#I have an 8 in both strength and dex

[thewallshaveeyes]

Me, every night at exactly midnight: so, let's see... Wisdom saving throw against procrastination... Let's put that at advantage because I'm listening to good music.. Setting the DC pretty high, though, since my motivation is pretty low... Alright, that's a natural 13, plus 2 is a 15... with a DC of 17, if I can get someone to cast guidance on me in the next 5 minutes, that should be enough to pass this saving throw.

[volatilesubstances]

Baldur's Gate 3 Companions Ranked By Physical Strength (not STR)

I see so many people who consider any character with 8 or 10 STR stars to be physically weak and it annoys me because actually STR is only a specific part of what we call 'physical strength,' which also includes parts of DEX and CON (which are also not encompassing of dexterity and constitution) by definition. So, under the cut is a ranking of, in my opinion based on stats, context clues and character traits, the BG3 companions based on their overall physical strength. For arguments sake I am only considering the characters in their 'good' path, so no God Gale, Vampire Ascendent Astarion, etc. I am also considering how much they were likely nerfed by the tadpole. Possible spoilers ahead!!

1. Strongest - Lae'zel

This shouldn't be that shocking, githyanki are as a species built for combat and she has spent her entire life training to be a soldier.

Additionally, not only is she consistently swinging heavy weapons around, as a battle master, she is doing so with a level of precision that requires extra strength in order to manipulate the weapon she is using (fun fact, this is by definition attributed to dexterity rather than raw strength, despite being attributed to the STR stat ingame).

She also has the second highest movement speed of any of the companions, and the largest jump range, especially when considering the psionic jump, though this could be considered more magic than physical strength.

All of this she does while also wearing medium armour.

2. Karlach

Also not shocking, given she is a former soldier of an actual archdevil and built like that.

She's literally part machine, though the instability of her engine can be conditionally considered a limiting factor in her strength as much as a booster.

Only character proficient with war hammers, the heaviest weapon type in the game.

Best endurance (closest trait definition to CON stat, 'constitution' is not really a measurement of any given trait so much as the complete makeup of a person's physical form) of any companion, though in terms of physical strength one could argue this is offset by her not wearing armour.

Additionally, arguably the CON stat can be considered a mixture of physical and mental fortitude, so it is debatable whether this can be entirely attributed to physical strength.

3. Minsc

His STR stat does not match his actual strength at all.

For a start he is a former berserker, which has easily the most raw strength of any class or subclass across the board.

His introduction in this game is literally him prying the jaws of a mimic, which have a STR stat of 17 and CON of 15, open from the inside.

Ranger proficiencies don't cover any particular heavy weapons, but they do include both medium armour and shields. Minsc doesn't have either in his starting gear, but nonetheless has the ability to use them.

Also, just look at him. Man is bricked.

4. Astarion

Controversial given the 8 in STR, but realistically Astarion has to be pretty damn strong by nature, just in a different way to the others near the top of this list.

The skillset of a rogue can be compared to the physicality of acrobatics, gymnastics, calisthenics, etc. and let me tell you, that shit requires an insane amount of strength.

He was also likely the most nerfed of any of the companions in terms of physical attributes by the tadpole. All of the other spawn, and also vampire spawn according to 5e, have 16s in STR, DEX, and CON. Without the tadpole, and considering his 17 in DEX, it could well be that he was the strongest of the spawn to boot.

Additionally, it is mentioned a couple times ingame (and in 5e) that spawn can become full vampires by killing their master. Obviously this doesn't happen ingame, most likely just because it would cause balance issues, but as far as I know in the epilogue he is not explicitly referred to as a spawn, so it could be argued that the tadpole may have just supressed this evolution and therefore doesn't happen until the postgame. If this were the case, the baseline for his physical strength stats would be 18 in STR, DEX and CON, though as vampires are inherently magical and these stats are considered supernatural even in-universe, it is debateable how much these stats could attributed to actual physical strength.

5. Halsin

Halsin has one of the wildest changes in stats between NPC and companion, with his STR stat going from 20 in the Shattered Sanctum, to 16 after escaping, and then all the way down to 10 as a companion. Again, it's a balancing thing for gameplay, and because the stats otherwise would have been impractical for a druid, but cutting it by literally half is actually insane.

Again, I am treating his NPC stats as his 'canon' stats, given that a good amount of his character is that he is unnaturally large and strong (and hairy, though that's not really relevant) for an elf, to the point that a good portion of people actually headcanon that he is a bear that can turn into an elf and not vice versa.

Having said this, his dexterity isn't amazing and outside of wildshape, which I am again not considering as it is magic, his physical combat is mediocre without magic.

Interestingly, he at some point won an arm wrestle against Minsc, who I have put higher, though Minsc considered it to be cheating as he turned into a bear. As I see it, he wouldn't have turned into a bear to win unless he was either losing, or they were evenly matched enough that he was putting so much effort in he lost control. Either way, from this I would consider Halsin to be on par at most with Minsc, and this is also only one area of strength.

6. Jaheira

Jaheira's companion stats are nerfed from her NPC stats due to balancing, but interestingly this also changes her main stat. To me, her NPC stats are her 'canon' stats, but I do this the companion stats can also provide some insight into her overall constitution.

As a companion, Jaheira's main stat is a 17 in WIS, but as an NPC it is a 17 in CON, followed by a 16 in WIS. This backs up what I mentioned earlier about CON being partially mental fortitude as well as physical endurance.

Another weird change, as a companion Jaheria has a 10 in STR and a 14 in DEX, yet as an NPC her stats are again reversed in magnitude, with 15 STR and 14 DEX. There isn't really much to say about the order of these, but the high values in these stats just highlights that outside her generic druid build as a companion, Jaheira his very much a formidable warrior.

Having said this, as High Harper her job it likely 90% admin, diplomacy and telling people what to do rather than actual fighting and missions, with the exception of big stuff like the Cult of the Absolute.

Additionally, though in 5e there is some debate about half-elf lifespans, in the Baldur's Gate universe at least she is very much in the final decades of her life, and by her own admission past her prime. Even being the strong soldier that she is, at that age I can't imagine her stamina being quite as good as it may have been.

7. Minthara

Another NPC that gets nerfed when they become a companion, though the changes here are significantly less to write home about.

She's decently strong in all three relevant stats, though none of them are her main focus. DEX and CON both have their high values sacrificed when she becomes a companion.

She's also the only companion that has proficiency in heavy armour by default.

Having said this, she's not particularly heavily built, her background is in nobility rather than any sort of combat or athleticism, and a good portion of Paladins' power comes from their attacks being enhanced by spells rather than raw strength.

8. Shadowheart

We're getting to the companions that there really isn't much to talk about for.

She has decent relevant stats, as well as proficiency in both medium armour and shields, in addition to maces and morningstars, which are usually some of the heaviest one-handed weapons.

As a trickery domain cleric of Shar, she has trained in combat to a degree, and is by no means weak.

Having said that, she is small and lean and, most importantly, not a class that particularly has a need for a large amount of physical strength in pretty much any capacity.

9. Wyll

Wyll is the only character whose NPC stats are actually worse than his companion stats. Seriously, if this guy is supposed to be a hero and monster hunter already at the start of the game, why is he so weak?? That might be a bit harsh, he was probably also nerfed by the tadpole. Probably.

During the time of the game, pretty much the only thing going in his favour in terms of physical strength is his proficiency in shields, as his weapons of choice outside of spellcasting are also all lightweight weapons that, though obviously do have an element of strength to them, are generally more about skill and precision. Don't get me wrong, he is a skilled fighter, but strong he is not.

As the Blade of Avernus, if his pact is broken he is impied to become a ranger post-game, and archery, especially good archery, takes a good amount of strength, so he must have at least decent strength by the end of the game, even if his stats don't really change.

10. Weakest - Gale

The wizard? Squishy? Shocker.

Unlike Wyll and Astarion, I think his 8 in STR is more than justified, given he's a spellcaster with limited proficiencies and doesn't wear armour. He also has terrible movement speed, and has no physical endurance to speak of.

In terms of weapons, he is pretty much entirely limited to quarterstaves, which admittedly be quite heavy. Anyone can throw a big stick around, but to do so accurately... yeah, he can't really do that either.

I like to think the only reason he's physically built the way he is, is because of unhealthy weight loss caused by the orb, rather than any sort of actual muscle mass.

[bg-brainrot]

Hello, I am writing Astarion fanfic with no signs of stopping 👋

Note: All Astarion x Tav, all written with gender-neutral pronouns and from second-person POV. Will continue to update this! This blog is all BG3 + Astarion

Love at First Knife

Rogue!Tav and Spawn!Astarion

This series is based on my double-rogue playthrough. Tav is an assassin rogue, chaotic neutral, chooses mostly good options but a ton of options just for the laughs or the money. Astarion remains unascended. Everyone shows up sooner or later, though main group includes Karlach and Shadowheart.

The Trap is Set: Two 8 strength rogues get stuck and need to wait for rescue; one of those rogues doesn't like being trapped underground

Failed a Dex Save and Fell for You: the gang plays Truth or Dare and Tav starts to realize their feelings

Healing Threads: Astarion is an expert at embroidery -- Tav finds this out through an injury. They later find out *why* he’s such an expert

The Night They Slept Together: Tav pines, and their relationship with Astarion shifts ever so slightly. (They literally do just sleep) [Tumblr]

One Small Bedroll, Two Confused Hearts: oh no, one bed! But both Astarion and Tav are scared to admit they're catching real feelings

Failed Every Insight Check and Fell all the Harder: Astarion POV, he begins feeling some new feelings. It's only after Moonrise Towers that he can put a name to them. [Tumblr]

Stolen Hearts: Tav "picks" Astarion over Karlach (Tav and Karlach were never really together but oh well, semantics)

NEW! To be Known: Astarion reads a book and wonders what it means to be known. [Tumblr]

A Stolen Moment: Tav and Astarion are on a thief date

The Rogues that Slay Together Stay Together: Tav goes down protecting Astarion, Astarion has never been this worried

A Pair of Penguin Pebblers: Both Astarion and Tav love stealing, they steal through a shopping episode and go on a date afterward

The Smut Peddlers of Sharess' Caress: the group finds smut written about Astarion and Tav [Tumblr]

A Bad Counterfeit: Tav is replaced by a doppelganger and Astarion immediately notices something's wrong, some angst as he comes to term with being a "hero"

Hugs for a Vampire: Rogue!Tav and Astarion's romance as told through hugs [Tumblr Masterlist]

More than Vampiric Charms: After some banter between Jaheira and Astarion goes too far, Rogue!Tav reassures Astarion [Tumblr]

Would You Still Love Me?: Rogue!Tav asks the question everyone wants to know the answer to "would you still love me if I was a worm?" [Tumblr]

Of Bets, Bluffs, and Briefs: The gang plays strip poker, though it seems like not everyone (Astarion) is playing by the rules [Tumblr]

Brawls Fair in Love and War: What starts out as a scuffle turns into a full out tavern brawl for the gang [Tumblr]

Alone in a Crowded Camp: Astarion reflects and realizes that company isn't so bad. [Tumblr]

Their First Winter Together: Astarion and Rogue!Tav enjoy a lot of winter firsts in this fluff-filled extravaganza [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Unraveling Plan Meet Immeasurable Insecurity: Tav tries their damnedest to propose, only to be rebuffed by Astarion at every single turn. [Tumblr]

(smut) The Thousandth Time: Astarion and Rogue!Tav make love for the thousandth time. In a bathtub. [Tumblr]

Random post-game rogue!Tav headcanons

A Star in the Dark

Evil!Dark Urge and Ascended!Astarion

Evil!Dark Urge and Astarion have a tumultuous relationship, make dubious choices, and become a power couple. *This playthrough scares me so I'll update this sporadically hah

(smut) In My Head: Dark Urge has an all new kind of daydream after Astarion approaches them

(smut) A Bloody Sacrament: Astarion licks Dark Urge clean after they bathe in a pool of blood [Tumblr]

Other

Tav x Astarion fics that don't belong to a series

IN PROGRESS When He's all but Forgotten How to Love Again: Elf-Tav reincarnation story, they dream of him in their reverie, and go out to find him once they reach maturity [Tumblr Masterlist]

IN PROGRESS The Consequences of Convenience: Tav enters a marriage of convenience with their unromanced, best friend Astarion-- feelings ensue.

