#Shaodw of War

[betabites]

Borrowing from Shadow of Mordor

Been playing a lot of that and Shadow of War, so I’ve been thinking about how to steal interesting mechanics.

My first thought was actually about the Last Chance mechanic. If you haven’t played the game, if Talion (the protagonist) loses all his HP, he staggers and falls to his knees, and can only slowly crawl about. If an orc (or beast, or whatever) attacks you at that point, you get a quick time event. If you fail, you die (and the orc that killed you gets promoted, and you get an event to murder them horribly when you reform). If you succeed, you counter the attack and stagger back to your feet with a quarter of your HP. If, somehow, nothing attacks you for a good ten seconds or so, you get back up with a quarter of your health.

My idea here was modify the current death/dying state in the various D&Ds (I’m simultaneously working on two 3.5 games, as a player and a DM, planning a 4e game and a 4e-inspired one-shot, and planning a 5e game, so I am all kinds on confused). Currently, you drop to 0 HP and then sit around making death saving throws (or equivalent) until you die or someone heals you. And if anyone attacks you, you’re more or less dead. 

My idea then, is twofold - first, that dropping to 0 HP isn’t flat on your back unconscious. I know that’s not how some folks run it, but I felt it was important to state it for clarity. If you’re dying, you’re primarily occupied with holding your blood in, and the gray walls of death are closing in about your mind, but you can still sort of move (~5ft/1sq a round), and still sort of act (I’d eyeball it as a minor action every other round. So yes, you can pull that potion from your belt and drink it, or call upon your god to heal your wounds, but it’ll take an agonizingly slow amount of time.

Second, if you are attacked (in melee or otherwise), you can attempt to parry the attack and get back to your feet on momentum and luck. Now, the exact implementation of this will vary depending on edition. In 3.5, call it a Reflex save vs DC 20. In 4E (because everyone should have a good attack line), I’m tempted to call it a <Your main stat> vs enemy’s Reflex, or treat it as [Weapon] vs enemy’s AC. (Maybe verses a static DC based on what tier you’re in). 5E, I don’t know yet. If you succeed, you interrupt their attack and (3.5) become staggered/are set to 1HP, (4E) can spend a healing surge. If you fail, their attack proceeds as normal (and you probably bite it).

The second idea was drawn from the immense frustration I have in how Talion controls. Sometimes, he’ll jump twenty feet vertically up a wall. Sometimes, it’s only to the next handhold. As someone who enjoys parkour games, this is immensely aggravating. So, the idea here is to tie your Acrobatics/Athletics/Climb/Jump/Swim modifiers to a minimum performance. Now, this does take some of the joy out of the various ways to take 10 on skill checks in 3.5 (for instance, as a barbarian with a climb speed), but it also sets a consistent baseline for skillful mobile characters. Which, let’s face it, fly is a third level spell, and feather fall, levitate, and spider climb are all available earlier.

The real question here (that is subject to DM will) is what I’ll call the Wushu Threshold. This is the point beyond which everyone has lightness kungfu, and gravity is more like a guideline (with really harsh enforcers when they do notice you). I like to set the Wushu Threshold about at level 10ish for standard 3.5, with level 7 being whether folks could pick it up if they build their characters around it (just outside of E6, basically). For 4E... could be Paragon, could be Epic. Not sure yet.

Still thinking this one through, so I don’t have numbers yet.

The last idea is more big picture (and undeveloped), and it concerns Rangers. Specifically favored enemies. Basically, instead of the 3.5 categories, Rangers choose two of the following : Beasts (anything covered by Knowledge: Nature; so animals, magical beasts, lycanthropes, etc), Men (any humanoids, be they man, elf, dwarf, goblin, giant, etc), Mages (any arcane phenomena-things,- golems, elementals, actual wizards) and Spirits (mostly undead, but also outsiders, some fey). So Aragorn is a Beast and Man Hunter. Drizzt is a Man and Mage Hunter. Holtzmann from Ghostbusters is a Mage and Spirit Hunter. Between that and wanting Rangers to have more options to use/control/adapt the terrain, I may have to do a ranger prestige class in the same vein as my paladin prestige class.

[siverfanweedo]

Gonna post this to my main and then reblog to the sides but

Here we go the official rewrite for fateverse siver.

