. We also posted numerous reminders on Tumblr and on Twitter.

After the draft deadline passed, we didn’t receive drafts from several writers and reached out to them through email. This is the email we sent:

--

--

In the email above, we provided an additional week for these writers to either submit their draft OR simply reach out to us about an extension if needed.

We also mentioned on Tumblr and Twitter that we were sending this email, just in case some may not check their email frequently. Immediately, several writers sent their drafts, and some others let us know that they would be sending their later that week. However, there were a few that we did not hear from. We posted reminders throughout the week for those writers to please submit their draft OR to contact us about an extension, just as we did in the above email. We repeatedly reiterated that if writers chose to ignore our requests instead of reaching out, they would be removed from the fest.

When the one week draft extension passed, we had heard from most participants, but there were a few that did not get back to us. We sent them an email letting them know that they had been removed from the fest and that they would not be able to participate in future fests due to lack of communication, which is our only dealbreaker in terms of participation in the fest.

The person who we mentioned above had failed to turn in their draft or reach out to us on any platform, so we sent them an email to let them know that they had been removed from the fest. They sent us the following in response:

--

--

At this point, we had posted or emailed at least 6 different reminders about the draft deadline and requested that writers simply reach out to us if they needed more time. We heard nothing back, not even a single line email letting us know that they needed more time, which we would’ve happily accepted just as we did for others. They only reached out after we let them know that they had been removed from the fest. We replied with the following:

--

--

We were willing to accept their draft later that day despite the fact that they had failed to reach out to us repeatedly and had now missed two deadlines. We expected that we would receive their outline and we would pretend the entire removal hadn’t happened, but instead, we received the following email:

--

--

This email and the accusations made it in have mysteriously been excluded from this person’s post about our response, which made it sound like we had sent a two-paragraph, rude response simply because they had tried to drop out, which is untrue. For most drop outs of the fest, we simply let them know that they’ve been removed and thank them for letting us know. However, for most drop outs from a fest, we aren’t insulted by the writers.

After we received this email, we were extremely frustrated and upset at being told that we somehow lacked compassion after we had done everything possible to ensure that this person and all our writers were aware of the draft deadline and that they should reach out if they need additional time.

We have no issues being accommodating - we have allowed numerous writers over the course of three years of the BLFF turn in their drafts late and turn in their fics late because we fully understand that fic writing is not everybody’s first priority and challenges come up in life. That’s why our only request, which we reiterate constantly, is that people simply REACH OUT TO US when they are struggling or won’t be able to keep to a deadline. We are human beings, we are not all-knowing, and it is impossible to run a fest that had 100+ initial sign ups when writers will not communicate with us. We cannot know that you need help or more time when you choose to stay silent about it.

This writer had countless opportunities and chose to wait until after they had been removed, and even then, we still gave them the chance to submit their draft, only to be told that we had no compassion. As you can also see, they chose to drop out of the fest and express that they did not want to work with any fest like ours because we apparently did not care for their well-being and treated their life circumstances as a burden, also untrue.

This was our response:

Most of this email is addressing their accusations about the mods of the fest lacking compassion. We do everything in our power to help every single writer get through our fest successfully. We send emails, we post writing tips, we reach out to writers to send reminders, we post reminders to both Tumblr and Twitter, we answer questions, and we check our email daily. We have run the fest for long enough now to realize that there will always be issues for some that prevent them from staying in the fest or that ensure they require extra time, and that’s something that we accept and accommodate as much as possible. It’s why our biggest requirement for the fest is simply communication.

We’re not sure why this individual chose to selectively post private emails today in order to paint a picture of a situation that was not accurate, though we can probably guess. We’re also not sure why others in response to that post are spreading lies, but perhaps jumping on the bandwagon of hate is more fun than acknowledging the truth of any situation.

As mods of this fest, we always try to strike a balance between having rules and deadlines in order to ensure things run smoothly, and providing accommodations for people when things come up that make it difficult for them to adhere to a deadline or stay in the fest. We do our best, and we’re sure we don’t always get it right, but we think we did here. We don’t understand how anyone can suggest that providing six reminders about a deadline and an additional week to either submit a draft or to reach out to discuss options lacks compassion. We also don’t understand how anyone can send that email to strangers as though we are bad or cruel people for simply expecting all writers in a fic fest to follow a few very simple, clearly articulated rules.

Human beings participate in fic fests, but human beings run them too. We do not have the time or ability to jump through hoops to track down writers for a fic fest. We’re sympathetic to everyone who signs up for a fest and then has to deal with personal struggles that interfere with their ability to write their fic or stick with the deadlines. That’s why we do everything we can to help those people, but when our attempts to reach out and our reminders are ignored, and when we are then insulted for providing yet another chance, we are not going to respond positively to that. Even less so when it’s from an individual who has a history of insulting the fest and the types of fics this fest includes.

We apologize if we upset anybody with our response, but we also hope that people will read through the full emails to see the full story and realize that all we have ever done with this fest is do the best we can. Since we cannot individually keep up with 90 people and their personal situations as we run the fest, the one ask that we have is that people communicate with us when it comes to any issues they may be having so we can try to help. When someone chooses not to keep up that bare minimum requirement of communication and we respond accordingly, we don’t think we deserve to be insulted for that. Some may disagree, but that’s our personal take.

If you got through this, thanks for listening. And now, back to fics! 😊

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #177

Today on Fate and Phantasms we’re making Nitocris (Assassin), the return of best girl! All we gotta do for this build is make a build where you can defend yourself with a super powerful sheet, drown your enemies, and summon Medjed for combat. Super easy.

Oh yeah, we also have to make a super-adaptable vehicle that can defend us from any kind of harm because SOMEBODY went ham on the safety features and left us with having to stick them in the build. I’m not saying names though, and Scheherazade should be grateful.

Anyways, this build’s mostly a Shepherd Druid because druids are busted like that, but we’re still dipping into Grave Cleric for a bit of flavor and Monk for her defenses and a better time in melee combat.

Check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: Team Killer Demon King of the Xth Heaven!

Race and Background

Surprisingly, putting on a swimsuit doesn’t change your life story that much. Nitocris is still a Fallen Aasimar Noble, giving her +1 Wisdom, +2 Constitution, Darkvision, Celestial Resistance to radiant and necrotic damage, Healing Hands to heal people as an action, the Light cantrip, and proficiency with History and Persuasion. You are a pharaoh, and you are Nitocris. That’s all you need to understand history and to persuade people.

Ability Scores

Actually surprisingly, putting on a swimsuit does change your physical abilities a little bit. Your Wisdom is still the highest stat, you’ll want that for ruling and for summoning god magic. However your second highest stat is Constitution. That sheet can really take a beating. Dexterity comes next so you don’t die while wearing a swimsuit. Your Charisma isn’t bad, I wish it could be higher, but we don’t need it mechanically. Your Intelligence is a little low, but it’s summer, everyone’s relaxed. Finally, dump Strength. You still aren’t a powerhouse, except in our heart.

Class Levels

1. Druid 1: Starting off as a druid gets you proficiency with Intelligence and Wisdom saves, as well as two druid skills. I’d grab Religion and Animal Handling. You’re really good and handling those medjed, and mechanically most of them will be beasts in this build.

You can also write Druidic (it’s a language!) and cast and prepare Spells using your Wisdom. You can pick from any spells on the druid spell list, but you’re limited each long rest to a number equal to your wisdom modifier plus your druid level.

You also get a couple cantrips that you’ll always have; I suggest Guidance so you’re always a bit better than those plebians, as well as Shape Water as a taste of what you’ll be able to do later.

In order to shape water, you’ll first have to make it, with Create or Destroy Water. A lot of your drowning spells require standing water to work, so you’ll be well acquainted with this one moving forward. You also get Absorb Elements and Protection from Evil and Good to serve as your early defensive buffs from your cloak.

2. Monk 1: For further defense, we’re bouncing over to monk real quick to get Unarmored Defense, giving you an AC of 10 plus your dexterity modifier plus your wisdom modifier. You also get Martial Arts, letting you make physical attacks using your Dexterity instead of strength, dealing a minimum of 1d4 damage. Also, you can attack as a bonus action after attacking as an action. The medjed are great, but sometimes you have to stand up for yourself.

3. Cleric 1: One last multiclass, I swear. As a Grave cleric, you learn and prepare some more Spells using your Wisdom, and you also have a Circle of Mortality so your healing spells automatically do as much healing as possible on creatures that are at 0 HP. You also get a buffed version of Spare the Dying that you can cast at range as a bonus action. On top of that, your Eyes of the Grave can use your action Wisdom modifier times per long rest to sense undead nearby.

You also get even more cantrips! Grab Resistance for more defense, Thaumaturgy to truly capture the godly aspect of being a pharaoh, and Toll the Dead for just a bit of ghosts. As a treat.

You also get first level spells, including Bane and False Life for free! Being covered in medjeds makes it hard to do stuff, and again, that’s one cool cloak. You can also swap protection from evil & good and create & destroy water over here to free up some druid space, but for new spells check out Command for a pharaoh’s intimidating presence and Shield of Faith to either increase your own AC or throw your towel on another ally.

Since this is your third level overall, you also get your Necrotic Shroud, spending an action to create a true beach panic in a 10′ radius around you. When you transform, you force a charisma save (8 + proficiency + chr mod) on all creatures in range, and if they fail they’re frightened for a round. For a minute afterwards you can add necrotic damage to your attacks once per turn. Afterwards, you can’t do this again until you take a long rest.

4. Druid 2: Now that our multiclassing is done, we can go back to our main class and become a Shepherd druid. As a second level druid, you can either use Wild Shape to transform into an animal yourself (not really canon, but you know how egyptian gods are) or you can use those charges to summon a Wild Companion with a free Find Familiar spell. If you turn into a beast, it has to be cr 1/4 or lower, and can’t have a swimming or flying speed. Your physical stats get replaced with the new stat block, but you keep your proficiencies and your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. The beast’s HP effectively becomes extra HP for you, and once that’s depleted you turn back into a human. er, aasimar. You keep all the cool stuff from your race & classes, but you can’t cast spells while an animal.

Whether you use your wild shapes to turn into an animal or find familiars, they both last Half your Druid Level hours, and you get two uses per short rest.

As a shepherd druid, you can use your Speech of the Woods to speak Sylvan or to animals, and you also get a Spirit Totem that can protect your party for up to a minute that you can summon as a bonus action once per short rest. Later we can call these safety features in your car, but for now they’re just kind of here.

If you summon a bear spirit, creatures you choose in the aura get temporary HP, and advantage on strength checks & saves. If you summon a Hawk Spirit, you can use your reaction to give advantage on an attack in the aura, and all allies have advantage on perception checks. If you summon a unicorn spirit, you get advantage on all checks to detect creatures (kind of horning in on the hawk’s territory, but w/e) and you can heal each creature inside the aura at the same time you use any healing spell. Perfect if your best friend is terrified of death!

5. Druid 3: Third level druids get second level spells, like Summon Beast for your very first medjed! It’s not spectacular, but you can create land, sea, or air medjeds to give those mini nobbus a run for their money. You could also use Animal Messenger for utility medjeds. If you need to make a quick escape, pull down your hood to Pass without Trace. I won’t bring it up each level, but feel free to grab healing spells too. It’s what Scheherazade would have wanted. Also, feel free to ask the gods for advice with Augury.

6. Druid 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to become Resilient against dexterity saves. This rounds up your dexterity for stronger punches and a better AC, and you also become proficient in dexterity saves so that fireball won’t be quite as dangerous.