Spicy Astarion Headcanons (both A!A and Spawn!A)

Horny Astarion Headcanons (both A!A and Spawn!A)

If you're looking for some more fics, check out my fic recs here!

If you're wondering which Hozier songs fit which pairings, check them here!

[thecreaturecodex]

Scrab

Image © Oddworld Inhabitants, accessed at the Oddworld Wiki here

[Sponsored by @martyslittleusedblog. Like previous Oddworld creature the paramite, the scrab combines a very distinctive look with pretty basic mechanics. After all, in a game where your character dies to a single bullet, combat isn't exactly the developer's goal. So the good stuff is in the flavor text, which I did tweak just a little. In the games, it's implied that scrabs are pure carnivores, but both their desert habitat and ability to be farmed for food suggests something a little broader. So I went omnivore.]

Scrab CR 7 N Magical Beast This creature has four crab-like legs, each tipped with a large claw, above which grows an armless, humanoid torso. Its head is eyeless, with a large upward scooping beak, sword edged along the lower jaw.

Scrabs are belligerent omnivores native to the desert mesas and canyons of an alien world. They are extremely territorial, repelling all other scrabs from their territory except for pack members unless it is the mating season. Territorial marking is done with booming calls that carry for miles through the still desert air, but if that fails, scrabs do not hesitate to fight others of their own species to the death. Due to the harsh nature of their habitats, scrab territories are large. Most scrabs forage independently by day, and then return to a communal nest during the night to feed the young, who are communally raised on regurgitated food provided by all pack members.

The bulk of a scrab’s diet consists of roots and gourds, dug up using their shovel-like bills. They prefer meat when they can get it, though, either carrion or killed on the hoof. Scrabs find the meat of their own kind unpalatable—the one thing a scrab will refuse to eat is another scrab. This is unusual, as many species find scrabs to be delicious, albeit difficult game. Due to their homebody nature and garbage disposal physiologies, scrabs can even be farmed, although this runs the risk of the farmer becoming the next meal if the scrabs are neglected or underfed. Due to their durability and fierce nature, scrabs are also sacred animals in some cultures. The cultures that farm scrabs and those that venerate them are usually deeply at odds with each other.

Scrab      CR 7 XP 3,200 N Large magical beast Init +5; Senses blind, blindsight 60 ft., Perception +9

Defense AC 21, touch 10, flat-footed 20 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +11 natural) hp 76 (8d10+32) Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +6

Offense Speed 50 ft. Melee bite +13 (2d6+6), 2 claws +13 (1d6+6) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Special Attacks thrash

Statistics Str 22, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis18, Cha 9 Base Atk +8; CMB +15 (+17 bull rush); CMD 26 (28 vs. bull rush, 30 vs. trip) Feats Endurance,Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Power Attack Skills Acrobatics +10, Climb +15, Perception +9, Survival +10; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Climb, +4 Survival

Ecology Environment warm deserts and underground Organization solitary, pair or pack (3-12 plus 100% noncombatant juveniles) Treasure incidental

Special Abilities Blindsight (Ex) A scrab’s blindsight is based on hearing and electrical signals. When deafened, or in an area of silence, a scrab is considered to have blindsense instead. Thrash (Ex) As a standard action, a scrab can lash out with its claws and beak in all directions. All creatures adjacent to the scrab take 3d6+9 slashing damage (Ref DC 20 halves). The save DC is Strength based.

[pathfinderunlocked]

Werewitch - CR4 Humanoid

She has claws. Twice.

Artwork by andrewkmar on Tumblr and Artstation. Original post seemingly now deleted.

This witch uses a modified (nerfed) version of the Protective Luck hex. Fun fact, the author of the hex admitted on the Paizo forums that they didn't realize other similar hexes like Fortune and Misfortune were limited. Fortune only works on a single roll, Misfortune has a save to negate it, and both of them can only be cast on the same target once per day. I modified Protective Luck (both in this creature, and for players in my games who use it) to have similar restrictions to Misfortune.

Anyway, I saw this art and was instantly like, "That's a skinwalker tatterdemalion witch that uses Dancing Strings on the animal skins she wears to make them claw people." And then I had to make a stat block for it.

Werewitch - CR 4

Draped in ragged animal hides, this woman's form resembles a wolf, but she doesn't appear to be a true werewolf. The animal hide seems to be moving on its own, trying to claw at you.

XP 1,200 Skinwalker (werewolf-kin) witch (bouda, tatterdemalion) 4, shifter 1 CE Medium humanoid (shapechanger, skinwalker) Init +3 Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +8

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural) hp 29 (1d10+4d6+5) Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +5

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft. Melee 2 claws +6 (1d4+1) and bite +7 (1d6+2) and dancing strings +1 (1d3+1) or Melee mwk dagger +7 (1d4+1/19-20) and bite +1 (1d6) and dancing strings +1 (1d3+1) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with dancing strings) Special Attacks dancing strings, hexes (bouda's eye [–2, 6 rounds], moth-eaten, protective luck), shifter aspect (wolf), shifter's claws (alternate natural attack: bite)

Skinwalker Spell-like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +3)     1/day—magic fang (already cast on bite)

Witch Spells Prepared (CL 4th; concentration +7)     2nd—cat's grace (already cast), lipstitch (DC 15)     1st—animate rope, cause fear (DC 14), cheetah's sprint, jump (already cast)     0 (at will)—detect magic, mage hand, open/close, prestidigitation

Patron Agility

BASE STATISTICS

Without cat's grace, jump, and magic fang, the werewitch's statistics are: Init +1; AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 11; Ref +4; Melee 2 claws +4 (1d4+1) and bite +4 (1d6+1); or Melee dagger +4 (1d4+1/19-20) and bite -1 (1d6); CMD 16; Skills Acrobatics +7, Ride +5

STATISTICS

Str 12, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 7 Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 18 Feats Combat Casting, Dodge, Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +9 (+19 to jump), Climb +8, Handle Animal +4, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (nature) +11, Perception +8, Ride +7, Spellcraft +11, Survival +4; Racial Modifiers +2 on wild empathy checks Languages Common, Druidic, Gnoll, Orc, Sylvan SQ fetish, wild empathy Gear mwk dagger, cloak of resistance +1

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Bouda’s Eye (Su) A werewitch's gaze can bestow ill fortune on her enemies. This hex can affect a creature within 30 feet that the werewitch can see. The target takes a –2 penalty on one of the following (werewitch's choice): AC, ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, or skill checks. The hex lasts for 6 rounds. A successful DC 15 Will saving throw reduces the duration of the hex to 1 round. Once per day when the werewitch uses this hex, she can impose two different penalties on the target instead of just one. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Dancing Strings (Su) A werewitch can control her clothing (including furs) and cloth, rope, or woven fabric she wears, causing it to grow up to 10 feet long or to shrink to its normal length, and can manipulate such materials as if they were a limb with a Strength score equal to her Intelligence score (usually +3). Her dancing strings have a reach of 10 feet, and she can use them as a secondary natural attack that deals 1d3 points of damage. Her dancing strings can manipulate objects (but not weapons) as dexterously as a human hand.

The dancing strings cannot be sundered or attacked as a separate creature. Pieces cut from the werewitch's dancing strings shrink away to nothing. The werewitch can manipulate her dancing strings for 4 minutes each day; these minutes do not need to be consecutive, but must be spent in 1-minute increments.

Fetish (Su) In place of a familiar, a werewitch has a fetish which contains her known spells. Once per day, she can use her fetish to deliver a touch spell, changing it into a ranged touch spell within a range of 30 feet.

Moth-Eaten (Sp) As a standard action, 4 times per day, a werewitch can make a touch attack that damages leather, rope, or cloth like rusting grasp damages metal.

Protective Luck (Su) The werewitch can cause fate to twist so that it benefits a creature other than herself within 30 feet for 1 round. Whenever that creature is targeted by an effect that requires an attack roll, including weapon attacks, the attacker must roll twice and take the worse result. The first time an attacker makes an attack roll against a target with Protective Luck, the attacker can make a will save to ignore the werewitch's Protective Luck for the rest of the day.

Shifter Aspect (Su) A werewitch can gain scent to a range of 10 ft. for 4 minutes per day. The duration need not be consecutive but must be spent in 1-minute increments. Shifting into a minor form is a swift action, while ending the effect is a free action.

[dr-futbol-blog]

Condemned, Pt. 8

Left to their own devices in the shack with Torrell listening in using the walkie-talkies, it does not seem like the team are in a very talkative mood to start with. Where Sheppard and Teyla appear to be sitting still, McKay is on his knees in a position that cannot be very comfortable, and it seems as though only Ronon is still struggling against his bindings.

Dex: I think they're loosening! Sheppard: Take it easy, Chewie. You're gonna cut your damned hands off. Teyla: The more we struggle, the tighter the bindings get.

Sheppard makes an explicit reference to Star Wars here, and this is far from the only time he will call the big guy Chewbacca. While Chewie is a hero, calling someone what amounts to a big savage animal could be seen as disparaging. Where Chewie is not dumb by any means, being a navigator on a space craft, it is the fact that he communicates through grunts and whines much more like an animal than the other characters that emphasizes his brutish nature. He is loyal but lethal, and this is something that Sheppard wishes Ronon turned out to be. A big hulking guardian angel, dangerous to his enemies but kind to his friends.

But it is not only the fact that Ronon is tall, big, strong, dangerous and reticent that makes Sheppard think of Ronon as Chewie, the reference itself once more meaning absolutely nothing to anyone besides McKay. It is also the fact that Sheppard, being that he is a pilot and believing himself to be something of a rebel, would also very much like to think of himself as Han Solo, the bi-coded space pirate. Besides being a pilot, the trait that Sheppard also seems to share with Han Solo is having a thing for siblings.

While this is the first time Sheppard calls Ronon Chewie, and it is the only explicit reference to Star Wars in the episode, it is not the only one. McKay especially was placed in the role of Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi (whining and complaining while hiding great strength of character, having his friends used against him) and of Princess Leia in The Empire Strikes Back (fixing the Millennium Falcon, his placement sitting behind Sheppard in the cockpit of the jumper in this episode, talking the pilot's ear off while he is trying to concentrate on saving their lives).

The Falcon is bombarded by asteroids and has to be taken down for repairs, Chewie attempts to choke the life out of Lando Calrissian when he comes to release them, Sheppard being lazy but fighting if he has to, the low-tech Ewoks taking down the Rebels. It is by no means a perfect parallel but it is the explicit mention of the name that invites us to think about it. And it seems as though Torrell's description of McKay especially may be an intentional allusion to the characterization of Luke Skywalker who, along with his twin sister, possesses a strength of character that he does not even know he has. And McKay being put in the shoes of both the twins is not a coincidence, it is intentional bi-coding of Sheppard in particular.

Regardless, their riveting discussion on the nature of their bindings is interrupted by Eldon breaking off the wall at the back of the shack to be able to talk with the newcomers undetected. Eldon places himself in front of Sheppard, apparently having correctly interpreted from McKay's deference to Sheppard that he is their leader. They don't seem to know how to interpret his actions at first.

Eldon: You need something like this? McKay: What about the guards? Eldon: They stepped away. No-one's watching. Teyla: Will you help us? Eldon: If you'll help me. Sheppard: How?

It seems like Sheppard is ready to entertain the thought of playing along, of helping this man, and the reason is not merely because he felt for him after hearing about the prisoners being taken on the island on flimsy pretenses just to keep the wraith fed. Another, and perhaps even the more significant reason of why he is willing to trust this stranger is that he appeared to be looking after McKay especially, and this is the quickest way to get into Sheppard's good graces. The tones in which McKay also talks to Eldon, while not in the least bit friendly, betray a rapport between them. Sheppard is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt mostly because of McKay. And it is not as though they have many options at the moment.