So she was originally brought to chaldea as a master candidate.

Few years prior she was involved in a sort of grail war thing but not really it was to retrieve the holy grail that is hidden in Oak Island. So she has that combat experience and the expectations of working with a servant.

The thing is due to...a thing that happened when she was younger her right leg is kinda messed up. It was broken and didn't heal properly. Due to this they felt she wouldn't really be the best at any type of missions so was moved to a different department. Archival ( my sleep brain came up with this )

Since she was at chaldea a bit longer then some of the others she had time to get acquainted with team A. Where siver just kinda saw Ophelia and was like "damn she cute" but also siver respects Ophelia so she isnt a weirdo about it.

Due to not being a master candidate and not really being in the control room area when the initial exposition thing took place siver was spared from the explosion and honestly felt kinda bad about that.

But really durring the grand order nothing of note really happened. Siver just kept note of all the main immportant stuff going down and just kept track of things. Also she got a servant ( Sam ) who was the same servant she had durring oak island.

Sam is like an emotional support servant cuz siv had issues and she doesn't deal with them. She must avoids them by keeping busy which in turn makes her kind of a workaholic.

She also has like somniphobia so she regularly pulls all nighters doing extra work.

Going in to the lost belts she actually feels kinda awful and useless due to how cold yaga Russia was she was in a fairly decent ammount of pain so say back in the shaodw border the whole time

And even going into lost belt 2 it was the same deal.

Thing is lb2 was Ophelias lost belt and just it broke sivs heart to see it.

And then it connects to the Ophelia lives au here. So Ophelia lives at the end of lb2, though badly injured. Her mystic eye is gone and her magic circuits are just fucked meaning Ophelia just can't really do much mage stuff going forward.

The whole time through Ophelias recovery siver just stays by her side. Siver does still love Ophelia but again siver isn't a creep and she just genuinely wants to help and support Ophelia as getting used to something like that isn't easy.

And as the rest if Chaldea is getting ready to leave for lost belt china Siver opts to stay behind with Ophelia. Cuz if anything this will be just be another cold ass place where siv is of no help.

Anyway that is kinda the jist of it all..I wrote this on my phone so I hope it looks okay. Anyway feel free to ask questions about this shit.

[hautevaux]

@dogof-war​  || LIKED for a HALLOWEEN OUTFIT. || Accepting ||

It would have to be Dracula - but a Castlevania: Lords of Shaodw 2 kind of Dracula with some extra detailing and pazazz to the leatherworking. Armour, leather and details; perfect.

[corelliaxdreaming]

“If it was available and girls have been made fun of for doing it, I made it into a weapon” -E.K. Johnston talking about Padme’s outfits in Queen’s Shaodw on the Star Wars Show

Y’know...this is good and all, but also we could just admit that it’s okay for girls to wear fancy clothes if that’s what they want without there having to be a reason for it?

Don’t get me wrong - I love how Johnston talks about Padme and how much this character means to her, and the way she wrote her was great; it’s just that this particular nugget kinda bugs me.

[shelley31836-blog]

The Shadow: Year One (2013) Review

Written by Matt Wagner, art by  Wilfredo Torres. 10 issues in total.

Although Dynamite is probably the WORST publisher ever, (they ruined every classic pulp heros) at least they get one thing right. that is, the Shadow's origin story. 　 in this series we get to know who the shadow was and why he decided to take on his never-ending war with crimes. besides, there are other three main stroylines here: the wierd and violent behavior of the mobsters in new york, margo's relationship with lamount, and a mysterious man who determined to uncover the shaodw's true identity. 　 the writer put some original pulp characters in it, like inspector cordona and commisioner weston (not sure what his name was). those are characters whom you would only know via pulp mag. and one very significant characters who inspire the shadow... im not gonna spoil here lol. 　 the art is fine and i dont think it quite fit the stroy. but the art indeed get better at the end. 　 anyway a good series. Matt Wagner proves to be a excellent writer and save Dynamite. it make me expect some other year one series by matt and would probably check 'em out.

[a-2-da-g-2-da-u-2-da-std]

So here it is. this is only like 5 songs Katie and hasn't been spell checked and needs a lot of development but these are the rough ideas basically.