Your Wild Shape improves a bit, letting you transform into swimming creatures of CR 1/2 or less.

You also learn the Mending cantrip, because that cloak of yours has seen a lot of action by this point, and it probably needs some loving.

7. Druid 5: Fifth level druids get third level spells, like Conjure Animals. You can summon eight beasts of CR 1/4 or lower, four of CR 1/2, two of CR 1, or 1 of CR 2. They’re friendly, and listen to your commands. I’d recommend some smaller creatures for a medjed swarm, or one big creature for your car. Aurochs are good for flat land, Cave Bears for water, a young bulette if you expect to run people over... this is a pretty versatile solution.

You can also use Protection from Energy for more... protection, and Tidal Wave for your first true drowning option against your foes. Creatures in a 30′ by 10′ by 10′ area must make a dexterity save, and if they fail they take bludgeoning damage and get knocked prone. On a success they take half damage and stay standing. Afterwards, the water spreads out an extinguishes fires, but sadly it doesn’t stick around, so you’ll still have to use Create & Destroy Water for the bigger spells coming up.

8. Druid 6: Sixth level shepherds become Mighty Summoners, giving their creations two more HP per hit die and letting them slip through nonmagical damage resistances. The medjed are gods in their own right, getting stopped by a devil would just be weird.

9. Druid 7: Seventh level druids get fourth level spells like Control Water, which lets you control freestanding water within a 100′ cube. You can create floods which create waves in larger bodies of water, you can part water to move through them (...Ozymandius will not be happy to see that little trick pop back up in his life), redirect the flow of water in impossible ways, or create a Whirlpool in larger bodies of water that traps creatures who fail an athletics check.

If you want your medjed to be a little more godlike, try Conjure Woodland Beings to summon fey creatures instead of beasts. At least they’ll have magic?

10. Druid 8: Eighth level druids get another Wild Shape improvement, so now you can fly as a creature of CR 1 or lower. (Also it’s weird that Wild Companion didn’t get any buffs as you level up.) Either way, use your new ASI to bump up your Wisdom for stronger spells and a better AC.

11. Druid 9: Ninth level druids get fifth level spells, like Antilife Shell, the ultimate in anti-personnel protection! For up to an hour, living creatures outside your barrier can’t enter or make attacks against you unless they have ranged or reach weapons. The downside is that if you get surrounded and can’t move the other creatures away, you’re stuck unless you pop that bubble. You could also Awaken a huge or smaller creature or plant to act as your car on a more permanent basis. Awakened trees aren’t the fastest rides, but they’re pretty sturdy. The awakened thing is charmed for up to 30 days or until your party does something stupid, afterwards it’s up to the target to decide how it feels about you. Don’t mistreat your car.

12. Druid 10: Tenth level druids get another cantrip, and Druidcraft is just really versatile. It’s good. Your spirit totem also become a Guardian Spirit, healing your summoned creatures at the end of their turn by half your druid level.

13. Druid 11: With sixth level spells, you can summon a great medjed to lead your troops with Conjure Fey, creating a fey or beast of CR 6 or lower. It’s friendly while you maintain concentration, but if that drops it becomes hostile and might attack. A lot of your spells work best with good charisma checks, thankfully you’re Nitocris. You can also create Primordial Wards, giving you resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage for up to a minute. During that time, you can react upon taking damage of those types to gain immunity to that type until the end of your next turn, at which point the spell ends.

14. Druid 12: Use this ASI to max out your Wisdom for all those reasons that are still there since last ASI.

15. Druid 13: Most of your new seventh level spells aren’t super in character, but you can use Symbol to set traps for unsuspecting enemies and leave them scattered about your car. Technically you can’t move an object symbol after you set it, but a surface symbol as no such issue, so it’s time for a paint job. There’s a lot of different symbols, but most of them are very unpleasant for your foes.

16. Druid 14: Your final Shepherd goody turns your car into a Faithful Summons. When you’re reduced to 0 HP or incapacitated, you can instantly use Conjure Animals as a ninth level spell, creating 4 beasts of CR 2 or lower. That’s right, your car really does protect you now. The beasts will automatically defend you and fight against your foes, and the spell doesn’t require concentration. You can do this once per long rest.

17. Druid 15: Seventh level didn’t have much for you, but eighth level spells are a bit better. Antipathy/Sympathy helps your car defend you by repelling creatures from it. You can cast the spell on a huge or smaller object/creature and pick one kind of intelligent creature. Antipathy then forces any named creature within sight or 60′ of the target to make a wisdom save or be frightened while it remains near the car. While frightened, it has to move away from the target until it can’t see it, and it will automatically become frightened again if it moves back into range. If an affected creature ends its turn out of range, it can make another save, if it succeeds, the spell no longer affected and knows about the spell. Creatures that make their save are immune for a minute.

That’s a mouthful, but it’s not the only spell we want here! Tsunami creates a tsunami, creating a wall of water 300′ by 300′ by 50′. Each creature within the wall has to make a strength save, and if they fail they take bludgeoning damage. At the start of your turn after casting the spell, it moves 50′ away, along with creatures inside it. Then all the creatures it ran into/had already make another strength save or take more damage. At the end of each turn the wall moves, it loses 50′ in height and it deals less damage. When the wall is 0 feet tall, the spell ends.

Creatures can try to escape the wall by making an athletics check, but if they fail they can’t move at all.

18. Druid 16: Use your last ASI for a higher Dexterity to get more AC and stronger punches. They pale in comparison to a tsunami, but you can only do that once per day.

19. Druid 17: Congrats, you finally get ninth level spells! Shapechange will let you transform yourself into a true Medjed (assuming you’ve seen one by now). It works similar to your wildshape, but it isn’t limited to beasts and the CR limit is your level. (That being said, you could also turn into a leviathan next level if you’ve seen one, but that’s not in character)

20. Druid 18: Your final level of the build gives you a Timeless Body, reducing your aging by a factor of 10 so you can rule the beaches for centuries to come. You also get Beast Spells so you can cast spells without material components while you’re a beast.

Pros:

You make big waves, and big waves have big areas of effect. You’re very good at pushing around huge groups of people, both thanks to those waves and thanks to your summons.

Another benefit of being a big summoner druid is that you’re tough to get at. If your enemies can get through your medjed swarm you’ve still got an AC of 17/19 and plenty of healing to chew through before they can take you down. And taking you down just makes your medjed army bigger.

While your Awakened Tree car isn’t going to win you any first place medals, you aren’t limited to the one. Think about it- get enough money together and you can pretty much set up a living mobile base, so long as you stay on good terms with the trees propping it up.

Cons:

You are, however, limited to one spell at a time. A lot of your defensive spells and almost all your summons all need your concentration to function, and not only do they blink out of existence if you fail a constitution save, but they also  might attack you!

Those big floody spells you have? They’ll also hit your army. Unlike FGO, your medjed don’t pop back to a pocket dimension when their turn’s over- you’ll have to deal with them getting caught in the waves. That’ll also hurt your standing with the trees, probably.

Until you hit level 17, your best water-based spell is Control Water, which requires water to already exist in the area. You also are probably the only racer who has to make sure their car actually likes them. What I’m trying to say is you have to put up with a lot of fiddly setup to make your powers work as well as they can.

[monstersdownthepath]

Spiritual Spotlight: Tanagaar the Aurulant Eye

Lawful Good Empyreal Lord of Night, Owls, and Watchfulness

Domains: Animal, Darkness, Good, Law Subdomains: Archon, Feather, Moon, Night

Chronicles of Righteousness, pg. 25

Obedience: Find and observe a mouse or rat from no more than 30 feet away. Continue watching the mouse, unseen, for 100 breaths. Catch the mouse and release it in an area where owls hunt. Benefit: Gain a +4 sacred bonus on saving throws against effects that would hinder your sight or hearing.

Oh my god

After all these years, after all this searching, we’ve finally found it. We’ve found an Obedience that justifies carrying around a Sack Of Rats! It’s a miracle!

Anyway, this Obedience is ironically somewhat difficult to perform if your DM is being a stickler about it. Note that you not only have to find a rat--which means if you’re using a Sack Of Rats, you have to release it and then relocate it--but you have to watch it while being unseen. While one may assume that “unseen” simply applies to the rodent in question, the linguistic gymnastics we tend to pull here at Monsters Down The Path LLC to cheese Obediences sometimes works against us, and in this case “unseen” may not simply apply to your prey, but anyone. If your DM applies this additional stipulation, I hope you’ve got a good Stealth mod! And a good excuse about your weird behavior.

While Tanagaar isn’t exactly an evil guy, he’s not especially well-known, and your weird prowling may get some raised eyebrows. The good news is that as a Lawful Good deity (and an Archon at that), the number of times you’re likely to be sent into Evil territory to subtly work among them is 0, reducing your chances of needing actual excuses about why you’re skulking around like a cat. If, for whatever reason, you want to keep your worship of the Aurulant Eye under wraps, simply being a catfolk, kobold, or goblin is a good enough excuse.

Next comes catching the vermin and releasing it in an area where owls hunt. Simple enough in almost any environment but a desolate stretch of empty desert, winter wasteland, or subterranean cavern, as owls are very widespread, to the point that this Obedience could simply say “release it into the wild.” The biggest problem is refreshing your rodent stock, an issue that goes largely unaddressed in other Sack Of Rats Obediences because those usually require the death of any small critter, and this one specifically requires rodents. Better take up rat catching as a hobby or frequent the local pet store, I guess!

The benefit is more amazing than it looks at first glance, because Monsters Down The Path LLC’s patented Linguistic Gymnastics is here to point out that any effect which could impair your sight or hearing is blocked, even if that effect is SECONDARY, such as against powerful spells like Sunburst or against afflictions like Blinding Disease. Having your senses stripped from you is always bad, even for a short time, but the fact this benefit applies to “any effect” that would “hinder” your sight or hearing means it works on everything from having dust blow in your eyes to an enemy’s Greater Shout, and it can potentially give you an edge against dozens or hundreds of other effects which tack on sensory abuse as a bonus effect, making it a fantastic bonus at all levels. It even applies to EVERY saving throw instead of just Fortitude!

Boons are gained slowly, typically achieved once you reach 12, 16, and 20 Hit Dice. Followers of the Empyreal Lords, however, can enter the Mystery Cultist Prestige Class at level 8, which grants them their Boons much quicker! Entered as early as possible, you gain the Boons at levels 10, 13, and 16 instead. Mystery Cultists MUST take the Celestial Obedience feat, NOT Deific Obedience.

Empyreal Lords do not grant the typical Evangelist/Exalted/Sentinel spread (and cannot enter those classes), instead having only one set of Boons granted to their followers regardless of their class.

Boon 1: Forest Dweller. Gain Calm Animals 3/day, Eagle Eye2/day, or Deeper Darkness 1/day.

Oh, interesting! Never seen Eagle Eye here before, and it’s actually a good spell! ... sort of. It creates a magical sensor above you, upwards to 400ft+40ft/lvl, from which you can see as though you were there and rotate your viewpoint around freely. It’s more or less to give one a birds-eye view of a battlefield, akin to someone playing an RTS with an over-the-field viewpoint to make commanding armies easier, though the birds-eye view is also very, very useful for spotting threats to a small group of people (such as the party) that they cannot see from the horizontal plane.