Eldon: Fix the ship, let me leave with you. McKay: Oh for God's sake! How many times do I have to tell you... Eldon: I know you can do it. I could see it in your eyes when you were working that you were holding something back from us.

We did see Eldon observe McKay very keenly during their time in the jumper but there was no obvious moment when it seemed as though McKay was lying, where Eldon could have inferred that he was not being honest. In fact, McKay was explaining things to Eldon that he did not even need to be telling him. Now, while Eldon seems to be intelligent, it does not seem as though he has any special insight into people. He is, however, jumpy and has probably developed hypervigilance in response to trauma, to having to survive in a a very stressful environment like a prison. Hypervigilant people are experts in picking up cues in the behaviour of people because anticipating traumatic experiences is a defense-mechanism. The way Eldon cowered from Torrell as the latter walked past him out of the jumper suggests that he has been on the receiving end of violent experiences while on the island, and this is the reason for both his ability to read McKay where most people would be none the wiser, and in his strong desire to get out.

Sheppard: Rodney? McKay: Nobody could fix it. I don't care who you think I am, or what you think you saw in my eyes, but it is totally, completely impossible. Eldon: Torrell and his men are gonna return soon. Sheppard: He'll fix it.

While we have been reminded again and again that Sheppard can't actually give McKay orders given that he is a civilian, and since he does not like to give orders in the first place and probably wouldn't give them to McKay even if giving orders was something he had proficiency in general, he very clearly tells McKay what to do here. And he can tell McKay what to do, as this has nothing to do with the man being under his command, in his team, or in a subordinate position to him. The authority with which he can tell McKay what to do, with which he can speak for McKay on his behalf, is borne from their intimacy. He can tell McKay what to do because he has done many things for McKay.

They have both done so many things for the other that they are no longer in a tit-for-that situation with the other man, they have reached a point in their relationship where the pattern of their actions has gravity, where they are so close that it's difficult to differentiate where one man begins and the other ends anymore, where they know each other like the backs of their hands. When Sheppard tells Eldon that McKay is going to do it, he is not saying it as a commander, he is saying it as someone who knows McKay so well that he is able to speak for him, who knows McKay so well that he knows the man will get over his reluctance soon enough. He is able to write checks for McKay because they have a joint checking account, figuratively speaking.

McKay: I just said I couldn't! Sheppard: You really suck at lying, Rodney. We have a deal.

But the thing is, McKay does not suck at lying. He frequently lies so well that he manages to fool even the audience. There were no obvious tells to his behaviour either in the jumper or in the shack that would have alerted the viewer to the fact that he was lying. Probably due to his unstable childhood environment, having had a little sister to protect, and having had a secret to hide his entire life, McKay has become an expert liar. Having spent most of his professional career in an environment where he was forced to lie not only for his own security but for the safety of people in more vulnerable positions than he was himself as a civilian contractor, lying has become a second nature to him. He lies so frequently and so well that he sometimes has a hard time keeping track of the truth himself. McKay does not suck at lying.

But the thing is, Sheppard is equally well-versed in the art of lying. Sheppard has been lying just as long as McKay has. His reasons for lying were different and perhaps a little less noble and more selfish than McKay's but he also could lie as easy as breathing, and unlike McKay, Sheppard was also an expert at lying to the man in the mirror. But it's not the fact that Sheppard can lie as well as McKay that makes it so easy for him to tell when McKay is lying. It isn't even that he simply knows McKay so well that he can tell when he is lying, he knows the man's tells because he knows him intimately. No, it is the fact that they can read each other's thoughts from the other's face, they can read each other through seeing the eyes of the other. It is that unsettling ability to read the other person so well that it is as though they really could read each other's thoughts that makes him able to tell when McKay is lying.

And while Sheppard was self-confessedly unsettled, unnerved by his ability to read McKay and for McKay to read him before, by now they have been doing it long enough that it has become an ingrained skill, it has become normalized. Reading McKay is as easy as breathing to him. And so, he thinks everyone can read McKay as easily as he can. He thinks that everyone can tell when McKay is lying as well as he can. But that is simply not true. McKay is a very good liar. Sheppard is just an expert at reading him. And he doesn't even have to see his eyes to be able to tell, it is enough for him to hear the tone of his voice. Sheppard knows better than anyone what McKay sounds like when he is actually at the end of his rope, when he actually is at a loss of what to do, when he doesn't know how to solve something. He is one of the few people McKay has ever allowed to see that side of him. And Sheppard knows that this is not that.

And of course he is right, which McKay begrudgingly admits:

McKay: There is one slight possibility. Sheppard: See?! McKay: I won't actually be able to fix the ship to fly out of here but I may be able to cobble together enough power from secondary systems to activate the DHD. That way we can dial the gate and leave on foot. And when I say “might”, I mean probably not. It's a long shot at best. I'd have to bypass the main power distribution... Sheppard: Get us outta here.

Getting McKay to admit that he was right, Sheppard throws a charming smile Eldon's way, lifting his brows in a playful manner. He says "See?" communicating to Eldon both the fact that he really, really knows this man ("See? I could tell he was lying") and also that he is very proud of McKay ("See? I knew he could do it"). This isn't even a case of Sheppard trying to use his charm at working this man over, this is Sheppard simply overjoyed at the existence of Rodney McKay, and wanting to share that with someone that might also be able to appreciate him.

Now, it seems like what McKay is doing here is precisely what Torrell was referring to earlier. Making what he has to do seem like a Gargantuan task so that when he manages to pull it off, everyone would be sufficiently impressed. But while Sheppard never thought that was what McKay does, he can hear McKay trying to talk the task down for himself, to try to make it manageable and to quell is own fear of failure here. You can see Sheppard worry his lip as McKay starts doing this, because putting this strain on McKay does concern him. And while he does no t like having to put the weight of saving everyone on McKay's shoulders alone, right now it does not seem like they have a lot of other options. He cuts right through McKay's preemptive excuses not because he agrees with Torrell but because he is going to hold McKay's hand through this, proverbially. McKay may lack self-confidence but Sheppard has enough confidence in McKay's ability for the both of them. He knows McKay can do it and his belief in McKay's abilities is going to be enough for the both of them. This is why he refuses to listen to McKay's attempts at mitigating the task ahead. He does not expect McKay to perform miracles but he has seen him do enough miraculous things to have faith in him.

Thinking that he has managed to strike a deal with their leader, Eldon cuts Ronon loose first, and as Ronon does not know the others well enough to have followed especially Sheppard and McKay's exchange to understand what is going on, he does not know McKay well enough to be able to trust in his abilities, does not understand that Sheppard had been serious about making a deal with this man, and so he quickly disarms the skittish man and almost makes good of his earlier promise to make these people pay for having confined him.

Sheppard: Ronon, what are you doing?! Dex: Give me one reason why I shouldn't cut your throat. Sheppard: Well, one, it would make a mess. Look, we made a deal. Just let him go.

Ronon asks for one good reason not to kill him and Sheppard gives him one reason that may not be a good reason but is still a reason. Notice how here Sheppard first does try to reason with Ronon as he often does with people under his command, explaining why they need to do something. But then, perhaps because of what he witnessed earlier with Ronon seeming content to take a direct order from him, he decides to try that here. He gives Ronon an order to release the man, and he does. Just like that. Sheppard is learning about Ronon and how he works, how he needs to be managed. Seeing that he is able to reign in the beast is very important to him.

Ronon cuts the others loose and as he brings the knife near McKay's nethers, he seems rather protective of his dick. Ronon of course does not know that he has a lot to worry about in that region. While he is gruff, Ronon does make it clear that he has no intention of harming McKay.

McKay: Careful, careful. Dex: Suck it up.

They sneak out of the shack, unaware that Torrell has been listening in on them. Sheppard leads them through the forest toward the jumper, Eldon and McKay both now sandwiched in between the more capable warriors with Teyla holding the rear. Sheppard's Spidey-sense starts tingling because his survival training and field experience both lead him to expect more resistance on their way. Ronon, while he is a survivalist, does not have the experience Sheppard does and hence is confused by their lack of progress:

Dex: Why are we stopping? Sheppard: This is way too easy. Alright, stay close and stay quiet. McKay: What?! Why did say that to me?!

Now, McKay is indignant because he automatically assumed that Sheppard was talking to him when he could just as well have been reminding the person that is not a part of his team and has zero field experience that they need to be quiet. He could also have been saying this to Ronon who actually had asked him a question out loud when he had been using tactical hand signals to give instruction quietly. But he was looking at McKay because McKay is the thing that he most cares about so McKay took it as a personal slight. And the way he reacts in a high-pitched whine just makes it seem like Sheppard might have had a point, and by posing the question McKay actually throws a lampshade on the whole scene. Why did it seem like Sheppard was saying it to him when it did not seem like he was the one who needed to be told?

But the thing is, Sheppard isn't just pointing out McKay as a culprit. As we saw in Tracker (S02E03), Sheppard knows full well that it is the combination of the two of them, the fact that they provoke these responses in each other, that makes them a liability on missions requiring stealth. Sheppard is just as soon reminding himself that he needs to keep quiet and not engage McKay. He does know that McKay tends to talk when he is nervous but he also knows that he can't keep himself from responding if he does, so while McKay feels like a finger is being pointed at him and him alone, Sheppard is also reminding himself. Whether he meant this for Ronon or for Eldon to hear, McKay is what he most cares about and so McKay is who he focused on.

They reach the jumper but notice men lying in wait for them, and we again see the team bring their individual contributions for the use of the unit:

Eldon: I didn't know anything about this, I swear. Teyla: We will never be able to make it to the jumper, they have our weapons. Dex: We don't need weapons. McKay: What about the fact they seriously outnumber us? Sheppard: At least we've got the element of surprise.

Sheppard makes a reference to what McKay was trying to say in The Siege (S01E19): "In military parlance, surprise… is an element on our side." While McKay fumbled what ever saying he was reaching for, he was still entirely correct about the uses of the element of surprise in strategy, and how it is especially necessary when one is outmanned and outgunned, in a weaker power position.

Sheppard, as an officer, has certainly been trained in various aspects of strategy and it is entirely possible what McKay was trying to get at back then was something he had heard Sheppard or some other military figure say in the past. Regardless, Sheppard's tactical evaluation of the situation seems to impress Ronon who is starting to feel like Sheppard might actually be a commanding officer worth following.

Dex: I was beginning to think you were afraid to fight. Sheppard: No. I'm just naturally lazy, but I will if I have to. And it's starting to look like we have to.

Now, while he purposefully fosters this slacker persona, Sheppard is not actually particularly lazy. Sheppard is not afraid to fight but he is afraid of losing McKay, of getting McKay killed. That is a thing he is afraid of. And now that he is able to remove McKay from the fighting and to give him a task that puts him out of harm's way, he feels much more free to engage in violence. But it does not appear that Ronon or McKay are any the wiser as to his line of thinking here.

In fact, Ronon keeps giving them both curious looks as he is observing their interaction, clearly not knowing what to make of it. While it seems like Ronon never does figure out the nature of their relationship (unless his line about Sheppard and Teyla in Sunday (S03E17) was him fishing for the truth of the matter, given that Sheppard had just ever so casually thrown out the concept of men dating men being OK by his book, thinking that letting Sheppard know that he is just as alright with him dating a team member as he seems to be with him dating guys might encourage him to open up further), it is rather obvious he has never seen anything like them and the way they are around each other before. It is difficult to see how anyone could mistake theirs for a professional relationship:

Sheppard: How much time do you need to rework the DHD? McKay: Well, in a perfect world, two days. Sheppard: Rodney! McKay: Right now... ten minutes, give or take.