UsUK cardverse Raleigh Ritchie au

Story begins before music plays, with a monologue of sorts from narrator[Arthur] set out like a fairytale beginning, but with mentions of darker things, death and famine and plague.

Werld is mine-light intro and humming like a heartbeat to the song. Begins on the light piano with Arthur stalking through a lavish castle, passing deep, age old tapestries hung up, with the view being glimpses of Arthur caught, a glimpse of a crown, the footfalls of soft leather riding boots in black that reach mid calf, a ring finger weighed down by a deep cobalt sapphire. All dark ambient lighting, as if something sinister is unfolding. As the bass kicks in more, enter a glimpse of Alfred, just as passing as of Arthur, both glancing over at one another as servants rush around, preparing and preening the monarchs ,heated loaded looks between the two rulers.  1st verse delves into memories that correspond with the lyrics. ‘Fucks given at an all time low’ flashes back to Arthur, head held high and a dangerous glint in his eyes. At ‘sticks and stones.. I don’t know any better’ more flashbacks to show glimpses of their journeys to being together, of how they started apart, with hatred, and have grown closer, how they are now in love and in power. Slow focus in on both getting dressed and made into their royal images. ‘Take take me away’ Arthur is shown leaning in for a deep kiss and Alfred inhales as if Arthur’s his oxygen, as the ‘I wanna live forever...but honey this world is mine’ plays, and the focus is back again on Arthur, who has a small smirk and a put upon self confidence that carries his hidden past, and the audience sees the first real look at both monarchs together, something dark and fiercely protective and utterly in love between them.  Back to piano is focused on their achievements. ‘I wanna live forever’ focus on their deep relationship, flashbacks of their love. ‘I wanna be better’ their royal relationship focus on their crushed velvet robes and glinting crowns. ‘I wanna be scared’ personal turmoil, war, plague, famine, all part of a rulers plight. Ending of the two walking out to face a full audience of court, heads held high as last line is sung, ‘this world is mine’.

[the next ones Stronger than ever and it shows their bond and sort of delves into their relationship. its introduced by another monologue, which speaks of a pair of lovers so deeply infatuated that theyd tear the stars from the night sky if they should so scald the other. a king and queen so deeply in love that the ruled alongside one another, in tune with one another, as no such monarchy had done before, or with such a deep dedication]

Stronger than ever-Beginning to show how they got to the throne, Alfred’s background as hes growing up and trained from a young age how to be a king, how he must be a soldier from a young age and fulfil his duties to his kingdom. and Arthur’s brief background, how he was on the verge of death so often, a bastard child of some nameless whore, thrown out onto the streets from the day he could walk, growing up on an empty stomach and only his own grit and wits. and now how they have so much power and grace, and how they support each other, how their pain has brought them to where they are. When gets soft ‘this is easy’ shows a scene of marriage, a softly illuminated scene in a grassy field, beneath a silk canopy and the softly setting sun. both are in crowns of wildflowers and loos white clothing without shoes or any significance of royalty, the lighting surrounding them orange and gentle as they look over at one another fondly. (note arthurs bouquet.White lilies - Virginity; Purity; Majesty; It's Heavenly to Be with You.Yellow lilies- I'm Walking on Air; False and Gay. ORANGE BLOSSOM IVY - Wedded Love; Fidelity; Friendship; Affection. FERN - Magic; Fascination; Confidence and Shelter.FERN Maidenhair - Secret Bond of Love - Innocence; Eternal Love; Marriage and Fruitfulness. AMBROSIA - Your Love is Reciprocated. AZALEA - Take Care of Yourself for Me; Temperance; Fragile Passion) then the drop in the music, and theres a sudden flash of two perspectives, both of theirs, of war and pain, and then the mention of family is them back to back, looking as though the shaodws falling across their faces were closing in on them. The soft next part shows them facing trials together and rising better from their experiences.