Also, needless to say, but having a safe way to see the surrounding terrain from several hundred feet above it can make navigating towards a destination or landmark much easier. With a 1 min/lvl duration and 2/day availability, you can be the party’s aerial lookout without ever actually leaving the ground and putting yourself in danger, and the sensor itself is invisible as well if you fear flying enemies. Eagle Eyes isn’t useful at all inside enclosed environments, and in fact cannot be used to spy into the floors above you unless you have line of effect, but if you want to peel inside, say, the Evil Wizard Tower without alerting them via the use of a familiar or similar, go crazy.

Calm Animals causes up to 2d4+CL HD worth of animals to become docile and harmless for its duration, but for it to actually work on a group of animals, they all must be roughly the same type (i.e. a pack of wolves) and cannot be further than 30ft apart. This isn’t really a problem, as using it on a bunch of angry animals usually means you’re hitting a pack of scavengers or predators you’ve angered, and its generous scaling means that it’ll be useful at all levels of the game whether you need to slow down a charging pack of raptors or just one big T. Rex--wait a T. Rex has how many hit dice? well, scratch that particular idea I guess. unless you get lucky with your 2d4 roll. Still useful. The big problem is that it’s completely useless against anything that’s not an Animal, and if an Animal suddenly receives the gift of sapience--even temporarily--the spell has no effect on them. That makes this spell useful for traveling through the wilds (or, rarely, stopping the charge of an enemy warhorse), but not for much else.

Which leaves Deeper Darkness, the spell which hammers your party just as hard as it does an enemy. Creating a 60ft sphere of absolute black can send chaos through the ranks of more or less any foe, because if the area was already low or dim light it becomes supernaturally pitch that not even darkvision can pierce it! Not even yours. Cutting off your party’s ability to see is just as crippling for them as it is your enemy, so be sure to have some method to actually take advantage of the shroud or you’ll end up swinging at empty air or, worse, swing at allies. While it’s good for making an escape, Obscuring Fog is way better, way cheaper, and doesn’t take away your magical flexibility.

Boon 2: Owl's Eye. You gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, increase its range by an additional 60 feet.

Wow! Boring! But useful for more or less everyone, since not needing torches or a light source when skulking around in the dark or keeping night watch makes it less likely you’re spotted by some prowling predator or sadistic dungeon-dweller, but it’s noting spectacular or even particularly noteworthy. I appreciate that Tanagaar extends existing darkvision outwards, but it’s rare you’ll actually need more than 60 feet unless you’re actually adventuring in an open area after dark.

It’s a decent Boon, but it’s also insultingly easy to replicate with existing spells or cheap items (such as a Wand or Potion of Darkvision), making its impact a little hard to appreciate.

Boon 3: Hunter's Edge. You gain Sneak Attack +3d6. This increase to Sneak Attack damage stacks with Sneak Attack damage you may have from other sources. Whenever you deal Sneak Attack damage with a piercing weapon, you deal +2 points of damage per Sneak Attack die.

huh hey that’s pretty good

hey aren’t you supposed to be Lawful, Tanagaar? Not that I don’t appreciate a little bit of pragmatism among the forces of Good, but stabbing someone in the kidney from behind seems kinda underhanded, doesn’t it? Then again, so does summoning flocks of owls to gouge out enemy eyes or appearing before them as a terrifying phantasm to gently coerce them into surrender. Even Law knows when it needs to fight dirty, I suppose.

Not that you HAVE to, mind; with how easy it is to set up a Sneak Attack (you literally just have to be flanking), you don’t have to be particularly sneaky. Just standing across from an ally and stabbing someone in the throat when they turn away from a brief second deals +3d6 damage to them, which is already good before you take into account that, actually, it’s 3d6+6 because Tanagaar superdupercharges your Sneak Attacks with +2 damage per die! Even NOT having SA to begin with is still adding a flat +6 damage to your attacks that stacks with all your other damage modifiers, but having SA available beforehand--such as by being a Rogue, a Ninja, a Slayer, or one of the rare archetypes to hand it out--is especially viable because Hunter’s Edge stacks with ALL other sources. Have +5d6 from your class already? Now it’s 8d6+16 damage.

It’s even tastier if used on a ranged weapon, but make no mistake, it’s still pretty damn nice just at its base regardless of your build... unless you’re a Mystery Cultist, which is aimed mostly at casting and doesn’t get anything particularly martial-aligned until later levels. Classing into Mystery Cultist also means that your Sneak Attack is unlikely to be at all impressive (you may reach 6d6, but certainly not the impressive 8d6 I proposed), but the only other option is waiting for this ability to kick in at level 20, which is simply unacceptable. Aside from that, the only real problem I have with this ability is that it specifically works with piercing weapons... and since Tanagaar’s holy weapon is the kukri, you actually miss this Boon entirely if you stick only to his weapon of choice, and your god actively discouraging you from using any of their sacred aspects isn’t a good look for anyone!

You can read more about him here.

[inventors-fair]

Missed Opportunities Commentary

Thank you all, once more, for a fantastic week. I wish my schedule allowed me to do this more often, since it really is so much fun. Now, then, let’s get into it! All 14 remaining submissions are under the cut, card and commentary included.

We’re going to be going in reverse alphabetical order this time, so let’s start it off with @shadowtag‘s submission, Traumatic Reunion

This is an absolutely beautiful callback to Cathartic Reunion in both function and flavor, but this is not a black effect. The only color allowed to return any card type from their graveyard to their hand is green, and spells that return multiple cards at once all exile themselves (or otherwise remove themselves from your graveyard like Seasons Past.) Very good job on the flavor, but unfortunately the mechanics don't quite pull through.

@misterstingyjack​ Tocasia’s Ingenuity

A deep pull to be sure, but not an unwelcome one. Although, given that Primal Plasma is blue, and blue is the central overlapping color between Urza and Mishra, I don't see why this wasn't a blue card. The fact that it makes a token with all the abilities of the card is strange to me too, as with Soul Separator from Shadows Over Innistrad there is precedent of making token copies of things in graveyard with different characteristics. That aside, an artifact focus was 100% the right direction to take here, even with the Elementalist spin, and the card is well balanced, all things considered. Unrelated to the judging, you mentioned Darksteel Colossus in the notes, but unfortunately that wouldn't work. Darksteel Colossus shuffles itself into your library if it would be put into a graveyard, so it's impossible to interact with it in the graveyard (Blightsteel Colossus does this as well.)

@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes​ The First Battle

I always love to see the Demon Leviathan given the attention it deserves. The lore on this is absolutely wonderful, but it's also way too much text to put on a Saga. If it did fit, I'd suggest swapping the first two chapters so that you can better set up the killing blow, but as it is I think it should just be an instant or sorcery that makes the planeswalkers fight and adds the counters immediately.

@ozthearistocrat​ Mistmeadow Jack

I also had to look this one up, and flavorfully I'm liking what I'm seeing! Unfortunately, this is not a white card. Stealing things, even temporarily, is not a white effect. If this card were blue to cast with a white activation (or keeping the hybrid activation) it would have been perfect.

@snugz​ Khanfall

Choices were a big part of Fate Reforged, and Khans block in general, so it makes sense that a splashy mythic set in that time would have a choice attached as well. However, given that the card is named Khanfall, and there's only one way that can go down, it seems strange to me that there's a choice at all. The mechanical aspects of this card are wonderful, but I think it should have done only one of these things rather than try for both.

@starch255 Hyperi, Titan of Sky’s Tyranny

I'm definitely a fan of the concept, and I'm glad you caught on and made the Helixing optional, but my feelings on Hyperi are mixed. The two Titans we have fit into a playstyle of "Good spells on turn 2/3, good value engines later in the game," but Hyperi doesn't. It's an absolutely backbreaking card late game, especially since grave hate powers up future versions, but on curve it most likely does nothing at all. You would have been better served making it either flat damage + lifegain or tied to a number other than cards in exile.

@gollumni​ Hurrik, Savior of Gods

There's a lot to say here, so let me start by assuring you that I really wish this card worked. If you activate this and target any creature that then dies to damage or 0 toughness, it creates an infinite loop of replacement effects that ends the game in a draw, because it doesn't remove marked damage or debuffs, so the creature will die again to state based actions so the replacement effect, which lasts until the end of the turn, will grab it ad infinitum. If it said "the next time" and removed damage, or it exiled and brought it back under your control, then it would work perfectly. It also saves your own creatures without the downside, which I don't think was intentional based on the wording.

@hypexion​ Hack the Guildpact

Maybe I have a skewed experience with this sort of thing, but this looks very easy to win with. If you have even three unique color pairs and a proliferate card, you'll win in three turns. But worse than that, the card doesn't do anything aside from winning the game. If it gets to 9 counters and then gets blown up, it didn't do anything. Cards which say "win the game" on them usually have either some sort of protection, like Helix Pinnacle and Darksteel Reactor, or some other effect to help win or survive, like Approach of the Second Sun and Simic Ascendancy. Maybe it could have a ramping scry/surveil based on the number of counters, and then win at 10.

@teaxch​ Gvar, Krumar Commander

It's simple and clean, although it doesn't quite carry the same flavor as what the Krumar really are. The mechanics of this card imply that they defeat the children and then take them, and although the flavor text describes it properly, it's still at odds with the functionality. A better way to do this might be to follow the example of Offspring's Revenge, and have Gvar make 1/1 token copies of opponent's creatures that die, with appropriate stat balancing.

@bread-into-toast​ Glimpse of Perfection

I get what you were going for, and I like it, but it's messy. It's a counterspell and a stealy card, but the fact that it namedrops the Shadowspear specifically means it's very niche, and the fact that you're paying more than usual for the counterspell, and then 4 life (or UU) for a 1 mana artifact that you don't always keep forever makes the card underwhelming even when it does work. I think a better way to accomplish this flavor would have been to make both the counterspell and search effect on etb, and make the steal effect search for any artifact with mana value 1 or less.

@morbidlyqueerious​ Glimpse Beyond

Mechanically, this card is perfect. Blue and green are the perfect combination of colors for this effect, weaving together cards like Commune With the Gods and Investigate the Mystery seamlessly. My only gripe is that, looking at this without the flavor text, I would not know what it's representing. It's a great effect, and I do love me some Rashmi, it's just a little too nonspecific.

@shakeszx Dack’s Fate

Very on the nose. Normally, most things about this card would be working against it, but in the specific context of War of the Spark, it fits very well. Legendary sorceries would have been great in a set with 36 planeswalkers, as well as planeswalker specific removal. I'm not sure why this is white, though. Nicol Bolas has never been associated with white, least of all the Eternals, and everything this card does can be done in mono black.

@wolkemesser​ Clockworking

Mechanically, this card is fine. I think it should have been a delayed trigger to choose one ("when you win" instead of if), and the "use" should be changed to "activate" but the card works as written. Apart from that, the effects are of wildly different power levels (compare Raise Dead to Disallow). Flavorfully, I'm very confused why you re-used a Lorwyn mechanic for the Scars of Mirrodin story, let alone one as divisive as Clash.

@col-seaker-of-the-memiest-legion​ ______, Planeswalker

This is a wonderful example of a card that is only silver bordered due to flavor. It functions exactly as intended in black border, without any changes to the rules or mechanics of the game, but is still a card that would never be printed outside of an Unset. That being said, the card itself does need a bit of a templating update. It needs to specify that you can look at cards exiled with it, otherwise you won't be able to play any of them, and I assume you meant for the last ability to be less than or equal to the number of land counters on the Planeswalker. Mechanically, there's a few changes that would need to be made to get it to the right spot in terms of balance. The cost, for one, is a mess. Twobrid mana isn't used anymore for good reason, and while I understand the intent behind its use here, it drags the design down. The fact that all of the abilities subtract loyalty means that even though it starts with 20 counters, you're likely not going to be able to play anything off of it. It playing the land in the second ability is more restrictive than you might assume, since the opportunity cost there is both drawing a card into the planeswalker and your own land drop for the turn.