The way Sheppard speaks Mckay's name here, the way he whines, has not even the veneer of a commanding officer in it. He speaks it like a long-suffering spouse, like someone that has been forced to endure another's antics for far too many times and, as long as they are in public and among people, can only communicate his frustration by the tone of his voice. The fact that he knows what McKay is doing and he understands why he is doing it does not meant that he has time for it right now. Sheppard can communicate innumerable things by the way he pronounces McKay's name and right now, he is reminding McKay that they both know he can do it so he just as to get on it. And in order to give McKay time and opportunity to do what he has to do, he has to make it as safe for him to do it as possible. Getting the hostiles away from the jumper where McKay will be working is the most important thing:

Sheppard: Alright, we need to create a diversion. We split up and flank them. Get them looking everywhere except the jumper. Hopefully we can buy enough time to steal back our weapons... or we could just dial the gate. Teyla: They fixed the DHD? McKay: That's impossible. Sheppard: I don't think they're the ones who dialled it. Get down!

Sheppard's strategizing is interrupted by the gate turning on by itself. The incoming wormhole brings with it a wraith dart that seems to give them an opportunity to retake the jumper. As the dart flies over them we can see that McKay is directly behind Sheppard, and while this configuration is something that Sheppard might well prefer, it was not something that he actively planned as it was McKay that had placed himself there. Now, while staying behind him may be something that Sheppard has instructed McKay to do when they are in a tight situation, it might also be that McKay simply finds it the safest and most comforting place to be. He wants to be near Sheppard, and he wants to feel like he is watching over Sheppard, watching his six. Note also that as Sheppard ducks down, he turns himself toward McKay.

Eldon: They didn't see us. Dex: It saw us, it didn't care. McKay: Why not? Sheppard: Who cares? They left the jumper.

And so the team seize their opportunity to retake the jumper, deciding to leave the mystery of why a dart had just appeared for a later time.

Continued in Pt. 9

[soylent-crocodile]

Moørkutlot (Monster)

(One of Kaimere's most unique and infamous monsters, the silent one was teased for a good few years before we finally got to see exactly what it was and what it evolved from! I have to say, while the titanosaurs and megaraptors and sloths of kaimere are the bread and butter of the setting, the moorkutlot is to my eyes one of its most iconic creatures. Here's a link to the youtube vid about it, if you're interested in alien monsters and/or spec evo, I'd reccomend a watch.

All that said, an animal is only as strong as its context, and while the moorkut is a predator so deadly it can scare an entire ecosystem into silence, I imagine it's kinda small beans in a world that has fire breathing magic lizards the size of a city block as an apex predator.)

CR11 TN Large Animal HD16

Moorkutlot are nightmarish predators of icy forests on a faraway planet, distantly related to amphibians but evolved to a far more active, predatory role. Moorkutlot have a number of adaptations that make them terrifying hunters- their metabolism fluctuates between high- and low- energy periods, making them capable of going months without a meal, but capable of long-term chases and bursts of extreme speed and ferocity. They are social hunters, and in regions where they live a single moorkutlot hunting may lead to a half dozen or so ganging up on a target as the sound of a struggle attracts more. Most notoriously, however, is the non-newtonian fluid produced by modified mucus glands in their body; this is both a defensive tool, protecting them from powerful strikes, and an offensive one. Outside the body, the fluid sticks to skin and joints and makes escape a struggle, but inside the body it is truly dangerous; it rapidly clogs blood and joints, making movement nearly impossible and quickly leading to cardiac arrest. This fluid dissolves in salt, however, and this means that moorkutlot universally avoid oceans.

In their homeland, they are integrated into the ecology of their world as much as any other animal- they are dominant predators, yes, but life around them has learned to accommodate for their behavior and deadly weaponry. Not so for other planets- moorkutlot are occasionally used as terrible biological weapons, something that can be dropped on a planet and allowed to run wild, killing sentients and destroying the local ecosystem.

This horse-sized creature has a face that opens like a flower to reveal snapping jaws, and craggy gray skin covered in strange slime.

Misc- CR11 TN Large Animal HD16 Init:+7 Senses: Blind, Blindsight 60ft Perception:+16

Stats- Str:26(+8) Dex:16(+3) Con:23(+6) Int:2(-4) Wis:20(+5) Cha:11(+0) BAB:+12/+7/+2 Space:10ft Reach:5ft

Defense- HP:168 (16d8+96) AC:21(+3 Dex, -1 Size, +9 Natural) Fort:+16 Ref:+15 Will:+10 CMD:44 Immunity: Gaze and other visual effects Special Defenses: DR10/Salt

Offense- Bite +20(2d6+12 plus Poison) or Spit +15(1d4 Acid, Non-Newtonian Spit, 20ft) CMB:+21 Speed:40ft

Feats- Improved Initiative, Power Attack (-4/+8), EnduranceB, Feral Grapple, Improved Bull Rush, Weapon Focus (Bite), Skill Focus (Stealth), Lightning Reflexes

Skills- Perception +16, Climb +16, Stealth +9 (+4 Racial to Climb)

Special Qualities- Metabolic Surge

Ecology- Environment- Forests (Cold) Languages- None Organization- Solitary, Gang (4-6) Treasure- None

Special Abilities- Blindsight (Ex)- A Moorkutlot’s blindsight is echolocation-based; it cannot sense within areas of Silence or similar spells. Non-Newtonian Spit (Ex)- The moorkutlot spits a spray of thick, viscous fluid that traps an entangles its victims. Creatures hit  by this saliva are entangled without a save. This fluid cannot be removed without a DC16 Strength check, universal solvent, or at least a ¼ pound of salt. Metabolic Surge (Ex)- Three times a day, a moorkutlot can push its metabolism into overdrive, giving it an additional move action. It cannot use this ability if it has used it since the start of its last round. Moorkutlot Poison (Ex)- Bite-Injury Save:Fort DC20 Effect: Victim takes 1d6+1 Con damage and is Stunned Frequency: 1/round Cure: 2 Consecutive Saves

[ryttu3k]

You know what's fun? Statistics! You know what BG3 has? Statistics! 25 of the most prominent characters and their default stats, for your comparison pleasure.

Here are the lowest and highest scorers for each category, both overall and amongst the Origin companions!

Strength

Noodle squad, check in! Astarion, Gale, and Wyll all have a whopping STR 8, followed closely by Volo on STR 9. The hamster is stronger. The hamster is stronger.

On the other side of the strength spectrum, Sarevok could benchpress all three of them at once, with STR 20. Sarevok is scary in general, honestly.

Of the companions, Karlach and Lae'zel both have STR 17.

Dexterity

No single digits here! A perfectly average DEX 10 is achieved by Withers, Aylin, and the Emperor.

Meanwhile, Orin could probably disarm the most complicated traps blindfolded with one arm, with DEX 22, and equal highest score altogether. Only just behind her on DEX 20 are Gortash, Sarevok… and Boo.

Most of the companions have a pretty servicable DEX 13 here - just Astarion stands out, with DEX 17.

Constitution

Sneeze and they fall over. Boo, Withers, Volo, Gortash, Viconia, and the Emperor all have CON 10.

Again, it's Sarevok at the top of the list with CON 20. Why won't you die?!

All pretty average for the companions, here - everyone has 14-15.

Intelligence

Astonishing no one, the literal hamster has the lowest intelligence, with INT 6; this is also the lowest score overall for main characters. Just ahead of him, Karlach, Minsc, and, surprisingly, Jaheira only have INT 8.

It's probably not also much of a surprise to see that the Emperor has the highest, at INT 22, tying with Orin's dexterity for highest score overall.

Of the companions, Gale is the highest at INT 17.

Wisdom

In fairness they both made very poor decisions (although also in fairness, Wyll was 17 at the time). Wyll and Gale have the lowest wisdom at WIS 10.

If you want good advice, go to Orpheus. He has a whopping WIS 21, and the second-highest score overall.

Amongst the companions, it's Shadowheart who has the good sense, with WIS 17.

Charisma

Boo also holds lowest for Charisma at CHA 6, but I personally think this is a filthy lie and the hamster could convince me to commit crimes, so let's say the next actual lowest is a tie between Shadowheart and Lae'zel, on CHA 8.

Unsurprising for characters with actual huge numbers of followers, Orpheus, Ketheric, and Mizora all have CHA 20. Can you imagine if they started motivational services?

Amongst the companions, Wyll should definitely do all the talking, with CHA 17.

Totals

All the Origin companions have a total of 75; so do Minsc and (hilariously) Boo. Of the secondary companions, they're all around-ish that level, with Jaheira as the lowest at 71 (let her rest!), Halsin higher at 81, and Minthara the highest at 84.

Of their allies, Orpheus is a good one to know, with a total of 101. Volo and Isobel could be secondary protagonists, with scores of 73 and 76, very close to the companion average of 75. Withers has the very lowest score altogether at 68, which is kind of hilarious considering he's objectively one of the most powerful in the entire game.

The enemies are pretty fearsome. Mizora ranks down the bottom, with 91. Four antagonists hit 100 - Raphael hits it exactly, Cazador is on 104, Sarevok on 105, and beating him by a whopping 1 point, Orin wins Scariest Character Overall on 106!

In conclusion, jfc 104 no wonder Astarion was scared of Cazador, and also lmao Boo's STR 10.

[aftermathfanfic]

D&Ducks

So, I was originally going to make this post for when I hit 300 followers, but I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon, and I’ve been thinking about this for way too long, so fuck it. I’m just gonna post this now and see what happens.

In case it wasn’t obvious from the hints I’ve scattered through Aftermath, I am a huge D&D nerd. I love playing the game, I love running the game, I love the monsters, everything. And what I particularly love doing is building characters and monsters for the game. I use a lot of custom monsters for the games that I run, even though I don’t end up using all of them, and what I’ve done in the past is that I created character sheets and stat blocks for some of our favourite anthropomorphic ducks. In fact, on my main blog, I documented a solo adventure that I ran by myself, for myself, in story format as I put these duck characters through a premade advennture! (I eventually stopped, because playing a D&D game by yourself is as dull as it sounds)

So today, I’m going to revisit those roots and lay out how I would build the Ducktales characters as tabletop RPG player characters! This is something I’ve given way too much thought to, so be warned – this is going to be quite long-winded, with little to nothing to do with Aftermath itself, and of interest to only a small subset of people.

Let’s begin!

The Basics

I want to preface this whole thing by mentioning that while I’m going to try and describe these characters in a way that can be transposed onto any RPG system, I’m going to be using the Pathfinder RPG (1st edition) as a basis for these characters, just because it’s what I’m most familiar with at the moment. The basics are the same – roll a 20-sided dice, add a number and hope to get a big enough total – but there are more nitty-gritty rules and it's way easier to kill off your characters.

Another thing to keep in mind is that I’ll be inserting these characters into a D&D setting of my own creation, rather than any pre-existing settings. I don’t have a name for it, but essentially this setting is an undisciplined mix-and-match of characters from different IPs that interest me. The McDucks, in this setting, live as a powerful noble family in a kingdom of united beast-folk families.

Final thing is that even though these guys are anthropomorphic ducks, they’re going to have the racial traits of humans to make things simpler on me. I’ll also be giving them a swim speed of 15 feet in addition to those traits.

Dewey

This spry duck stands with the cockiness of an ambitious hero, a sword in each hand. A bright blue tabard, tattered from numerous skirmishes, flows down his chest to cover steel armour of haphazard construction.

Age: 16 Alignment: Chaotic Good Class/Level: Fighter 3/Bard 1 Ability Scores: STR 16, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 8, CHA 14

In this world, the triplets were raised by their uncle Donald in a quiet fishing village on the outskirts of the city of Duckland, in the providence of Calisota. They never got so much as a hint of their caretaker’s history as an adventurer, not until they found their uncle’s old adventuring gear, stowed away in the attic of their house. Among this gear was two finely made swords, both of which Dewey snatched up and started swinging around – resulting in the destruction of several family items and the near decapitation of Huey. Donald was forced to tell the triplets of his past as an adventurer, and the revelation shook them to the core. To make up for it, he decided to teach them how to adventure properly, in the hopes that if they wouldn’t be persuaded out of their trouble-making instincts, he could at least teach them to be safe while doing it.