Was not always this way . cue some dramatic monologue

Bloodsport- shows forced marriage between the prince who is grieving, and despises the impoverished background of Arthur. Arthur is trying to earn his respect, fighting against him, for the people, in political matters. Shows shouting and sparring, until soft part where they dutifully pick each other up. I am all yours is Alfred knighting Arthur, begrudgingly. As the song picks up again they seem to keep disagreeing and fighting, yet still picking each other up, though Alfred still distrusts Arthur greatly which causes them to fail as one monarchy unit. They’re shown in a carriage in soft silence, Alfred refusing to look at Arthur, Arthur looking out of the window resignedly.  Just before slow soft part around 230 the scene breaks to heavy bootfalls and fire, the monarchs being ambushed on their carriage ride. Alfred thrown out the carriage and Arthur grabs his hand helps him up, beginning to kill their ambushers, ‘ill protect... might need me later’ Arthur takes a knife wound instead of Alfred, both meeting eyes, alfred gaining respect. Flashbacks to their sparring at the castle as outro plays, then Alfred catching Arthur before he falls.

[Arthur gets medical help as narrator talks of this event spurring on the beginning of an alliance between the two monarchs, and then a conversation can be overheard between the two monarchs in the carriage ride home, Arthur pale and leaning heavily against Alfred. The scene is slow and soft and the beginning of a curious love between the two. ‘So where are you from, Arthur?’ ‘N- Northern peninsula.. Albion- in a fishing village not far from one of the main ports.. i.. I forget the name of it..’ ‘oh? Friends, family there? What’s your story?’..’ my story?’] 

I Can Change- focuses on arthurs upbringing, parents no where to be seen, a starving toddlers, turning to a street urchin, up to a sneaky teen, to a 16 year old kissing a girl against an alley wall. ‘see my lady’ focuses on the lovesick daft grin on his face despite their surroundings. Arthur leans in again and resurfaces signing contracts he cant even read to be enrolled in a higher purpose. Switch to ‘this is my calling’ and ‘more mature’  enrolment into the army, and an aggressive  fight between Arthur and his lady, as she screams and tells him hell never find better and that no poor man gets in and that to even attempt is showing her how little worth she is to him ‘cant live without..’ shows clips of the army training, and how he almost beats a man to death whilst thinking back to the fight, having to be dragged away by officers. Cut to the officer speech as Arthur is displayed before the rest of the army, being beaten and flogged. Cut to him ‘rid of the excess pain’ boarding a sailors ship, when the outro plays it shows arthurs ship getting blown to pieces by a pirate ship, and Arthur being tied up with the rest of his ships crew, when a pirate offers him a hand ‘seen enough of those army pigs to know a good fighter flogged.. make your choice, well not cause you that flogging..’ the music fades as Arthur grabs the pirates hand, being welcomed with a warm  embrace to the pirates family.

[’they’re the family I ‘ad, that ship.. ‘til we got cocky, too far intae naval waters. Captured us in th’name of th’ king, s’mthin’ about a queen’s mark. Course I ‘ad it. Took me aboard, locked t’others in dungeons..’scene is Arthur lying, bandaged, in the castle, drifting into sleep with Alfred sat beside him ‘ill get them out, I swear, arthur’ ‘ta, Alfred’ and shows Arthur fall asleep. narrator speaks of how since then the two found company in one another, visiting more often through the weeks of arthurs recovery, culminating at a soft warm early summer evening, when Arthur and al sneak out in the evening]

Keep it simple- Alfred and Arthur sneak into the small seaside town, grinning and playing as commoners, Alfred grabbing arthurs hand at ‘I know I don’t know you’ marvelling at the sights, sounds, the gaslamps and the seaview, walking along the ports promenade, following the lanterns above their head celebrating the beginning of summer, until ‘im full of shit sometimes...’ when Alfred glances over at arthur fondly, as Arthur looks around in quiet awe and soaks in the smells of fresh food and the salty breeze off the sea. Alfred is pulling Arthur onto a ship, and Arthur grins as they pull it away from port, Alfred watching in slow gentle awe of love as Arthur controls the ship with practiced ease, hanging from ropes in commoners clothes with practised ease as if this is comfortable for him more than riches. Alfred smiles, and shakes his head- scene cuts to Arthur laughing and shaking his head at Alfred fondly as Alfred shoves food into his mouth, both adorn in flower crowns, walking back to the castle arm in arm, tipsy and warm and looking both at each other with the same awe and love that was never before realised. Scene fades to the night sky, and then to Arthur smiling up at Alfred as Alfred presents him with plans to improve the naval fleet, with Arthur being allowed his old crew and ship back, and free reign over spades expansive seas of spades and the whole naval fleet, and a faint, sincere thank you is heard as the scene fades to narrator.