~

And that will do it for us today! It was a genuine pleasure to host this for you all, and I look forward to the next time our paths cross in such a manner.

-Mod @illharg-the-rave-boar​

[12u3ie]

Long ago, three beings were created. Their names are Steve, Alex, and Herobrine. Steve and Herobrine were near mirrors of each other, twins, except for their eyes: Steve’s are blue while Herobrine’s were bright white. Alex looked very different than the two of them, but was still treated like a sister. The reasons and methods by which they were created are unknown and will likely remain so. They were the first three players in existence. Flying, instantly placing and breaking blocks, even manipulating the laws of worlds are just a few of their abilities. The three of them traveled throughout the early updates of Minecraft, exploring new lands and mechanics. 

One update, however, was a particularly rough one: Steve was fine, but Herobrine was weakened, and Alex was nearly killed. Despite the best efforts of the twins, she died a few days later. Both of them were distraught, and they locked themselves away in their small shelters. After many days of separation, Steve left his house to reconcile with his brother. What he found outside was a sight to behold: Herobrine was using his remaining power to bring Alex back from the dead. His hair grew streaks of gray and white, and once the spell was done, his eyes shifted from their harsh, snowy white to an electric blue. He had brought Alex back at the cost of some immortality. But Alex was back, although not in the way they expected. Her skin was a light, sickly teal, breaking at the seems and reeked of rotten flesh. Deep bags had grown under her eyes, and some bones were poking through her skin. At first, she was horrified by the sight of her zombified self, but came to accept her new look. 

The trio traveled through several more updates after this event, exploring new terrain and developing new skills. Herobrine eventually decided to leave the others to go on a solo expedition to the Farlands. Steve and Alex were sad to see him go, but let him go on the journey. Steve and Alex went their separate ways not long afterwards, still keeping in touch with regular messages and visits. Steve went off to play some modded survival, while Alex went off to work on her building skills. 

One day, Steve received a message from a man asking him to join a server. His immediate thoughts went to panic. The trio had become legends over the years as the tales of the first players. Not much was known about them, and many dismissed them as myths. But some players realized that they were real, and tried to seek their god-like power for personal gain. Steve had worried that the man had found out who he was. Against his better judgement, he decided to join the server under a fake name: Joe Hills. He quickly discovered that the man - GenerikB - had no idea who he was, and had simply heard of his interesting play style and thought he’d be a good addition to the server- Hermitcraft. 

After the first season of the game, many of the members had decided to leave. With a man by the name of Xisumavoid now in charge and looking for new Hermits, Joe suggested the addition of Alex, now going by the name ZombieCleo. Xisuma was thrilled with the idea, and, after a quick background check, Cleo joined the server. By pure coincidence, Herobrine, now known as TinFoilChef, had also been asked to join for season two. He had changed quite a bit since he left Steve and Alex, but he was still recognizable if you knew what to look for. This lead to one particularly odd interaction when Joe and Cleo “first met” TFC… Luckily, it was brushed off and quickly forgotten. The three still get together sometimes to talk about the good old days, and nobody bats an eyelid. Three of the most cryptic people on the server having a chat; not out of the ordinary in the slightest. 

So yeah, Steve, Alex, and Herobrine are on Hermitcraft. 

( @hermitcraftheadcanons ?)

[prismarine-blocks]

modpacks we've played

doubles as a handy list for ourselves and for our followers that want to check out modpacks

(not intended to be listed from most to least favorite but it accidentally ended up that way so uhh oops)

stoneblock / sb2

general thoughts: second one is much more polished and better. definitely good for multiple people to work on at once as a team. random rewards are actually useful and can give you good stuff early on!

thoughts on mods: thaumcraft is useless but is actually pretty cool if you choose to get into it. draconic is *chef's kiss* so fucking sexy, along with tinkers construct. resource chickens are GREAT. fluid cows need some polishing and take a stupid amount of wheat and time to get places with. anything past draconic (project E and so on) terrifies me so we haven't done much with it

thermal expansion is GREAT, the little machines make the best noises (esp. the pulverizer. ahhhh). flux networks is also great and i love the interface! ae2 is a pain but arguably fun to work with. i don't use immersive engineering for much tbh but it's good for making cloches :3

other mods are also useful but these are the ones i know off the top of my head by name

tips:

start chickens early on! they are great for getting loads of resources in the beginning of the game- most resources can be obtained through chickens. also, you can stack up to 16 chickens and breed them up to 10/10/10 in stats- if you do that, they'll give you 3 of their item about every second ago

yes, chicken boxes (nesting & breeding) are affected by the acceleration wand. NO they are NOT affected by imaginary time blocks. sorry lads

DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT CURSED EARTH UNLESS YOU ARE READY. enclose that shit in obsidian and have water buckets ready to turn it off in case something goes wrong. also, a little goes a very, very long way

have at least one cloche for wheat. you'll need both the seeds and the wheat itself (if you have too much wheat and not enough seeds, you can get one seed from 2 wheat in your crafting panel)

don't worry about the inventory crafting extension. it's cool and all but if you're anything like me you'll either forget you have it or hate it because it doesn't use the same interface as crafting tables/stations

the ME system (computer) is super time consuming to build but also extremely fucking useful. do yourself a favor and build that before any mob farms. your storage space will thank you

don't forget to add in optifine if you like to use it, and also be sure to slap this mod (not the rewritten version! that one may not work) in there so you can grow top tier inferium + nether star seeds in the cloches. note that you CAN'T grow neutronium in there, sorry :(

challenge ideas:

actually use thaumcraft lol

don't use the mining dimension. for this you'll need to do a LOT of hammering and sieving- luckily there are autohammers/sieves just for this! :)

---

skyfactory 4

general thoughts: hehe skyblock

really though, fun pack! great for working on as a team. in fact i'd honestly recommend it

thoughts on mods: sky orchards is time consuming but it's a nice way to gather resources! haven't used resource hogs at all, honestly not sure if they're necessary. tinkers is here and i LOVE the porcelain smeltery. very compact, very cute. can't remember a lot of other mods right now but the pack is generally pretty nice™

tips:

you can't smelt cobble in the porcelain smeltery to get seared stone, so try to use petrified resin blocks instead

get hopping bonsais asap! also remember that they need to be on a chest to deposit their contents

slab chests aren't really worth it. slab furnaces and tables though..... Slightly more worth it. i still wouldn't really recommend them except for the achievement tbh

if you don't want a super horizontal base, build up! you have a LOT of room to build upwards, and you have the ability to climb walls (jump, shift + w, then tap shift while holding w to get to the top)

if you're in a snowy biome, put something above your smeltery. snow will break it if it starts building up layers on the inside

slime boots are your best friend! great for if you accidentally fall off. easiest way to get them is building a smeltery and then standing in it for the congealed blood

nether portals don't work, don't spend time on making one! check out the cakes instead (just make sure you aren't making xl food mod ones)

---

compact claustrophobia

general thoughts: literal actual hell in a cube. fun! not the best for multiple people to work on as a team; there are certain places where the quest trees kinda bottleneck and it's difficult for people to work on the same thing. don't recommend if playing in tight spaces actually affects your claustrophobia

and yes. the fart sounds stop being funny after a while. like the second time tbh

thoughts on mods: i don't know most of the mods in here by name- or at least, ones that aren't also in sb2- so i can't give much in specifics. that said, whatever gives you the thermoelectric generators is great and really useful for power. also the autoclickers are 👌

tips:

do yourself a favor and grind for more tiny compact machines. you'll need some later and you'll also want to use them for extra space

autoclickers + vacuumulator + hopper and chest setup works Great, def recommend. also as a note, try to avoid standing in front of autoclickers that are left clicking- they DO hurt you

save your poop and work on getting a farm asap. you can use it as fuel that smelts up to 32 items if you just mix it with wheat

(i haven't played this as much as sb2 so unfortunately i don't have much to say)

challenge idea: only use one room of each size at a time. this is going to be nearly impossible given the size of a lot of machines, but trust me, it's (probably) possible

---

sevtech ages

general thoughts: bullshit. not in a fun way. it's really just complex for the sake of being complex tbfh. you want a challenge that's actually just hours upon hours of suffering? congrats here you go

the only thing that makes this better than rlcraft is the fact that it has an actual quest/achievement line and doesn't absolutely hate its players

thoughts on mods: the only cool one is whatever you build the totem pole and do dances for, that's it. maybe the dark forest place too bc it looks cool even if it IS a pain in the ass as well. tombstones are kinda useful too tbh

tips:

don't play this

if you still want to play this, don't

really though: the saw is useful

the watermill is arguably better than the windmill

try to set your base somewhere close to an ocean or river biome; those are the only places with unlimited water until you get aqueducts

get an autoclicker for grinding stuff with the lever. trust me your fingers will thank you

backpacks will be your new best friends. embrace this

getting through each age takes a LOT of time. don't feel bad for taking breaks

challenge ideas: honestly the game is hard enough on its own, i can't really think of anything that would make stuff harder... outside of maybe smth like "only do things manually, don't use horsepower" or whatever, which is just plain mean at this point

---

rlcraft

general thoughts: don't

thoughts on mods: just don't

tips:

love yourself

do not play this

don't even think about it

i know it's all haha fun youtube right now

but please don't do this to yourself

challenge idea: don't touch this ever

actually serious thoughts: super overrated. incredibly frustrating. another pack that isn't challenging so much as just fucking horrible. it's mean! it hates you! you'll eventually hate it too! i've sunk so much time into this and honestly? it's just not worth it. it really just isn't. nothing you do will ever please the gods of rlcraft and if you're lucky you'll build a nice sexy base that will be gone the next time you die because the game decided your bed wasn't valid :)

if you want an actual challenge, play compact claustrophobia. play packs that limit you in terms of space or resource gathering. don't play packs like this that are only hard because they spawn big fuckoff dragons that burn everything all the time constantly, or that respawn you fuck knows where bc somehow your bed unloaded or """got obstructed""", or that have mobs that will literally go through walls just to commit murder. oh and half the time you can't even sleep because it just randomly spawns a mob that can kill you!! just don't do it, man. your time and energy are worth more than that

[game-design-break-down]

Control

Overview -

Control is a supernatural gravity-defying 3rd person action-adventure video game that challenges players to master the combination of interactive environments and supernatural abilities fighting through an unpredictable world, where players play as Jesse Faden, the new Director of a secretive agency struggling to regain control. 

Gameplay -

Remedy is known for crafting games with an incredible sense of place, great gripping story and provide a unique gameplay experience.

Remedy has made each of Jesse's supernatural abilities fun to use with a lot of variety for the entirety of the game. Players can take down the Hiss with the help of the Service Weapon, a powerful melee attack and psychic abilities that include launching enemies into the air. Grip (Handgun), Spin (SMG), Shatter (Shotgun), Pierce (Sniper) and Charge (RPG) are the different versions of the Service Weapon. Weapon mods are used to unlock additional forms of the Service Weapon as well as more buffs for Jesse.

Jesse's psychic abilities include;

Launch - A telekinetic ability that pulls objects and enemies around closer and launches them forward with a thrilling zoom. As the most effective ability in the game. It is suggested that players upgrade this ability at some point in the game if not earlier. Control has various puzzles to be solved across the Bureau that require the use of the Launch ability.