Dewey remains the chief chaos-monger of the triplets. Ambitious and eager to live up to his family name, Dewey often throws himself into danger without hesitation, giving no thought to possible traps, uneven terrain, or indeed, the strength of whoever he’s fighting against compared to his own. He makes up for his recklessness by being virtually untouchable in a fight, deflecting swords, claws and spells with his twin swords. The longer blade, named Helios, was once wielded by his Uncle Donald. The shorter blade, Asteria, was his mother’s.

Against intelligent foes, Dewey never fights to kill – a trait unique to the McDuck adventurers – but rather, he tries to disarm and trip his foes, intimidating them into surrender. He’s remarkably acrobatic, and his fights are often performative in nature – hence his level in Bard. The sheer bravado he displays in combat inspires his family to fight even more fiercely and distracts his foes long enough for him to knock the wind out of them.

Huey

This anxious duck wears a heavy breastplate and a red cap, a collapsible spear slung around his back. He holds a large, heavy book bound in red leather with the letters ‘WJW’ imprinted upon it.

Age: 16 Alignment: Neutral Good Class/Level: Cleric 2/Wizard 2 Ability Scores: STR 14, DEX 10, CON 12, INT 16, WIS 15, CHA 13

Though regarded as a do-gooder by his brothers, Huey Duck is just as brave, ambitious and adventurous as the other McDucks. He took the role of the older brother quickly, seeing himself as a caretaker of his brothers and, prior to moving into Manor McDuck, the fixer-upper of torn clothes, broken furniture, and the like. With a resourcefulness and intellect beyond his years, Huey takes the role as both the primary healer of the party and – when the occasion calls for it – the firepower.

Huey originally had his heart set on joining the Woodchuck rangers, a group of survivalists and wilderness protectors on the outskirts of the world. While there, he met clerics and priests of Artemis, goddess of the hunt, with whom he made a rapport with. He even began to learn the ways of these wilder clerics, learning magic that could heal, magic that could wound, and magic that let him shape the natural world around him. In the end, however, he was rejected by the rangers, for while his survival skills were impeccable, his fighting prowess left much to be desired. Disheartened, but determined to make use of what he’d learned, he continued his studies of the ways of Artemis, delving deeply into his survival skills and the art of restorative magic.

At some point during his escapades with his uncle, Lord Scrooge McDuck, Huey became enamoured with the other side of magic – that of the arcane. He poured over arcane tomes, taking on wizardly studies in addition to his clerical practices. He has recently begun leaning more heavily towards wizardry, for while he’s grateful to Artemis for his abilities, he considers the goddess to be more of a tutor than an idol to be worshipped. He’ll never be the strongest of Artemis’s faithful, and he’s made peace with that – wizards get more exciting spells, anyway.

Louie

This youthful duck leans against the alley wall, his head concealed by a dark green hood. He smirks at you, absent-mindedly flipping a coin up and down in the air.

Age: 16 Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Class/Level: Rogue 3/Sorcerer 1 Ability Scores: STR 9, DEX 15, CON 12, INT 12, WIS 13, CHA 18

Thief. Charlatan. Snake. Louie Duck has been called many things, and he’s never let any of it stick. He’s out for himself and his family first, and what he’s out for is treasure. Coins, gems, jewellery – he doesn’t care. He loves it all. He’ll do the right thing for his family (though not without a fair share of grumbling), but he always makes sure he gets something out of it, and he isn’t above guilting or threatening the other party into upping his eventual reward.

Louie is a rogue. Obviously. He specializes in deceit, coercion, lock- and trap-picking, and even forging documents, if the opportunity is ripe. He tries to avoid combat if he can help it, but when he’s eventually forced into it, he relies on being able to feint against his opponents to catch them off-guard. When this doesn’t work, his alternative strategy is to bamboozle his foe, trying to convince them that he’s on their side, or that there’s a bugbear behind him, or that they don’t really want to hurt him. And when that fails, he panics, runs away, and then takes potshots from afar with his crossbow.

During one of the family’s adventures, Louie came really close to death. A screeching owlbear had ambushed the party and cornered Louie alone. Disarmed, wounded, and terrified, Louie tapped into something dormant deep inside him and – with a pop – vanished. He re-appeared a mere five seconds later, but that five seconds was all his family needed to redirect the beast’s attention and save his life. Since then, Louie has continued to delve into his hereto unknown sorcerous powers, learning more and more about them each time he calls upon them.

Webby

This wild-looking duck girl wears a loose-fitting pink blouse and a purple skirt, with a matching pink tie in her headfeathers. She gets into a battle stance, grinning eagerly.

Age: 15 Alignment: Chaotic Good Class/Level: Ninja 4 Ability Scores: STR 14, DEX 17, CON 14, INT 13, WIS 12, CHA 12

Webby is as wild, excitable and knowledgeable as she is in canon, raised in the manor of Lord McDuck and trained by her grandmother to be a silent and deadly assassin of House McDuck. To Lady Beakley’s disappointment, while Webby has proven to have mastered the arts of stealth and disguise, she's really squeamish about killing people for some reason.

Webby takes after her granny as a highly skilled ninja – a class somewhere between the monk and the rogue. A master of stealth, disguise, martial arts and more, Webby may not seem like it, but she’s one of the most accomplished spies Lady Beakley has ever had the privilege of training. Moreover, her training allows her to access a limited well of mystical energy that allows her to perform impossible acts. Her preferred method of attack is to overwhelm her foes with quick, rapid strikes before retreating into the shadows and hiding before they realise what happened.

Aside from being an incredible warrioress, Webby also fancies herself as an amateur historian and lorekeeper – particularly when it comes to the McDuck family history. The arcane and the occult may be guesswork to her, but ask her to name an ancestor of Clan McDuck, and she’ll give you the entire genealogical tree. She knows about every single historical event that happened in Duckland, and she can name all the native monsters in the area, right down to their weaknesses, habitats, diets, and the best method to befriend them (just in case).

Scrooge McDuck

This elderly duck stands with the pride and confidence of an experienced adventurer. His cane, cloak, top hat and bright red plate armour all combine to make an imposing figure out of this old duck.

Age: ??? Alignment: Neutral Good Class/Level: Fighter 6/Rogue 4/Duellist 10 Ability Scores: STR 11, DEX 10, CON 8, INT 15, WIS 15, CHA 16

Ruling from McDuck Manor, Scrooge is the Lord of Duckland, and one of the most powerful and influential figures in Calisota. With a manor full of artifacts, treasures and magical items, he is known throughout the land as the Richest Duck in the World, and you’d be hard-pressed to deny it. This Scrooge is mostly unchanged from the one we all know and love from canon, except this Scrooge has an army of trained soldiers, a cabal of ingenious wizards, and a small cabinet of assassins who have one loyalty and one alone – House McDuck.

You may not have heard of the Duellist class if you’ve only come in from D&D 5th edition. Honestly, you might not have heard of it even if you haven’t. The Duellist is a prestige class, one you can only take levels in if you meet the specific prerequisites, whose abilities allow Scrooge to fight with a flourish. He fights like the heroic swordsmen of old, parrying aside the blades of his foes and deftly moving around them before they can even pinpoint where he is. He fights not with a traditional blade, but with a sword concealed within his cane – a gift, from the late Ludwig Von Drake.

Other D&D aficionados may also notice that Scrooge’s physical abilities are a bit low – that, unfortunately, is due to his venerable age. In Pathfinder, your physical abilities reduce with age, while your mental abilities improve. In his prime, Scrooge’s ability scores were STR 17, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 12, WIS 12 and CHA 13, but the days of his prime are long behind him. For this reason, before going into battle, he typically equips himself with a Belt of Physical Perfection, restoring his physical prowess to what it was as a young lad. I know canon Scrooge doesn’t like to use magic (and he still doesn’t here), but that’s… really not an option in a fantasy RPG like this.

Donald Duck

With an incoherent squawking sound, this sailor rushes into the fray, swinging his fists wildly and leaping onto his foes.

Age: 42 Alignment: Neutral Good Class/Level: Barbarian 12 Ability Scores: STR 15, DEX 11, CON 13, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 13

This good-natured, short-tempered, and risk-averse fisherman may not seem like much at first glance, but he was, in fact, once an adventurer. And as far as the rest of his family are concerned, he still is. Once a sailor for the House McDuck navy, Donald retired from his adventuring life after his twin sister, Della, was lost to the Astral Plane in an impromptu expedition gone wrong. Though he was pulled back into the adventuring life by his triplet nephews, he has never lost his cautious edge, and he remains as the most responsible member of the McDuck family.

Donald fights as he does in canon – by flying into a rage and launching himself at his opponent. He punches, kicks, bites, trips, and attacks every part he can get a hold of. In the old days, he used to use an enchanted sword, though it has been so long since he picked up the blade that much of its magic has disappeared. Nowadays, he relies on a pair of enchanted cestuses, which are essentially medieval boxing gloves with metal plates and rivets.

Mrs. Beakley

This enormous, bulky woman looms over you, her cold gaze peering into your soul. Despite her housekeeper attire, she stands tall and rigid like a soldier, and the sheathed sword on her belt does not escape your attention.

Age: Late 70s/early 80s Alignment: Lawful Neutral Class/Level: Ninja 16 Ability Scores: STR 14, DEX 8, CON 8, INT 15, WIS 17, CHA 11

Mrs. Bentina Beakley, unmarried, is the silent right hand of Lord McDuck. On the surface, she is merely the housekeeper of the manor. Beneath that, however, Beakley becomes a terrifyingly effective spymaster who has her eyes everywhere throughout the realm. Though her days as an assassin are over, she remains a cold, clever, yet surprisingly empathetic figure – so much so that she was willing to give up her career to raise a young Webby Vanderquack.

Like Scrooge, Bentina has suffered from reductions to her physical abilities from her old age, in exchange for bonuses to her mental ability scores. Her abilities in her prime were STR 20, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 12, WIS 14, CHA 8. Unlike Scrooge, she does not have any magic that can improve her abilities, but she also doesn’t see the need to. She fancies herself more of a ‘behind-the-scenes’ person these days, managing an intricate network of spies and blades for hire, gathering blackmail and intelligence for use against the enemies of House McDuck.

Launchpad

The friendly airship pilot waves at you from the cockpit, oblivious to the fact that he’s flying you directly into a mountain.

Age: 31 Alignment: Lawful Good Class/Level: Commoner 5 Ability Scores: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 17, INT 8, WIS 11, CHA 13

Launchpad remains the happy-go-lucky guy he is in canon, save that he now pilots an airship instead of an airplane. And rest assured, he is just as unqualified to fly it as ever.

[ooklet]

BG3 Camp Cleric/BOGO Potionmaker Build

I've mentioned once or twice that @cegilune and I rely on a Camp Cleric for our Honour Mode runs but never really elaborated on the build so I figured I would do that!

Warning: This post is LONG. It's super long. I tried to format it in a way to prevent eye-glazing but idk if I managed. There's a TL;DR at the end.

Note: We owe the original idea for this build to perhaps the funniest gimmick Honour Mode run video in existence:

Like seriously I know it's a video about beating Honour Mode with the Poo Scraper knife but it is genuinely full of incredibly helpful information and tricks we never considered, so give it a watch! Anyhow, onto the build.

Summary:

This character is a buffer, a Warding Bond bot and a Buy-One-Get-One Potionmaker. They will not be joining you in battle, AC and initiative are completely irrelevant. They will just be casting non-concentration buffs from camp, and brewing you two potions for the price of one (almost always, because we all know the pain of rolling two Nat 1s).

If you are struggling in Honour Mode, I recommend making 4 of these lil guys (3 hirelings and that 1 neglected character you always leave at camp, who better not be Wyll or I'll bite you), so that every single active party member gets Warding Bond.

DO NOT use Gale as your Camp Cleric. We learned the hard way that if he dies from Warding Bond damage and you don't notice in time, his necrotic aura can kill Scratch and the Owl Bear cub. 🫠

Stats:

12 STR, 8 DEX, 16 CON, 14 INT, 16 WIS, 8 CHA

The only stats that actually matter in this build are Wisdom, Constitution and Intelligence. The others can be dumped as you see fit. In the case of a multiplayer game in which you have two separate camp chests, Wife and I like to keep gear and items in character inventories so we can both access them, hence 12 Strength for carrying capacity, but if you're playing single-player it does not matter at all.

Level Progression Pt. 1:

LVL1: Life Domain Cleric. Pretty self-explanatory. For Cantrips make sure you have Guidance (to assist other Camp Clerics with Medicine rolls for potions) and Light (helpful for the beginning of Act 2). You could also take Resistance to assist with the Ancient Tome saving throws.

The one VERY important selection you will be making here is taking Medicine Proficiency for one of your Skills.

LVL2: Wizard. You are going to take a two-level dip into Wizard for your potion-maker. If you have multiple Camp Clerics, only one will need to make potions so for the others I would recommend a one-level dip to get access to your cleric buffs faster, and get Heroes' Feast at Cleric 11.

Cantrips don't matter for this, but spells do. You want to make sure you get Mage Armor, False Life and Longstrider.

LVL3: Wizard, Transmutation subclass. Transmutation Wizards get the Experimental Alchemy feature, which makes it so that if you pass a DC 15 Medicine check while doing Alchemy, you get two potions for the price of one.

Potion Time:

So, you have your +4 to Medicine Proficiency and your +3 Wisdom Modifier, but that's not enough to (almost) always get 2 potions for the price of one. Here's what else you need:

Enhance Ability: Owl's Wisdom for advantage on these rolls. You can either wait for your camp cleric to get this at Cleric 3, or have someone else (Bard, Cleric, Druid, or Sorcerer) who already has access to second level spells do it for you.

Guidance: Self-explanatory, an extra d4 to your rolls, yay. Enhance Ability and Guidance are both concentration, however, so your Camp Cleric won't be able to cast both on themselves. (If no one else has Guidance, use the Silver Pendant.)

With this setup, you will have +7, +1d4, and Advantage on your Medicine rolls for a base of between +8 to +11, depending on Guidance. With Advantage, that means just one of your rolls has to be between a 4 and a 7 (again, depending on Guidance) to get BOGO potions!

Optional: ASI WIS +2. For your first Feat at Cleric 4, you could take an Ability Score Increase of +2 to Wisdom, bump your Wisdom Proficiency by another 1, which would drop the roll you need to between a 3 and a 6.

Even with low rolls, you can still make the DC pretty easily!

I would especially recommend holding off until you get the ASI Wisdom +2 Feat for brewing harder-to-get Elixirs. Such as...

Getting Cloud Giant Strength Elixirs In Act 1:

Both Derryth and Blurg in the Myconid Colony start selling Cloud Giant Fingers when you hit Character Level 6, and you can buy them in bulk with the Level Up Merchant Cheese.

Thanks to the unhinged genius of Speedrunners, we learned that merchant inventories refresh not just on a Long Rest or a Partial Rest, but a Level Up.

How do we exploit this? By grabbing any character with a simple build (like a full Fighter or Barbarian), resetting their class with Withers for 100 gold, and leveling them back up to 6, pausing after each level (you can Esc out of the Level Up screen) to check Derryth and Blurg's inventories for Cloud Giant Fingers. You can do this over and over, until your patience runs out. And if you have some camp scenes that still haven't happened (romance stuff, the Owl Bear cub) you can do some Partial Rests as well.

And you can pickpocket your gold back from Withers with no consequences. I think some companions might get mad if they see you but our Dehydrated Boi doesn't care.

Dump STR, Dump It Everywhere:

With easy access to BOGO Giant Elixirs (be they Hill or Cloud), any martial character who does not need to use their Elixir slot for something like Bloodlust or Vigilance can dump their STR stat, putting those extra points in something like DEX or CON for higher initiative/AC and HP. So you could have an Open Hand Monk who massacres Grym with bludgeoning damage that keys off of a whopping 26 STR. (Yeah, Cloud Giant is technically 27 STR but odd numbers don't count toward your Modifier, so you're effectively working with 26, which will give you a +8 STR Modifier, the highest you can possibly have in the game.)

Generally, we try to aim for about 20 Cloud Giant Strength Elixirs for each character who is dumping STR to get us through the rest of Act 1, all of Act 2, and the beginning of Act 3, since you won't be finding any Cloud Giant Fingers in Act 2 and the first time you get access to a reliable supply in Act 3 is Stylin' Horst at the South Span of Wyrm's Crossing. So try to get 30 Fingers in total.

Level Progression Pt. 2:

All of the rest of the Camp Cleric's levels will be going into Cleric, for a final split of Life Cleric 10/Transmutation Wizard 2.

Or, for your Camp Clerics who do not brew potions (because you only need one to do it) Life Cleric 11/Wizard 1. This will get you access to Heroes' Feast. Why do you still need a Wizard dip? So glad you asked. Let's move on to the buffs your Cleric will be casting at the beginning of the day.

Daily Buffs:

Aid.

Unlocked at Cleric level 3. You will upcast Aid as high as you can to get extra HP for your party. Every additional level you cast it at adds 5HP to the total. So while it only adds 5HP at Level 2, you can get 25HP out of a Level 6 spell slot. The only tricky part here will be trying to reach all your party members. This is why it's good to have multiple Camp Clerics, so if one of your folks has a tent way fuck over in a corner, you can have a different Cleric cast it over by them.

Warding Bond.

Unlocked at Cleric level 3. Another one of the main points of this build. With four Camp Clerics you can cast it on each of your party members, giving them +1 to their AC and resistance to all damage types (so, essentially halving all damage, except where enemy attacks bypass resistance). The Camp Cleric will take the same amount of damage as the character they are bonded to, however, hence the next spell:

False Life.

Unlocked at Wizard level 1. Camp Clerics will be casting False Life on themselves to give them extra temp HP, to help them survive the damage that your party takes. You will also want to upcast this as high as possible. (Which is why you should use a different Camp Cleric to cast Aid on far away party members, so that their next highest spell slot can still be used for False Life.)

Longstrider.

Unlocked at Wizard level 1. 3m/10ft of extra movement in battles, what's not to like?

Mage Armor.

Unlocked at Wizard level 1. Mage Armor is not concentration, so you can have the Camp Cleric cast it on your squishy mages, that way they do not have to learn/prepare it themselves, saving them a spell slot for something else.

Protection From Poison.

Unlocked at Cleric level 3. Situational. Extremely helpful for dealing for the Spider Matriarch and Auntie Ethel. Although Warding Bond will give you resistance, Protection From Poison will also give you advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.

Death Ward.

Unlocked at Cleric level 7. Keeps you from being downed once, instead keeping you at 1HP. Crucial for big, scary fights.

Freedom of Movement.

Unlocked at Cleric level 7. Situational, and if you're low on Level 4 spell slots, prioritize Death Ward. But if you've got slots to spare, this one is excellent for maintaining your movement speed in difficult terrain, and avoiding the Paralyzed/Restrained conditions.

Heroes' Feast.

Unlocked at Cleric level 11. Immunity to Diseases, Poison, being Frightened, plus an extra 12HP, make all Wisdom saving throws with advantage and free camp supplies. Though at this point you probable won't need them.

Feats Revisited:

No matter whether you are doing the 11/1 split or the 10/2, you will be getting 2 feats, one at Cleric Level 4, and another at Cleric Level 8. For the 11/1, you'll want to take Tough as your first Feat, for better Warding Bond survivability. Second Feat does not matter. For the 10/2, take the ASI WIS +2 as previously discussed, then take Tough at 8.

Gear:

Gear is mostly irrelevant but I would recommend getting the Amulet of Silvanus for a free daily Lesser Restoration. That way Astarion can bite you (or someone else in camp) every day for the Happy buff and your Camp Cleric can remove Bloodless without using a spell slot. The Boots of Aid and Comfort are also good for a tiny bit more extra Temp HP when healing party members.

Wrap-Up:

So there you have it! There are surely ways to further optimize this build as we are by no means experts, but this has served @cegilune and I super well for the 5 multiplayer Honour Mode runs that we've done so far. If you have suggestions, we'd love to hear them!

TL;DR:

4 Camp Clerics in total to Warding Bond each active party member. 1 will be making potions and getting twice the number of them thanks to Experimental Alchemy/Medicine Proficiency/Ability Improvement/Guidance/ASI WIS +2.

Stats: 12-8-16-14-16-8

Potionmaker: Life Cleric 10/Transmutation Wizard 2. Medicine Proficiency. Ability Improvement + Guidance for Alchemy rolls, Feats are ASI WIS + 2 at Cleric 4, Tough at Cleric 8. Buff daily with Aid (upcast), Mage Armor, Longstrider, Warding Bond, False Life (upcast), Death Ward. Situationally, Protection from Poison and Freedom of Movement.

If using any STR-based builds, hoard Giant Fingers for Elixirs (Cloud Fingers start showing up with Derryth and Blurg at Character Level 6) and dump STR. Cheese merchants by refreshing their inventory with Partial Rests/Level Ups. Use Amulet of Silvanus to remove Bloodless if Astarion's in the party for daily Happy buff.

Buffer Only Version: Life Cleric 11/Wizard 1. Feats are Tough at Cleric 4 and whatever you want at Cleric 8. All the same buffs as above plus Heroes' Feast at Cleric 11.

[mushroomwithsomeink]

Alright so for the Bloodborne ask game!

1.Favorite boss fight? 4. Favorite weapon? 8.Favorite NPC?

33.Favorite area?  36. What's the hardest fight in the game?

39.Hot takes on any Bloodborne lore? and 49. What's your favorite thing about Bloodborne?

1. Base Game: Shadows of Yharnam easily, while they don’t have cool lore to add into the game, but they make up for it in spades in terms of fun factor. The learning curve, and figuring out which Shadow to go after always manages to offer me tons of excitement and joy!

DLC: It has to go to Ludwig, fighting him for the first time I didn’t think of him much till the second phase hit. Good lord… that second phase man! It’s a literal spectacle in of itself, and the music is the definition of heavenly~ (tis unfortunate I can’t solo him anymore like the first time, always gotta consult Valtr’s help for him now.)

4. Ooh tricky, if we’re talking dex my favorites have to be the Rakuyo and Burial Blade, both of these weapons are really fun to use and the transformation from their normal form to their trick mode is so cool! As for strength, using the Holy Moonlight Blade also oozes fun factor for me, I know it’s not as good as Ludwig’s Holy Blade but… come on! Its a magic sword that glows teal, and shoots arcane waves and blasts at your opponents how is that not cool!

8. Doll will always be my one pookie, always gives me a sense of comfort whenver I return to the dream, just sucks we can’t hug her. Honorable mention goes to the Oedon Chapel Dweller, he’s been my homie in the entirety of Yharnam especially with how hostile nearly everyone is towards you.

9. Byrgenwerth, it be very prettyyyyy, love looking at the lake and moon.

10. Laurence, I can never consistently kill this man. the first time I did I called for help online bc I got fed up with attempting him so many times. And the second time I just spammed Blacksky eye till I extinguished him. I don’t know why but the moment he loses his legs my attempt just gets thrown out the window for me, that’s not to say that his first phase is easy for its still plenty difficult for me.

11.

Oh and- the Pthumerians and the Chalice Dungeons should’ve had more of a presence in the story, their placement in the game feels like an afterthought!

49. 😤 The fashion my dude, and the weapons! I could go on for HOURS about how I love these two specific aspects of Bloodborne. But that would mean clogging this entire ask up and I wouldn’t want to do that to you. Look if these things were actually real, I would get them in a heart beat.

[itsablindowl]

Hello Again Spellslinger and TTRPG communities. I have returned for my second round of spellslinger characters and their dnd 5e statblocks. Round 2. Spellslinger

Kellen of the house of Ke (Soon to be Kellen Argos) (Spellslinger)

Variant human.

Stats:

Str 8 (-1) Dex 14 (+2) Con 10 (+0) Int 16 (+3) Wis 13 (+1) Cha 13 (+1)

Kellen is an absolute magic nerd and so intelligence is his highest stat, he's also able to use Ferius's throwing cards almost immediately so he must have high dexterity. He's a little nerd at this point so his strength and con are both low. His charisma and wisdom are both medium to represent his abillity to trick Tennat, but the fact that he's still quiet arrogant and has a lot of growth to do,and his wisdom will grow better as he learns from Ferius.