Evade - Evade is a flashy dash in the direction intended by the player, that proves invaluable against the Hiss shooting at or throwing objects at Jesse. Using evade consumes the energy bar and the player is forced to wait until the energy bar is fully recharged to be able to use the ability again. It would be wise to spend ability points on beefing up the energy bar to be able to use it more efficiently.

Levitate - This ability lets the players hover in air to reach places otherwise unreachable. Though this ability isn't very useful in combat, it proves crucial for the challenging platform sections introduced later in the game.

Seize (acquired upon competing the side quest - A Captive Audience and complete a puzzle in the Hypnosis Lab) - Though this ability is optional, it proves useful in combat as it allows Jesse to possess enemies with low health and turn them into temporary allies.

Shield (acquired by completing a side quest - A Good Defense) - As the name suggests, this ability lets the players block incoming attacks with a floating wall of rock.

Players can chain attacks in order to fight efficiently against the Hiss.

Cleansing control points scattered across the Bureau of Control(as required by the game) allows players to fast travel to previously cleansed control points, change outfits, access abilities menu and Astral Constructs. Astral Constructs allow players to spend a mixture of Source Energy and Materials to create weapon and personal mods.

Control manages to keep players on their toes with its intriguing story, introduction of its cool mechanics, variety of enemies and gameplay, background score and stunning visuals.

World Design -

Control takes place at the Bureau of Control, that is divided into a number of different business sectors with each of the areas feeling different from one another. One of the areas, The Oldest House, has the ability to change its internal structure at will, in an attempt to convince the players that the Bureau is invaded by otherworldly threat.

Each of the rooms are beautifully designed to support the gameplay and provide the intended experience. Placement of objects, cover locations and the way each room supports the abilities of the player character all come hand in hand in providing an experience that is not only unique but also true to its concept and story.

Below is the map of the Bureau of Control -

Conclusion -

Control has a great story, gameplay, stunning visuals, some great character moments and lore that further contextualizes the world, making it a must play for fans of Remedy's unique stories or even fans of the genre in general.

[vividracing]

New Post has been published on https://www.vividracing.com/blog/customer-spotlight-2016-bmw-m5-with-vr-dtm-style-carbon-fiber-hood/

Customer Spotlight: 2016 BMW M5 with VR DTM Style Carbon Fiber Hood

The BMW M5 has been considered the ultimate performance sedan for a long time now. While it may not be as nimble as some smaller sports vehicles out there like the M3 or Z4, it can certainly hang with the supercars. Moreover, larger performance sedans like the BMW M5 prove to be well-rounded in that they excel at everyday tasks (i.e. commuting and errands) while boasting the innate ability to tear up a windy road and deliver a good time at the track. The M5 has remained true to its DNA since the very beginning and will never disappoint as being the practical daily driver that doubles as a fun sports car for more spirited driving.  

The BMW F10 M5 was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show with the first models hitting showroom floors later that fall. The F10 is unique and iconic in its own right for being the first turbocharged M5 model as well as being mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The revolutionary F10 is powered by a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine that delivers 553 horsepower with 502 pound-feet of torque, capable of going from 0 to 60 in just four seconds with a top speed of 190 mph. While the numbers prove that the F10 is a super-fast grocery getter, it appears a bit bland on the outside; but that’s where the aftermarket comes in.

The BMW F10 M5 boasts a sleek four-door sedan design that attracts enthusiasts while still blending in with other cars on the road. Some, however, would like to stand out a little more and set their vehicle apart from the rest with some personalized mods. Luckily, BMWs are known for their “modability” and the automotive aftermarket houses a virtually endless array of products to make your M5 more “you.” Our customer, Radi Slantchev (IG: @F10_m5ntal), chose to amp up the exterior with Vivid Racing’s very own Aero DTM Style Carbon Fiber Hood. Radi tells us that his 2016 BMW F10 M5 is a DME stage 4 full bolt-on car. He also says that it’s currently the fastest stock block FBO BMW F10 M5 in North America – did 171.58 mph in the standing half-mile. 

The Vivid Racing DTM style vented carbon fiber food helps with heat extracting while adding an elevated look to your BMW M5. The hood is crafted from a top-grade 2×2 carbon fiber weave that is then finished in a glossy clear coat for the ultimate luster. Its underside is a durable FRP construction that retains all of the M5’s factory hardware for an OEM-type finish. The vents also feature subtle mesh inserts in silver. The hood can be installed on any BMW F10 chassis in the raw carbon fiber style or painted to match your vehicle. This hood fits all F10 vehicles including the 528, 535, 550, and M5 from 2011-2017. If you are looking for a fully functional and aesthetically pleasing hood to help keep your car running optimally, look no further than the VR aero hood. 

Learn More and Purchase the VR Aero DTM Style Carbon Fiber Hood Here. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can reach the Vivid Racing team by phone at 1-480-966-3040 or via email at sales@vividracing.com.

[annakie]

An Annotated Mass Effect Playthrough, Part Five

Will we make it off the Citadel in this update??

List of Posts: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Flux is my favorite bar in all of the first game, I know there’s not many to choose from, but I like the music best, everybody’s clothed, everyone’s having a good time, there’s slots upstairs for entertainment, there’s dancing, and plenty of space to chill out in.  Also the color scheme is great.  It looks particularly great now with the graphics mod improvements.  

Doran gets a nice glamour shot here.

I’m a tattle tale who always turns this guy in.  I agree with Kaidan...

Also I really love Rita’s quest with her sister.  She loves her sister, Jenna  wants to be helpful, even Doran’s like “Hey I’d love to give her her job back.”  Everyone here is pretty wholesome.  And Jenna gets one of the best surprise appearances in ME3 if you do things right.  ME1Recalibrated fixes the bugs with her quest, too!

Speaking of bugged quests, Hello Conrad!  ME1Recalibrated fixes Conrad’s bug, and even if it doesn’t, ME2Re does.  The only bad thing about that is it makes his apology for accusing you of something you maybe didn’t do make no sense.

Everyone else was sure Conrad would turn out to be evil, too, right? Instead making him into just a big lying dummy with an advanced degree was a great move.  I was kinda hoping he’d show up in the Citadel DLC.   

Harkin is JUST the FUCKING WORST.  I’m always tempted to let Garrus cap him in ME2 because what a waste of air he is and doesn’t learn his lesson.  

This is also maybe the most overt place where FemShep experiences sexism.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, there’s some pretty shitty sexism sprinkled throughout the games (as discussed a bit last post) but ugh this guy, if I could shoot him this game, I might.  At least on renegade playthroughs.

Speaking of Garrus...

Finally, an alien who wants to hang out with us.

As primarily a Kaidan-romancing gal, who tends to keep up with the Kaidan Alenko tag, especially back in the heyday of tumblr, for a while, loving Garrus was... difficult.

In October, when I was finishing up my latest ME3 playthrough and also cleaning up my blog, and also rewatching Doctor Who and thinking a lot about Rose Tyler and Martha Jones, I posted a long thing in a post about Kaidan and Garrus and badly behaving fanbases, which I don’t feel like typing again.  Here’s the whole thing, but I’m going to pull a part of it into here.

I love Garrus, so much.  And I was thinking with this whole parallel DW rewatch / Mass Effect replay think I’m doing right now how both Rose Tyler and Garrus Vakaraian are characters that were ruined for me for awhile due to their respective… overly enthusiastic fanbases who a small percentage of were dicks to people who loved other characters.  The Kaidan tag (and from what I understand Thane got some of this too, but not nearly as bad) was a pretty hostile place for awhile (and yeah I used to regularly check the Garrus tag too and there was a small amount of tag-invasion there but uh, like 5% of what the Kaidan tag got) which made loving the character of Garrus a lot harder for awhile.  But when actually watching seasons 1 & 2 / the end of 4 of Doctor Who, or actually playing the ME games, those characters are awesome.  

Fanbases can be amazing or terrible, and time and time again I think you start to realize that no matter how great a fandom is, there are going to be a few people who can only enjoy themselves by feeding on drama, or on lifting up what they love by stomping on other people/characters/plotlines.  

It’s not fair to characterize everyone who loves a popular thing as someone who does this.  It’s also hard to avoid completely because there will always be jerks, or young/new people who don’t realize what bad form they’re showing.  I did learn by trying to fight it for a year or two, that responding might help that one person not do it again, but it’s not going to stop overall.  

Anyway, don’t be a dick about the things you don’t like.  

It’s sad that even thirteen years past the release of ME1 and eight years past ME3 some people still need to have this fight online.   It’s basically impossible to enjoy like, any non-curated Mass Effect space online because of pissing contests or people spouting the same boring opinions.  Which they’re entitled to.  I’m just real tired of “Kaidan is boring!” “Ashley is a racist!” etc with no further depth of thought being given.

The ability to mute / block people and get away from the worst of it is one of the reasons I’m still on tumblr.  Especially always mute/block “confessions” blogs.  Yeesh.

---------

I’m glad Garrus is here, and I’m glad he’s on the team.  What’s funny though, is that people tend to forget that Garrus like, wasn’t really all THAT popular of a character before ME2.  I know I was only in the fandom for a year before ME2 but I dug in pretty deep in that time.

It wasn’t until he gets his face blown off and starts talking about Old Times that a lot of people started to REALLY like him.  He’s still great in ME1, but not like, elevated to god-tier that so many people did post ME2 release.  But in ME1 he IS neat because he’s really malleable.  Probably the companion who can have the biggest personality shift depending on your choices.

Also, I remember a time when the people who wanted to romance Garrus were like... outliers?  I remember thinking “GARRUS?  As a romance?  That’s... weird.  Who would do that!?”

OH HOW I WAS WRONG.  But that was before reach and flexibility.

Hey I even have a Shep that romanced Garrus in ME2 and ME3.  And I loved it!

Were I to replay a different Shep, she’d be my first choice.

So yeah, I love Garrus, I keep Kaidan in the squad all the time in ME1 and the other spot I try to rotate everyone else somewhat evenly, but you’ll see plenty of him.  Then ME2 he’s by my side most of the way.  And an awful lot in ME3, too.  But I’m happy for him to get crushed on by Dr. Michele and glad to see him and Tali find happiness in ME3.  SO that’s the path we’ll be going down if we get that far here.

I love the Destiny Ascension flyby moment on the Citadel, and it’s so easy to miss.  Also really hard to get good screenshots of.  Thanks Flycam.  Don’t pay attention to the untextured wall in the first pic, just look at the pretty lights!

Let’s go get another squadmate!  This time, a not-as-initially-friendly alien!

What an amazing entrance for Urdnot Wrex.

“Do you want me to arrest you?”

“I want you to try!”

Hell.  Yeah.

Here’s where the somewhat in somewhat evenly comes in.  I probably do favor Wrex and Ashely in the squad in ME1 a little because... well you know what’s coming for Ash and Wrex you get the least amount of time with by far of the other companions.  Also, he’s just... great?  A tank, with some biotics and a shotgun... okay well so am I as a vanguard, but Kaidan has just enough tech powers for us to muddle through where we need to when Wrex is in the squad and he’s so much fun to have around.  His “Fuck you, I don’t care” attitude is great, and his growth story throughout the trilogy is one of the best arcs a character gets, imho.  I just really love Urdnot Wrex.

This is a real nice flight control office you’ve got here, C-Sec.  It would be a shame if someone planted a bug in it later, since literally anyone can just walk on up here uncontested.

This entire area really is so pretty though.

I always pump points into Paragon as much as possible from as early on as possible, and saving these poor guys’ lives is one of the big reasons.  They don’t need to die.

Ash usually still stays in the party up to this point, though sometimes it’s Garrus.  Fist is still a dick in ME2 but he doesn’t need to die here, sorry Wrex.