Feat: Magic Initiate: (to represent his weaker but present magic.)

Cantrips:

Gust (Kellens singular awakened band is for breath magic), Firebolt (To be used when Kellen gains Ferius's explosive powders).

Spells:

Burning hands (The more powerful version of burning hands he gets from mixing the blood of Reichis's mother into the powders.)

Class:

Rouge lvl 1. Proficiencies: Sleight of hand, History, Investigation, Insight, Deception, Arcana, History.

Expertise: Sleight of hand (Kellens training in the hand motions for spells explicitly gives him very agile hands), Arcana (Kellen is obsessed with magic and I.D's any spell he sees across the books almost instantly).

- Ferius Parfax (Adult) during the time period of the spellslinger series.

Variant human (Feat: martial adept) from her time with Sir Rosarite and Sir Gervais

Maneuvers: Feinting Attack( gives advantage for that sneak attack damage and would allow her to get a crit on Enna during the prolouge to Fall of the argosi), Lunging attack ( extra reach and mentioned in text as a way she attacks with her rapier)

Stats: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 12

Abillity score improvement: Wisdom. With age comes Wisdom and with it the frustrating inscrutability of an Argosi.

Class:

Spellslinger: Rouge lvl 2, Monk lvl 4 (Subclass: Path of the Kensei) (I considered drunken sway as her monk subclass but Ferius consistantly uses her playing cards and extendable metal baton to deflect, disarm and debilitate foes and that specialization feels more in line with a Kensei Monk)

Background: Urchin

Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion, Deception, Stealth, Sleight of hand, Survival, Perception

Expertise: Insight (Ferius states in way of the argosi that she learned from a young age how to read people to stay safe), Sleight of hand (Ferius is an accomplished theif and card sharp and would need to be good with her hands)

[kanohirren]

How to Make Rendog in DnD

I’ll go level by level and explain the reasoning behind my decisions and how I think it fits them in character. This build assumes starting at level 8 but includes notes on differences if you start at level 1 and progress to 8. This is not intended as a guide on how to play dnd, just how to build this character. I also don't explain every feature, but I may briefly touch on it and explain my reasoning for taking it.

Class: Barbarian 5 (Path of the Beast)/Bard 3 (College of Swords)

Race: Shifter (closest to an official dog race in 5e)

Base Ability Scores:

Str 15 (+2) + 1 from race = 16 (+3)

Dex 10 (+0)

Con 14 (+2) +2 from race = 16 (+3)

Int 8 (-1)

Wis 10 (+0)

Cha 14 (+2)

Background: Folk Hero

Ren is a strong player with a good track record when it comes to pvp in the life series. What he lacks in game knowledge he makes up for with pure charisma, being able to swing many people to his side (renpire, shadow alliance). Depending on how you look at it, he really is a hero to some (especially martyn) and knows how to make a good show.

Before we get into the class features, here’s the race and background ones.

Shifter:

Bestial Instincts: Skill proficiency. Choose Athletics.

Darkvision 60ft.

Shifting: Become more beast-like as a bonus action and gain temp HP. Become doggier.

Shifter type: choose Swiftstride to be fast, but if you want tankiness then Beasthide is also a good option. Barbarians often struggle with movement speed which is the main reason for choosing Swiftstride.

Folk Hero Background:

Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival

Tool Proficiencies: Any Artisan’s tools, land vehicles.

Rustic Hospitality: Common people like you and will help you.

Shifters get to choose their animal ancestry and traits, so you can choose to be a dog. Longtooth is usually the default option for dog (the other options are associated with other animals) but the feature is quite useless in this build, which is why we pick one of the other ones.

Time for class levels! At 1st lvl, we start with barbarian, which grants us:

Proficiency in Light and medium armour, shields

Proficiency in simple and martial weapons

Proficiency in Strength and Constitution saving throws.

Skill proficiencies: choose Intimidation and Perception

Rage: Core barbarian feature. Hit harder and soak more hits. Keep in mind you cant use spells while raging, which will matter after multiclassing.

Unarmored Defense: Add your Con to your AC if you have no armour. Goes well with being a bard…

The red king Ren was very vicious kind of king who goes to war leading his troops rather than hiding in the backline. Barbarian is a perfect class for Ren who is both very good at and goes unga bunga on occasion. Keep in mind both Shifting and Raging are bonus actions, so you have to use them on different turns. The temp HP gets doubled value vs weapon damage if you’re raging because of resistance, so it might be usually better to rage first but it also depends.

At 2nd lvl, we continue with barbarian and will do so up to lvl 5.

Danger Sense: Advantage on dex saves against things you can see. Very useful for avoiding traps.

Reckless Attack: Advantage on your attacks is always good to have if you don’t mind taking more hits.

These features fit Ren perfectly too since he is pretty good at surviving and avoiding traps (unless a stalactite is involved) and in combat he can go pretty wild.

At 3rd lvl, we get:

Subclass: Path of the Beast

Path of the Beast gives:

Form of the Beast: When you Rage, you get an extra bestial trait to be even more dog-like. Bite gives you healing at low hp, claw gives you an extra attack and tail gives you extra ac. All fairly useful in different situations.

Now Ren becomes even more doggy. I always envisioned Ren being more of an axe-wielding barbarian, but these are still good to have. Keep in mind you choose the trait when you rage and can’t change it until a new rage, so choose the right one for the situation (low hp? Bite for healing. Two claw attacks actually deals more damage than the axe because you add your strength mod twice. Tail is good for avoiding hits or hitting something barely out of reach.)

At 4th lvl, we get:

Ability Score Improvement OR Feat: Take the Ability Score improvement and bump your Strength up to 18 (+4).

The extra strength helps everywhere as a barbarian.

At 5th lvl, we get:

Extra Attack (more damage! Woo!)

Fast Movement: an extra 10 ft. of move speed if you aren’t wearing heavy armour which you can’t really use as a barbarian anyway.

If you took Swiftstrider at the start, you’ll now have a whopping 50 ft. of walking speed, which is pretty dang fast. You’ll be able to run across deserts in no time.

At 6th lvl, we begin multiclassing with a level in bard, which grants us:

Musical Instrument Proficiency: Choose a Horn.

Skill Proficiency: Choose Persuasion

Bardic Inspiration: Increase chances of success. Not a spell, so you can use it during rage.

Two Cantrips: Choose Message (whisper chat msgs) and Minor Illusion (fun spell)

Four 1st lvl spells: Speak with Animals, Identify, Charm Person and Color Spray.

Now we get to the more… seductive side of Ren. Ren’s a really fun person but is also known to be a little on the less PG side of things if you know what I’m saying (not to mention the fact that as a barbarian with unarmored defense… fully exposed while being beheaded). I also tried to pick spells that are more useful outside of combat since he can’t cast spells while raging.

At 7th lvl, we take a second level of Bard, which grants us:

Jack of All Trades: Half-proficiency in all ability checks is good.

Song of Rest: Listen to Ren sing Britney during a short rest and heal up extra good.

One more spell: Command (Kneel before your king!)

Jack of All Trades will make up for some of Ren’s poorer stat checks now.

At 8th lvl, we take a third level of Bard, which grants us:

Expertise in Two Skills: Choose Persuasion (man literally persuaded people to go to war) and Athletics (good in general for strength builds).

2nd lvl spells: See Invisibility (doesn’t use concentration)

Subclass: College of Swords

College of Swords grants us:

Bonus Proficiencies: Medium Armor and Scimitars. Redundant because we get that from Barbarian.

Fighting Style: Choose Dueling and use a battle axe with a shield.

Blade Flourish: Even more movement speed when you attack, and the flourish options are all useful on top of the extra damage they provide (more ac, knockback and aoe damage). The go-to would probably be Defensive Flourish to stack with your Tail. If you chose Beasthide Shifter, your AC will go even higher.

Flourishes are especially useful because they aren’t spells and they don’t take any action economy. This is a surprisingly good synergy between a barbarian and a bard multiclass, especially since you get access to a fighting style with this subclass for some extra damage consistency.

Summary:

Final Stats:

Str 18 (+4)

Dex 10 (+0)

Con 16 (+3)

Int 8 (-1)

Wis 10 (+0)

Cha 14 (+2)

Two Attacks

Battle axe attack: +4 (str) +3 (prof. bonus) = +7 to hit, 1d8 + 4 + 2 (dueling) slashing dmg.

Three Bardic Inspirations

Cantrips: Message, Minor Illusion

1st lvl spells: Speak with Animals, Identify, Color Spray, Charm Person, Command

2nd lvl spells: See Invisibility

In summary, lots of combat power (as is fitting for the Red King himself) and a decent amount of Bard utility. A similar build to Scar’s, though more towards the combat end of the spectrum.

And that’s it for Ren! I think I managed to capture a bit of his savagery but also his fun and charming side into this build. He’s built for combat but he’s also quite good in social situations and he’s gonna be a tough nut to crack!

[paperanddice]

Bearfolk are large, intimidating humanoids mostly found in far northern environments. Standing on average over 7 feet tall and generally weighing between four and six hundred pounds, they are densely packed with muscle and thick fur. The largest majority of bearfolk are subjects of the Bear King, and protect the northern cities and wilderness that he rules over. Many share very boisterous and jovial personalities, mixed with the brutal power of their strength and the harsh environment in which they live. Fights and friendships are both quick for many bearfolk, as you must be prepared to both defend that which is important to you and to find allies to ensure mutual survival.

Pathfinder 2e

The Bear King is a fey lord from the First World who has settled onto the Material. Whether out of exile or personal preference he won't say, but he seems to share connections with many of the other fey lords still in the First World. He established his kingdom long ago, but despite his own power and the bearfolk he rules over, he has never sought to expand, only to hold it against those who would take it. You can place his realm in the far north of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, or Iobaria as some of the most likely locations, though northern Irrisen or Mendev would work as well.

I had considered making bearfolk as an ancestry, but that is a lot more work and so I think it would be better suited to its own project rather than part of one of these weekly conversions. I might collect a few potentially interesting new ancestries and put together a full release for them, but we'll see.

13th Age

The Bear King is no Icon. His power is not great enough individually to take that claim, but he is connected to a greater council of Fey Lords, who could potentially garner that level of influence as a group. They largely exist outside the territory of the Dragon Empire and its surroundings, but their influence could be growing in it, potentially upsetting the current balance of power. Depending on the story, bearfolk may be making their way into the Dragon Empire in order to explore or scout for a potential invasion, or travellers heading outside of the Empire could find themselves within the Bear King's realm, having to contend with a foreign power while outside the main sphere of influence of their own Icons.

Originally from the Tome of Beasts 1. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Pathfinder 2e

Bearfolk Berserker Creature 3 Medium Humanoid Bearfolk Perception +8 Languages Common, Jotun, Skald Skills Athletics +11, Intimidation +6, Survival +8 Str +4, Dex +2, Con +3, Int -1, Wis +1, Cha -1 Items battleaxe, warhammer, hide armor AC 17; Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +8 HP 55 Speed 25 feet Melee battle axe +11 (sweep), Damage 1d8+6 slashing Melee bite +11, Damage 1d6+6 piercing Melee warhammer +11 (shove), Damage 1d8+6 bludgeoning Frenzy [one action] (concentration, emotion, mental) The bearfolk berserker enters a frenzy that lasts for 1 minute, until there are no more enemies it can perceive, or it falls unconscious, whichever comes first. While in a frenzy, the bearfolk gains 9 temporary hit points, deals 2 additional damage with melee attacks, and takes a -1 penalty to AC. The bearfolk can't use concentrate actions except Seek. Once the frenzy ends, the bearfolk can't Frenzy again for 1 minute. Two Weapon Flurry [two actions] The bearfolk berserker makes two Strikes, one with its battle axe and one with its warhammer. These attacks count toward the bearfolk's multiple attack penalty, but the multiple attack penalty doesn't increase until it makes all its attacks.