...raise your hand if you still occasionally forget to pick up Emily Wong’s evidence and have to reload.  I remembered!  ...once I was almost out of Chora’s Den and had to turn around this time.

Kaidan?  Kaidan my love?  My darling... perhaps YOU shouldn’t be the one standing in the middle of the corridor with no barrier or protection?  (I suppose I could scooch over but then I’d look less badass for these screenshots.  Naaah.)

It’d be a shame if someone properly lit the corridor so we could see what’s going on.

But hey... TALI!  Tali Tali Tali!  The first quarian we see, and only one for... awhile?  Is there another quarian in this entire game? I’m trying to remember and seriously can’t think of one.

Anyway, I love Tali, but another character you really need to ignore their most rabid fanbase portions of.  Yikes, Talimancers were really something back in the day.  The biggest problem I have with Tali being in the squad is that normally she’s REALLY useful against Geth and... not so much against just about anything else.  She gets sidelined on my team more than I wish she would.  Especially since she doesn’t show up until very late in ME2 and late-midway through ME3.

Finally, the proof we need.  And the game continues to introduce new concepts to us with the Conduit and we hear the word Reapers for the first time.  We also get a loredump on the quarians and the geth.  

Tali’s voice doesn’t have quite as heavy of an accent in ME1 as it does in 2 and 3.  I guess we can assume she’s lost part of it while on her pilgrimage?  Picking up the local dialects a bit?  The next two times we see her she’s just spent a lot of time with her own people.

Tali’s suit and omnitool look SO GOOD with the updated textures.

I swap Ash out and Tali in at this point, and usually finish up a few more quests along the way.

Ah, Septimus.  You lovesick fool.

Honestly, the very best thing with Septimus is to bring Garrus here if you’re gonna romance him, have Garrus laugh at him for coming undone for love and then... well, ME2 and especially ME3 happen.  But still.  Septimus... always needs a kick in the pants but will get around to doing the right thing.

Hey here’s a cool thing ME1Recalibated does -- Morlan carries a Squad Iconic Armors stock, so you can always find tier-appropriate default look armor for you and all the squad.  Very cool of you, Morlan.  You are currently my favorite store on the Citadel.  Now stop sending me spam, I didn’t sign up for your mailing list.

Look, I have questions about what exactly Xeltan told the consort and how... all that... works... but... I don’t think I actually want to ask them.  Just.. let’s all shut up about all of it, it’s over now.

BTW, according to one of the novels, Councilor Anderson finds Ambassador Cayln super annoying.  I need to re-read that book.

OK fine... I’ll go talk to the Council.

Coming at ya with Actual Proof and a quarian tagging along to back up the claims, the Council is ready to listen.  And while not surprising that it’s finally time to become a Spectre, the actual ceremony is really well done.  With the swelling theme music blaring, and all three councilors stressing what a big deal this is and what will be expected of you, you really feel the weight of this moment.  People take notice.  Although apparently later, Kaidan or Ash get an entire televised event around becoming a Spectre, I guess there’s no time for that right now.

It definitely feels like the game so far has been building towards this moment, not only with POUNDING it into your brain about who Spectres are and why they’re so important and letting you know you’re being evaluated... but it feels like there’s been a shift in the game after this moment.  It’s A Big Deal.

I didn’t finish all the sidequests on the Citadel yet, they can wait, I’ve been here long enough.  Let’s go check out the new cool stuff we can buy.

ME1Recalibrated adds in this Spectre Armor.  Eeehhhhh... no thanks.  We’ll stick with Onyx.

I did cheat myself in a bunch of credits and picked up Spectre weapons though. This ain’t no tryhard playthrough.  

Well OK, we can finish ONE more quest.  Thanks, startlingly loud and triumphant music queue that’s never used again!

Man, this would be SUCH a good pic of the Normandy if... the airlock didn’t go straight through the ship.

We’ve got a ship of our own!  And most of our squadmates to put on it!

Sucks for Anderson to be sidelined, though.  We already love you, Anderson!

It’s cool to get a bit more of the Saren & Anderson backstory here for real.  Still, I enjoyed the book more.  Maybe I’ll do a re-read of all the ME books here soon.

Udina... just keep being you, I guess.  

WE HAVE A SHIP!!!

Okay, whew... we made it off the Citadel.  Now I gotta actually play some more to have more updates to post.  Might be a few days.  Have to actually go back to work tomorrow. :p

Let’s probably do like one sidequest then go get us an Asari!!

[writingarchangels]

Wrath of the Nephilim (Jack Kline & Nickifer)

Pairing: Nick/Lucifer

Characters: Jack Kline, Lucifer, Nick, Castiel, Sam & Dean

Word count: 3.9K

Triggers: major character death, description of corpses, torture, S14 spoilers, hammers, murder family, child abuse, hints at claustrophobia 

Written for the ‘major character death’ square of my Heaven & Hell Bingo card and the ‘Jack in the Box’ challenge by keepersofthehunt.

Mod tags: @heavenandhellbingo @keepersofthehunt

SPOILER WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS OF S14E19 ‘JACK IN THE BOX’

This is pretty much how I want it to go from there lol

Locked up in the Ma'lak Box, Jack makes a decision and has a revelation which will change his life forever.

They abandoned me! Mind racing, the young Nephilim slammed his fists against the roof of the metal box he had been trapped in as he screamed his throat raw.

"SAM! DEAN! Let me out!" He tried in vain as he let out a sob. He continued to bang against the metal roof. "I don't like it in here. I'm scared," he whimpered.

The tiny space was confining and Jack felt like the walls would close in any second now and crush him alive. He never felt so small and helpless and abandoned before.

"Not gonna happen, kiddo," Lucifer's voice spoke from next to him. Jack clenched his teeth and tried to ignore the Archangel to the best of his abilities. It took him a while to figure out the truth, but he did. The spell Nick had done had bound Jack to Lucifer, a telepathic link of some sorts, which allowed the Archangel to communicate with him from The Empty. "You trusted the Winchester's, and look what happened to you," Lucifer sighed, sounding almost sad.

"True. They might have trusted you once... but all that is gone now since you killed their dearest mother," Lucifer continued in their one-way conversation. "Trust is a two-way deal, you know? If they trusted you, why would they trap you in this box in the first place?"

"Shut up!" Jack yelled, curling his hands into fists. "They love me. They will let me out soon, they promised. It was only an accident," he said, unsure if he was trying to convince himself or Lucifer.

Judging from the look Lucifer gave him, he clearly didn't buy it. "I'm sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but they don't. And how long have you been here now? Six hours, maybe?" Lucifer spoke. Jack closed his eyes and let out a sob as Lucifer talked. "You've always been nothing but a powerful weapon to their cause. They might talk about this 'family don't end in blood' crap, but when it gets down to it, family is blood to them. Only blood. Nothing else." Slowly, Jack lifted up his hands and covered his eyes with them, as if he could shield his falling tears from the Devil. "The moment you proved to be any trouble to them, any more than they were willing to invest in you... they dropped you and tossed you away."

"They love me," Jack cried.

"I'm sorry," Lucifer said. Judging from his voice, Jack knew he meant it.

Eyes wet from the tears, he turned to face his father. "Where am I?" He whimpered.

A deep sigh came from the angel. "It's called a Ma'lak Box. It's specifically designed to keep any being, especially an Archangel, sealed away forever," he replied, voice sounding rather flat. "I knew they were low... but how dare they give this kind of fate to a two-year-old?"

Jack curled in on himself. Or the best he could in his small prison. "Forever?" He repeated, feeling utterly horrified. He half-expected to feel sad, but he didn't. Yet he didn't feel nothing either.

Rage. A white-hot, all consuming rage boiled up from the core of his very being. The nails of his bailed hands dug into his skin but Jack ignored it. They just tossed him away! They never even gave him a change to redeem or explain himself... they never loved him.

He locked eyes with Lucifer's now red gaze. Jack saw a matching anger and rage reflect back at him though those burning eyes. "How do I get out of here?" He asked his father.

"I do not know," Lucifer replied. "This box is even capable of sealing me up for good. And if there is a way out, I do not know about it." He added and Jack felt his hope die down. A smirk formed on Lucifer's face. "But you are not me. You are better and stronger than I could ever hope to become."

Jack looked straight into his father's fiery eyes. "You are a Nephilim and my son. You have the power to bring the universe down on its knees if you so desire, and no one would be able to stop you. So show them. Hold up a mirror and show them who you are! Create your own freedom, kiddo."

Looking up at the metal roof above his head, which he almost couldn't see in the darkness, Jack closed his eyes and focused. For so long, he had been running from his powers - being taught to fear them and hide behind walls and fake masks. He had been afraid for so long. But not anymore, now he embraced his wilder and more feral side. Reaching down to the depths of his being, he grasped his powers and let them flow through him like a rampaging thunderstorm set loose and destroying all in its path. His eyes snapped open, now a radiant gold and glowing brighter and fiercer than ever before. Then he unleashed his powers and the box he was trapped in started shaking rapidly as Jack's breathing became heavy, not used to controlling his abilities to such a degree.

"Come on, Jack!" Lucifer encouraged him, a feral smile on his face. "If you want to be free, you have to do better than this!"

Clenching his jaw and accidentally biting his tongue, Jack took an ever deeper leap into himself and bought more of his powers closer. It was like he was trying to reach out to the entire universe and take it in his hold. There is so much. There is no end to them, he couldn't help but think, finally starting to understand why everyone wanted him on their side since he had been born. And even before then. Angels, demons, the Winchester's... they were all the same.

The only one who loved him for him was his father, Lucifer. And Jack broke his heart.

His eyes narrowed as his irises burned even brighter, illuminating the entire box in a golden light. He could fix his relationship with his father later. For now, he had to focus on freeing himself.

"I have fate in you, Jack. I always had," Lucifer whispered just as the sigils on the box started to burn off, unable to contain the furious Nephilim inside as the Bunker itself shook and threatened to collapse into itself. "If you ever need me by your side, for whatever reason, you know where to find me." He added. Jack knew what he meant.

If you want to give me a second chance as your father, get me out of the Empty and we can be together.

"And please," Lucifer added, "if you do. Don't forget Nick. I kind of love him."

"Thanks for helping me, Dad," Jack whispered back just as Lucifer faded from view.

And then Jack was free. The box exploding as its parts flew around the room and Jack slowly rose up from the dust flying around him. His powers had turned the air static and the feathers on his wings shook from the raw power. Alarms blared around him and the red emergency lights of the Bunker gave the room an eerie feel.

Footsteps sounded as Sam, Dean, and even Castiel ran into the room. All of them looked horrified - and scared - at seeing the furious Nephilim freed and the box destroyed.

They should be scared, Jack fumed. Stimulated by his anger, his powers came off him in powerful waves. Wings uncurling from his back in the form of terrifying shadows, Jack allowed them to feel it. Feel his power... and understand just what they made as their enemy. To understand that they had a chance with him, that he used to see them as a family, but that was all gone now.

With the display of his wings, he made the Bunker collapse around them as debris and dust rained down. Seeing them stumble over their own feet at how the ground shook underneath them, Jack smiled.

"Jack! Stop this!" Castiel called out to him, less bothered by it thanks to him being an angel.

Jack looked at the Seraphim. "You all had your change," he replied, "I am done with dealing with all of your shit and playing the perfect pet. This is me, and you should damn well fear me. They shouldn't have locked me up in that box!"

"Yes, they shouldn't have!" Castiel said, taking a step closer. "But please, stop this! We are a family. We can get over this."

"No, we're not. My father, my real father, who you turned me against, is in the Empty," with those words, the roof of the Bunker fell down and Jack carried himself away on his wings. The Winchester's would undoubtedly survive this, they were headstrong, but he would deal with them later.

There was something he had to take care of first.

~~

With a flutter of wings, the young Nephilim landed in the abandoned house where Nick had tried to resurrect Lucifer. Stumbling over his feet, he fell flat on his face with a yelp. He wasn't fully used to flying yet and needed some more practice. Face red and glad that no one could see his tumble to the floor, he scrambled up to his feet and looked around. The house looked the same as it did last time he had been there. The main difference was the smell.

The stench of rotting flesh and burned skin met his nostrils and Jack coughed, pulling a face as he covered his nose. They had never disposed of Nick's body and simply left it behind, so Jack knew that the smell would be bad, but that didn't make it any easier. Nick never got any funeral; there was no one left to care enough about him to give him one. At least it wouldn't make it very hard to find Nick's body. He just had to follow the smell.

Scrunching up his nose, his golden-pink wings awkwardly folded around himself to try and block out the smell. It didn't take long to find the decaying corpse.

An old blanket had been hastily thrown over his body and Jack reached down, planning to take it off before he thought twice about it and instead removed the blanket with his telekinetic abilities. The blanket flew off Nick and Jack frowned at the state his body was in. The bones of his hands were awkwardly pointing at odd angles from when Jack had broken and twisted the bones, and his skin was half decayed and burned at most parts. Squaring his shoulders, Jack kneeled before Nick's corpse and reached towards his vast powers once again. Holding his palms above him, being careful not to touch the decaying skin, Jack rained his light down on the body as he healed him physically, reaching down towards Hell at the same time to pull up Nick's burning soul. He ripped through reality itself and resurrected him.

Perhaps Jack could have done the same for Mary, but deep down he knew how empty he was. He didn't want to resurrect Mary out of his own free will, he only really tried for the Winchester's, and that perhaps was why it didn't work. Necromancy is a delicate art, Rowena had told him. To bring someone back, one has to feel and mean it. That was why he only bought back an empty shell in Mary's case. But this time, it was different.

In a way, he still did it for Lucifer, but there was more to it. There was some kind of kinship between Jack and Nick. Jack grew up as a child without a father - a real father - and Nick was a father who lost his son and never got to experience parenthood. And both of them saw the real Lucifer instead of the Devil the world portrayed him as.

Nick gasped when his soul was pulled back in his healed body and he rolled over on his side, body heaving as he looked around feverishly. Then his eyes fell on the Nephilim before him and realization hit. "Why?" The man asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Jack understood the unsaid question. Why did you kill me just to bring me back?

"Because I was wrong and I am sorry," Jack said with an aching heart, realizing that perhaps, not his entire soul might have burned off. He still had some left. "But I am going to fix everything now. I will bring him back, Nick."

Nick's icy blue eyes looked straight at him and Jack could tell he was weighing his opinions. "What made you change your mind?" He finally asked, sitting up slowly, his gaze not leaving the Nephilim. Jack knew that everything depended on his answer.

"Sam and Dean, they," Jack forced back a sob, "they locked me up. Tried to seal me away for eternity in a small and dark coffin. They think I'm a monster."

"Jack?" Nick asked, surprisingly gentle. "You are not a monster," he added, giving him a weak smile. "But alright, I believe you," he nodded, "anything I can help with to bring him back?"

Jack shook his head and stood up. "No, I got this," he said. "He will only need a vessel, so be ready," he added, at which Nick nodded. The mortal man sat kneeled before the young Nephilim, like a Knight before a King.

Unveiling his powers and reaching into the Empty with his presence, Jack looked for Lucifer as he had once - unknowingly - searched for Castiel. It wasn't that hard to find the Archangel. Even after millions of years, he still shone the brightest out of all angels. Jack's jaw tensed up as the building shook and the sky exploded in a thunderstorm mixed with a bright golden light which rained down upon the world. It was like the universe shook. He opened a portal before his father, which he jumped through. Jack would need to keep it open until Lucifer has claimed Nick, otherwise the Empty might suck him in again. The Archangel's light illuminated Nick, who smiled and proceeded to exchange some words with his lover.

"I suggest you two hurry," Jack spoke between clenched teeth, "I'm not sure how long I can keep this up." The Empty had started to fight back, enraged that one of its charges was trying to escape and it took nearly all of Jack's powers to keep it at bay and prevent it from taking Lucifer. His arms, which were reached up towards the sky started to shake as his shirt became clammy and breathing heavy. He was fighting to even keep standing.

Nick shot him a quick look before facing Lucifer's radiance again. Lucifer proceeded to ask him something, of which Jack did not catch the words, but he did hear Nick's reply. "For you, it's always yes," the man said and then there was a burst of light as Lucifer entered his vessel again. When the last of his being had entered Nick, Jack slammed the gate to the Empty shut and fired a burst of power at the entity residing within and slamming it so deep within the Empty that it got pulled back to sleep once again.

With the portal closed and plenty of his powers drained, Jack collapsed to the floor, fighting to keep his eyes open.

A hand touched his head and gently combed through his hair. Some of Jack's powers returned when the grace touched him and he pulled up his face, looking into Lucifer's red eyes. "Thank you, my son," the Devil said as he helped Jack up to his feet.

Without thinking about it, Jack leaped forward, into his father's arms and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug as he buried his face against his chest. Startled for a moment, Lucifer composed himself and hugged his son back as he tried to hold back the tears at his child actually showing him any affection for once. Carefully, Lucifer wrapped his pink wings around his child and held him close. They stood there for a while, embracing each other as Lucifer rubbed Jack's back in a soothing way.

The tranquility of their moment was disturbed when Lucifer tensed up. "And here they come," he muttered with a sigh. "Couldn't they even give us a moment alone?" The door kicked open and Jack jumped up, out of his father's arms and whirling around to face the door.

Sam, Dean, and Castiel entered the room. Jack was the first one they saw, but Sam was the first who noticed Lucifer standing behind the Nephilim. "Nick?" He tried.

"Try again, Sammy," Lucifer mocked him, letting his eyes flash red for a second to show them who he was. "Even though, I must say that my dearest Nick is still with me."

"No," was the single horrified sound leaving Sam's lips as he stumbled back. His eyes didn't leave Lucifer and Jack noted that all color had drained from his face.

"Surprise!" Lucifer said, flailing his arms around.

"What did you do!" Dean screamed at Jack, all of his emotions clear to see on his face. Betrayal, anger, hurt, and shock being the most prominent.

"I got my father back," Jack said, returning Dean's glare. "My real father," he added, watching Dean flinch at those words.

"Jack, that is not your father. Lucifer is evil and a liar, he's manipulating you! Please, listen to me!" Castiel desperately tried to reason with him.

"Ouch, you know I'm standing right here, don't you?" Lucifer muttered, yet Castiel seemed to ignore him.

"Jack, we're your family!" Sam told him, taking a step closer yet he stopped dead in his tracks at Jack's heavy glare.

"You tried to seal me away in a box! For all of eternity!" Jack yelled. Some of his powers flared out and made the wind howl stronger and beat against the windows and roof outside. "You have no right to call yourself my family! Family doesn't do that to each other!"

"We're sorry, okay?" Sam tried again.

Lucifer scoffed from behind him and Jack stood there fuming. As if a simple 'sorry' could fix everything. He understood that they were upset about their mother, but they shouldn't have treated him like that, especially if they 'trusted' him like they said they did. Lucifer was right, Jack knew. They didn't trust him. Not anymore. They were just scared of him so they tried to cozy up to him again.

"Sorry?!" Jack hissed out. He glared the three of them down. "You should be," he added. Holding up his hand, he clenched his hands into fists as he cut off their airway. Sam and Dean gasped for air as they sunk down on their knees. "You shouldn't have locked me up in that box."

"Jack!" Castiel yelled. Angel blade in hand, the Seraphim went at him but quickly found his way blocked by Lucifer. Without thinking about it, Castiel stabbed the Archangel which obviously didn't work.

Lucifer looked almost disappointed. "You are an idiot, Asstiel," he said. Swiftly taking the blade out of his chest, he turned it around and plunged it through Castiel's throat instead. The angel died in a burst of light and fell down to the floor where he laid motionless, surrounded by his burned wings.

A noise came from Dean at witnessing Castiel's death. Jack's eyes narrowed and his powers took a tighter hold on both hunters. Snapping one of his fingers, he burned Sam from the inside out as he had once done with Nick. The hunter's skin started burning and blackening and falling off as he screamed. Jack's lips curled up as he made sure to do it slowly so that Sam could feel every second of it. Dean started screaming and cursing as well when Jack went and snapped Sam's bones in half. Sam cried Dean's name, but it was in vain. He made sure to keep Dean sustained in such a way that he would be able to see it all. Hurt him where it hurt most.

Getting sick of Sam's screams and twisting after a while, Jack simply snapped his neck with a flick of his wrist. Sam's huge body fell to the floor with a thud, dull eyes staring ironically at a frozen Dean.

Dean screamed for his brother and Jack turned towards him. He was aware of Lucifer's eyes on him. "Lucifer," he asked, "do you have one of Nick's hammers?" He asked.

Silently, the Devil gave him one. For a second, Jack looked down at the hammer in his hand, at its shape and the dried blood which Nick never bothered to wash off.

He walked over towards Dean, stopping in front of him as he held the hammer loosely in his hold. He looked down at the man who he had once viewed as family, in times which felt like centuries ago, and who now looked up at him with nothing but hatred in those forest-green eyes. "You are a monster," Dean told him.

Jack closed his eyes for a second, pushing down all his doubt before he opened them again and gave the man a hard and icy stare. His mind was set. "You made me one," he replied, swinging back the hammer and connecting it to Dean's head, smashing in his skull with a powerful swing and taking his life.

Warm blood splattered all over him and Jack stood over the bodies of Sam and Dean Winchester, breathing heavily and covered in their blood as he held Nick's hammer. "You know," Lucifer said, suddenly reminding Jack of the fact that he wasn't alone, "Nick feels kinda like a proud mom now. That was a nice swing you did there."

Jack took a second to look at the fallen bodies of his ex-family, taking a moment to realize he had killed all of the remaining Winchester's. Mary, Sam, and even Dean. How many had tried to do what he did and failed? "What now?" He asked his father, feeling rather helpless.

"Whatever you want," Lucifer told him, spreading out his arms as he stepped closer towards his son. "But if you want, my offer from all those months ago still stands."

"Your offer?" Jack repeated, feeling somewhat stupid.

"We can leave this world behind and go to the stars," Lucifer said, "I can show you all that there is out there and there won't be anywhere we can't go. Leave Earth to humanity, monsters, demons, and whatnot. The three of us?" He mentioned between them. "We will make our own world and create a destiny that suits us. What do you think?"

Jack smiled. "I'd like that," he said. Lucifer smiled back at him. Jack noted that he looked happy; as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He decided he liked to see Lucifer that way.

"What about Nick?" Jack asked.

Lucifer's clear eyes twirled in amusement. "Nick loves Star Wars," he said, "he's about as excited as it can get at the possibility to discover the universe and everything out there."

At that, they exchanged a secret smile and both spread out their radiant wings. Lucifer's a sparkling pink, and Jack's golden with a pastel pink around the edges. And then they flew off as they departed the world and left for the stars. Lucifer's feathers lightly caressed Jack's during flight and the Nephilim allowed himself to form a broad smile on his face as the wind howled through his hair and sensitive plumage, excited at his new life with his two fathers and the possibilities now laid out before him.