13th Age

Bearfolk Berserker  2nd level wrecker [humanoid]  Initiative: +5 Sweeping Weapons +6 vs. AC - 7 damage. Critical Hit: The bearfolk berserker gains 2 temporary hit points. Frenzy: At the start of each of its turns, the bearfolk berserker can choose whether to frenzy for that round. If it frenzies, until the start of its next turn it rolls 2d20 for its attack rolls, using the higher roll to determine if it hits. If it rolls a natural 11+ on both dice, the attack is a critical hit. The bearfolk also takes a -1 penalty to all defenses until the start of its next turn. AC 17 PD 16 MD 12 HP 42

[thecreaturecodex]

Phaerimm

Image © Jake Probelski

[Sponsored by @coldbloodassassin. The phaerimm are theoretically one of the foundationally important monsters in the Forgotten Realms setting, being tied closely to the Netherese, the sharn and other bits of lore. But they always struck me as kind of boring. They're yet another magically gifted aberration that views humanoids as slaves and cattle. And their stats seem to get more pared down and less interesting with every edition. I went back to their first mechanical appearance in AD&D 2e for inspiration.]

Phaerimm CR 12 NE Aberration This creature floats in the air, looking something like a flying sea anemone. It has a circular maw with eyes dotting its rim, four arms with clawed hands, and its body tapers into a long tail, ending in a stinger.

The phaerimm are strange aberrant creatures native to a deadly desert world in another galaxy. Phaerimm have not mastered planetary travel, and are found on other worlds typically as the descendants of captives and experimental test subjects enslaved by wizards looking for alternatives to celestials and fiends. It may be that the phaerimm sowed the seeds of their own calling, as they can be summoned through magic much more easily than other aberrant creatures. Most of these itinerant phaerimm are interested in converting other planets into worlds more like their own, and seek powerful magic items and ritual spells in order to drain the vitality from ecosystems and render them deserts.

Even a newly born phaerimm is a powerful magic user, and they use their spells preferentially over their formidable physical talents. Phaerimm are spontaneous casters, but can convert some of their spells into spell-like abilities to make them easier to cast and harder to counterspell. The vast majority of phaerimm are sadists, which can be used against them; a phaerimm will often make suboptimal tactical choices if it has an opportunity to spread more pain. Phaerimm are slavers, and view enslaved or magically controlled minions as utterly disposable.

The phaerimm are simultaneous hermaphrodites, able to both fertilize the eggs of other phaerimm and be fertilized in turn. Phaerimm courtship is more akin to a business exchange than anything romantic, and the eggs are kept in suspended animation until they can be inserted into a host—mammalian creatures are preferred, but anything living of Small or larger size can provide sufficient nutrients for the parasitoid embryo. Phaerimm keep their incubators secure, stocking their lairs with galleries of floating, insensate victims, each one growing a new horror inside.

An adult phaerimm is about twelve feet in length and weighs six hundred pounds. They fly magically, and are practically immobile in an antimagic field or similar effect.

Phaerimm CR 12 XP 19,200 NE Large aberration Init +5; Senses all-around vision, arcane sight, darkvision 60 ft., Perception +20, see invisibility

Defense AC 25, touch 10, flat-footed 24 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +15 natural) hp 150 (12d8+96) Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +12 DR 15/magic; Immune petrifaction and polymorph; SR 23 Defensive Abilities absorb magic; Weakness callable

Offense Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft. (good) Melee bite +14 (2d6+6), 4 claws +14 (1d6+6), sting +14 (1d8+6 plus paralysis) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (5 ft. with bite) Special Attacks implant, paralysis, prepare spell-like abilities Spell-like Abilities CL 13th, concentration +18 Constant—arcane sight, see invisibility 3/day—blur, shield 1/day—enervation, haste, waves of fatigue Spells CL 11th, concentration +17 5th (5/day)—dominate person (DC 21), waves of fatigue 4th (7/day)—crushing despair (DC 20), enervation, terrible remorse (DC 20) 3rd (7/day)—fireball (DC 18), haste, inflict pain (DC 19), ray of exhaustion (DC 18) 2nd (8/day)—blindness/deafness (DC 17), blur, bull’s strength, paranoia (DC 18), scorching ray 1st (8/day)—charm person (DC 17), mage armor, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement (DC 16), shield 0th—acid splash, detect poison, disrupt undead, light, mage hand, open/close, prestidigitation, resistance, touch of fatigue (DC 15)

Statistics Str 22, Dex 13, Con 26, Int 18, Wis 19, Cha 21 Base Atk +9; CMB +16; CMD 27 (cannot be tripped) Feats Arcane Strike,Empower Spell, Eschew Materials (B), Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Spell Focus (enchantment) Skills Fly +18, Intimidate +20, Knowledge (arcana) +19, Knowledge (dungeoneering, nature) +16, Perception +23, Spellcraft +19, Stealth +12; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception Languages Aklo, Common, Undercommon, telepathy 100 ft. SQ undersized weapons

Ecology Environment any deserts and underground Organization solitary, pair or enclave (3-12) Treasure double standard

Special Abilities Absorb Magic (Su) Whenever a spell fails to overcome a phaerimm’s spell resistance, the phaerimm heals an amount of damage equal to the spell’s caster level. Callable (Ex) A phaerimm is treated as an extraplanar outsider for the purposes of calling spells like planar binding. Flight (Su) A phaerimm’s fly speed is supernatural in nature. Implant (Ex) As a full round action, a phaerimm can lay an egg in a paralyzed or helpless target. The egg gestates for one week, whereupon a young phaerimm bursts from the host, killing it. While implanted with an egg, a host is unaffected until the final 24 hours of incubation, during which time it is treated as suffering a -10 penalty to all ability scores (minimum 1). A successful remove disease or similar effect against DC 23 removes the pellet, as does a successful DC 25 Heal check performed over the course of 10 minutes. Regardless of whether the Heal check succeeds or fails, it deals 1d4 damage to the host. Paralysis (Su) A creature stung by a phaerimm must succeed a DC 24 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for one minute. After this duration elapses, the creature must succeed a second DC 24 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1 week. While paralyzed, the afflicted creature floats five feet off the ground. Prepare Spell-like Ability (Su) When a phaerimm regains its spells, it may choose to prepare one of its known spells of each level above 0th as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to its Hit Dice. 1st and 2nd level spells may be used 3/day as a spell-like ability, and spells of 3rd level or higher may be used 1/day. Spells A phaerimm can cast spells as an 11th level sorcerer. A phaerimm does not gain other sorcerer class abilities, such as a bloodline, unless it takes levels in sorcerer.

[pathfinderunlocked]

Werespider Poisoner - CR 4 Rogue

Spins a web, five by five; catches rogues, just like flies...

Artwork by Conor Burke on ArtStation.

The werespider is an entothrope - basically the term for a lycanthrope of any species that has an exoskeleton - introduced to Pathfinder in Bestiary 6. The default werespider is a rogue, but is only CR 2. This one is a couple levels higher and has some abilities that actually fit the idea of a werespider.

The official werespider art only has two arms and two legs, but holy shit that's lame. Give the poor man some extra limbs. They don't have to be mechanically useful (although this particular werespider has a climb speed).

This werespider would make a good assassin to attack the PCs in their sleep. I'm generally in favor of starting such encounters by having the death of an NPC wake the PCs up and force them to fight without their armor, rather than by telling a level 3 player to roll a DC 31 Fortitude save against a coup de grace or instantly die, but I mean, it's your game, so you do you. Definitely use its web ability to set traps for people to step into though.

This is an afflicted werespider. A natural-born werespider has DR 10 instead of DR 5.

Feel free to decide that lycanthropes and entothropes in hybrid form count as monstrous humanoids rather than humanoids in your game, because, like, dude. Why? Why does the monstrous humanoid creature type even exist if lycanthropes aren't included? Werewolves are the most "monstrous humanoid" of any monster ever conceived. I wouldn't recalculate hit points, BAB, or saves though. Just make it count as both humanoid and monstrous humanoid for the purposes of effects dependent on type.

Werespider Poisoner (Hybrid Form) - CR 4

The arachnid form of the person perched on the corner of the ceiling above you catches your eye just a little bit too late as he drops down from the shadows and attacks.

Human toxic talon rogue 4 NE Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger) Init +8 Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +8

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+3 armor, +4 Dex, +2 natural) hp 33 (4d8+12) Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +3; +4 vs. mind-affecting effects; +1 vs. poison Defensive Abilities evasion, insect mind DR 5/silver

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., Climb 20 ft. Melee mwk short sword +8 (1d6+4/19–20 plus medium spider venom (DC 15)), bite +3 (1d6+1 plus curse of entothropy and poison) Ranged mwk blowgun +8 (1d2 plus medium spider venom (DC 14)) Special Attacks catalyst (1/hour, already used) , sneak attack +2d6, web (+5 ranged, DC 13, 2 hp), vanish (2/day)

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 19, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 8 Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 19 Feats Improved Initiative, Extra Rogue Talent (Expert Leaper), Weapon Focus (bite) Skills Acrobatics +10, Bluff +6, Climb +16, Disable Device +11, Escape Artist +10, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +8, Stealth +11 Languages Common SQ change shape (giant spider, human, and hybrid; vermin shape II), entothropic empathy, rogue talents (expert leaper, shadow duplicate, ninja trick [wall climber]) Gear mwk short sword, mwk blowgun, mwk studded leather armor, 3 doses of medium spider venom, 1 potion of delay poison, healer's kit

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 16; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d2 Strength damage; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Catalyst (Su) A werespider poisoner can use secret alchemical techniques to enhance a poison when applying it to a weapon, increasing the save DC of the poison by 1. This increase to the save DC lasts for 1 minute or until the poison is used up, whichever comes first. A werespider poisoner can use catalyst once per hour.

Expert Leaper (Ex) When using the Acrobatics skill to jump, a werespider poisoner is always considered to have a running start and adds +4 to the check result. Whenever it deliberately falls, a successful DC 15 Acrobatics check allows it to ignore the first 20 feet fallen. For every 5 by which it exceeds the DC of this check, it can ignore an additional 10 feet of distance fallen.

Debilitating Injury (Ex) Whenever a werespider poisoner deals sneak attack damage to a foe, it can also debilitate the target of its attack, causing the target to take a penalty for 1 round. The werespider poisoner can choose to apply any one of the following penalties when the damage is dealt.

Bewildered: The target becomes bewildered, taking a –2 penalty to AC. The target takes an additional –2 penalty to AC against all attacks made by the werespider poisoner. At 10th level and 16th level, the penalty to AC against attacks made by the werespider poisoner increases by –2 (to a total maximum of –8). Disoriented: The target takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls. In addition, the target takes an additional –2 penalty on all attack rolls it makes against the werespider poisoner. At 10th level and 16th level, the penalty on attack rolls made against the werespider poisoner increases by –2 (to a total maximum of –8). Hampered: All of the target’s speeds are reduced by half (to a minimum of 5 feet). In addition, the target cannot take a 5-foot step.

These penalties do not stack with themselves, but additional attacks that deal sneak attack damage extend the duration by 1 round. A creature cannot suffer from more than one penalty from this ability at a time. If a new penalty is applied, the old penalty immediately ends. Any form of healing applied to a target suffering from one of these penalties also removes the penalty.

Poison Adept (Ex) A werespider poisoner is trained in the use of poison and cannot accidentally poison itself when applying poison to a projectile weapon. It can apply poison to a projectile as a move action.

Shadow Duplicate (Sp) Once per day as an immediate action when the werespider poisoner is hit, the werespider poisoner can create a single shadow duplicate of itself, as per mirror image. The GM randomly determines whether the attack hit the werespider poisoner or the shadow duplicate. The shadow duplicate lasts for a number of rounds equal to the werespider poisoner's level, or until the shadow duplicate is dispelled or destroyed.

Wall Climber (Su) The werespider poisoner has a climb speed of 20 feet, but only on vertical surfaces. This ability cannot be used to scale perfectly smooth surfaces or to climb on the underside of horizontal surfaces. A werespider does not need to have its hands free to climb, and can use both of its hands while climbing.