Tags: @luciferstempest @gabrielsbackbitches @jgvfhl @staycejo1 @blakechaos08 @qslucid @i-miss-balthazar

Requested tags for this story: @mrsimoshen @franthehorsegir @ajcza @ejisthekingoftheocean @aliengoth3 (if any of you want to be permanently added to my tag list just tell me and I’ll do so, otherwise the tags will stop now)

IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED AS WELL, JUST ASK!!

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #159

Today on Fate and Phantasms we bring you the outlaw star himself, Assassin of Shinjuku! As always, it’s hard to go into detail about Sassyshin’s abilities without giving away his identity, so true name spoilers below the cut.

Check out his build breakdown below, or his character sheet over here!

Next up: Wait a minute, I thought King Arthur was a girl!

This build blends Yan Qing’s Shadow Monk techniques with the Doppelganger’s shapeshifting, here represented by the Whispers Bard levels. Kill people, steal their identity, repeat!

Race and Background

Technically Yan Qing is part ghost, but it’s a lot easier to call him a Variant Human instead. If you really want to lean into the doppelganger thing Changeling’s right there, but then you won’t get +1 Dexterity and Charisma, Acrobatics proficiency to jump up entire castles with ease, and the Observant feat to show off why they call you the Skillful Star. This feat gives you +1 Wisdom, the ability to read lips, and you get +5 to your passive Perception and Investigation scores so your disguises are a bit more detailed.

Of course you get the Criminal background, giving you Deception and Stealth proficiencies.

Ability Scores

Speaking of being the Skillful Star, all that martial arts training should make your Dexterity pretty freaking high. After that is Charisma, you’re really good at disguises, and almost as good at making convincing arguments. Almost. After that is Wisdom for more skill and more observational skills. Your Constitution isn’t half bad, you can take a lot of damage and keep going. When you’re fighting against Guda. When you’re actually on their team, that’s a different story. Your Strength should probably be a bit higher, but it’s not very useful for the build. Finally, dump Intelligence. Sassy-shin is many things to many people, but Himbo is definitely one of them.

Class Levels

1. Monk 1: Starting with monk will help you get your shirtless scenes going earlier thanks to your Unarmored Defense giving you an AC based on your dexterity and wisdom. You also get some Martial Arts, letting you use dexterity instead of strength when fighting, giving you a minimum of a d4 in damage when using unarmed attacks, and you can attack as a bonus action if you attack as an action.

On top of all that, you also get proficiency with Strength and Dexterity saves as well as Athletics for even better climbing skills and Insight, because you can’t manipulate people if you don’t know what they want.

2. Monk 2: Second level monks get Ki points each short rest equal to their monk level. Currently, that lets you Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Attack Twice as a bonus action, but more stuff will come up as we go. Your Unarmored Movement also lets you move just a bit faster while shirtless.

3. Bard 1: Your impersonation powers come from the doppelganger, a fictional creature (also you’re fictional, but hush), so bard’s as good as any class to get their powers from. Grabbing bard second gives you Perception proficiency for even more detailed disguises, as well as Bardic Inspiration. Right now they’re a pool of d6s that recharge on long rests. You can hand out to allies to help them with their d20 rolls-checks, saves, attacks, all that good stuff. Unless your DM somehow incorporated C. Stars into their game, this is one of the closest ways you have to get the actual Skillful Star skill in D&D.

Beyond that, you also learn a couple Spells that use your Charisma to cast. Light helps your dumb human eyes see in the dark and also do the glowy hand thing. It won’t actually help with damage, but it looks cool, and that’s what’s really important. You also get Vicious Mockery, tbh stealing the memory of an enemy’s loved ones means you can get some really disturbing insults.

For first level spells, grab Bane for more insults, Disguise Self for a cheapo disguise that doesn’t even work physically, Longstrider to press your speed advantage further, and Heroism, because you’re a pretty nice guy when you put aside the identity theft.

4. Bard 2: Second level bards are Jacks of All Trades, adding half your proficiency bonus to checks that you’re not proficient in, even making you a little bit faster by boosting your initiative bonus. You can also use a Song of Rest to add a d6 to the healing your party does over a short rest. I mean, you’re a character in a novel, you’ve got to have some good stories to share, right?

For your spell this level, grab Speak with Animals. Working with Lobo is always rough, but at least now you’ll be able to tell his “I’ll tear you limb from limb” bark from his “I’ll tear you limb from limb later” bark.

5. Bard 3: Your doppelganger side grants you the power of a bard from the college of Whispers. When you join the college, you can use your bardic inspiration to create Psychic Blades, adding 2d6 psychic damage to a weapon attack once per turn. I’ve given up trying to figure out if hitting things with your hands count as weapon attacks, so maybe just keep a knife on standby.

You also learn Words of Terror, spending a minute alone with your target to force a wisdom save (DC 8+proficiency+charisma mod) or they become frightened of a creature you choose for up to an hour or until it or an ally takes damage where it can see you. You can use this once per short rest, and if they succeed on their save there’s not tell that you did anything. You also get Expertise in Insight and Deception to make your disguises flawless.

Your spell this time is Enhance Ability, making you even better at whatever you set out to do by giving you (or another creature) advantage on one kind of ability check. For those of you playing along at home, this means you now have a +8 to deception checks, with advantage. Even without your disguises, you’re already doing pretty well for yourself.

6. Bard 4: But “pretty well” isn’t perfect. We can do better. Use your first Ability Score Improvement to grab the Actor feat, rounding up your Charisma for extra inspiration and stronger spells. You also get advantage on deception and performance checks to act as a different person, no spells required. On top of all that, you can mimic the speech of a creature you’ve heard talking for at least a minute, requiring a contested Insight check vs your Deception check to figure things out.

For those rare times you’re trying to be yourself, you can also use Friends to get advantage instead. When that inevitably backfires, use Mirror Image to create some shadow clones for an easier escape. The spell makes three copies of yourself, and when you would get hit by an attack there’s a 75% chance it will hit one of them instead. After they take a hit for you, they pop, reducing the odds of blocking the next attack. MI is technically UA, but it’s not exactly a massive power boost.

7. Bard 5: Fifth level bards see their inspiration dice grow to d8s. While that doesn’t affect your psychic blades, your Font of Inspiration does, letting you recharge inspiration on short rests for more consistent support and damage.

You also learn how to Feign Death to escape any criminal/detective duos on your trail. Admittedly this isn’t as effective as disguising yourself as a civilian, as it basically knocks you out for an hour, giving you resistance to most types of damage and prevents any sort of effect from diseases or poison.

8. Bard 6: The sixth level of bard is where our plan really comes together. No, I’m not talking about Countercharm, get that shit outta here. We’re here for the Mantle of Whispers, letting you steal a humanoid’s shadow when it dies nearby once per short rest. Using their shadow, you can create an hour-long disguise that not only makes you look like the person, but gives you information they would give away to acquaintances. Creatures can see through the disguise with an Insight check against your Deception check, but you get a +5 to that, on top of everything else.

9. Monk 3: Stealing peoples’ identity is nice, but it’s time we got back to punching good. Third level monks get their way, and Way of Shadow helps you take advantage of Shinjuku’s oppressive atmosphere to make the town your own. Your Shadow Arts lets you cast spells like Darkness, Darkvision, Pass without Trace, or Silence using your Ki points. You can also cast Minor Illusion to take your stealth to the next level with some free distractions.

Besides all that, you can Deflect Missiles, catching them out of the air to reduce damage and possibly even throwing them back as a reaction.

Now that you have a bunch of things eating away at your Ki points, you can use your Ki-Fueled Attack to attack as a bonus action if your main action uses your Ki. Now nothing can stop you from delivering those hands.

10. Monk 4: Been a while since your last ASI, huh? Use this one to boost your Dexterity for a better AC and stronger attacks. You can also Slow Fall as a reaction, reducing fall damage by five times your monk level. As Moriarty could tell you, falling off a skyscraper hurts.

11. Monk 5: Fifth level monks get an Extra Attack each attack action, and you can turn those attacks into Stunning Strikes by using Ki. If the target fails a constitution save all attacks on them for the round have advantage. Great way to fish for crits for your psychic blades.

12. Monk 6: Sixth level monks get Ki-empowered Strikes, making your unarmed attacks magic against resistances. You’re a Tier-3 character, you’ll probably need this.

You can also use your brand new Shadow Step to teleport between shadows as a bonus action. Moving so quickly also gives you advantage on your next attack.

13. Bard 7: Seventh level bards get fourth level spells, like using Phantasmal Killer to create a more offensive shadow clone. For up to a minute one targeted creature needs to make a wisdom save. If they fail, they’re frightened and at the end of each turn they have to make another wisdom save or they take psychic damage.

14. Bard 8: Use this ASI to bump up your Charisma again for stronger spells and inspiration. You can also use Freedom of Movement to escape from impossible binds. Just disguise yourself as a free person, I can’t believe nobody thought of this before.

15. Bard 9: Our last level of bard charges your Song of Rest to a d8, and you get a fifth level spell. Mislead lets you move so fast enemies will have to hit your afterimage, simultaneously turning you invisible and creating an illusion of yourself.  The illusion lasts for an hour, but you only stay invisible until you attack or cast another spell. It can speak or gesture just like you, and you can even see through its eyes.

16. Monk 7: Seventh level monks finally get Evasion, turning your dex saves into supersaves. Now your failures deal as much damage as your successes, and your successes avoid all damage entirely. Your Stillness of Mind also lets you shut down effects that are charming or frightening you.

17. Monk 8: Use your last ASI to bump up your Wisdom for a stronger AC. Technically grabbing more Dexterity would be better here, but I like rounding stuff up more than capping it out. Makes room for DM stuff.

18. Monk 9: Your Unarmored Movement Improvement lets you run up walls and over water, so long as you don’t end your turn there. You can finally climb up that huge freaking castle you’ve been eyeing for a while!

19. Monk 10: Tenth level monks get a Purity of Body that makes you immune to disease and poison. At least this isn’t your capstone?

20. Monk 11: As an eleventh level shadow monk gets a Cloak of Shadows, letting you disguise yourself as a Vashta Narada as an action, becoming invisible in dim light or darker. This lasts until you attack, cast a spell, or leave the shadows. I’m pretty sure this qualifies for that whole “cast no shadow” thing you’re always going on about, right?

Pros:

You are the one true imposter. With advantage as well as +21 to all your deception rolls to disguise yourself, you’re pretty much undiscoverable. On top of that, you’re also great at reading people with a +15 to insight. The only person doing impressions around here is you, thank ya kindly.

Like all monks, you’re really fast, with 50′ of movement speed, dash options, teleporting options, and ways to make yourself even faster via magic. You go down harder than the KT event, but you’re fine as long as you don’t get hit.

You also come with tons of ways to mess with the enemy. Make yourself invisible, shoot darkness like a squid shoots ink, have them chasing an illusion, or even just disguise yourself as a loved one. You are a terror to fight.

Cons:

Touching on that thing I said back in Pro #2, you’re pretty squishy, with barely over 100 HP and only 17 AC. Stick to the shadows, you’ll need them.

You also have a serious issue with range. Anything that can outspeed you will find it pretty easy to have you running in circles, since your best ranged attacks are cantrips.

This build is also a little bit complicated, with balancing your Ki, inspirations, who you can disguise as, who you can mimic, and all that fun stuff. Like a lot of the clever people builds, don’t expect to play this one like you would a barbarian.