#YES I know that there are two separate types of sphinxes

[birdhaslostit]

Sometimes I have an incredible brainwave

[aspiringsophrosyne]

Episode 5: Pass Through Fire

Is it hot in here? It seems hot in this theatre. Maybe their air conditioning's on the fritz. Better get yourself a drink, because it seems like the temperature's going up and staying up.

The Good.

Janet Varney. Of course they got Korra to voice Keyleth's mom. Of course they did. This whole opening sequence screams Avatar, and I'm here for it. And it's nice to see such tenderness between Keyleth and her mom, given their separation. Also, just seeing Good Parents in TLOVM is a joy, given the majority of the group comes from less-than-ideal families or home situations.

Raven Queen's not the most tactful conversationalist, is she? I like that this is something that just won't let Vax go until he deals with it; it might be easy for him and the audience to think it'll go away without those little flashes. Similarly, it fits that he cannot get the armor off; there's no escaping it or what it represents. 

Yay, Vex and Scanlan banter. I love what the runes say if you look close enough. Nice nod to Viridian, too. I'm happy to see more between these two in particular. Laura has talked about how they both put up fronts and that this was something Vex recognized in Scanlan and related to. They have their own interesting dynamic it's good to see more of.

I like that the show portrays Keyleth and Vax's concerns as equally valid. They are trying to fight something that could affect everyone in Tal'Dorei and perhaps even the world, but Vox Machina had previously backed each other up in their personal quests.

Very cool getting to see Keyleth just beat on something. Her magic is always a treat for the oculars, but there's something fun about watching her hit a monster in the face.

Yes...! Flashback to Allura and Kima's adventuring days!! I would watch an episode focusing on that group. It's also nice to see it so quickly and casually established that the two are a couple. In the original, they had been together before the stream, then split off to do their own things. Matt left it up in the air whether they would get back together or not. They eventually did, but that left us with hours and hours of ambiguity until it became clear that Allura and Kima were very much in love.

Hey, Robbie! Robbie Daymond was a player on Exandria Unlimited and a guest player for Campaign 3 of Critical Role. He's fabulous, and I didn't even realize that was him playing Cerkonos.

Keyleth's whole transformation scene is beautiful and cathartic. She spends so much time unsure of herself or struggling to control her abilities, but then she gets that extra bit of confidence to let loose, and it's awe-inspiring. Her surrendering to the fire has a certain painful, uncertain beauty. You don't know if she'll be able to do whatever she needs to without hurting or destroying herself.

Neal's score compliments the moment perfectly; it's a musical epiphany spliced with the triumph of a battle won. There isn't anything more I can say about the music without repeating myself; it's always amazing.

Keyleth gets a little costume upgrade, yay! I like that the characters' looks change to represent their development and growing power. We saw something similar with the character art starting in C2, and it was always fun to see the new looks.

The Bad. (Or at least, not great.)

Grog and Craven Edge

So here's the thing about the original shitting scene. And yes, that is a sentence I just typed.

Originally the second Sphinx was not on the same continent as Vasselheim, and the crew went back to Tal'dorei to meet with Osysa's mate, to get the Vestige and some other treasures Identified, and to rest for a bit. Whitestone, in particular, was where the scene with Grog and Scanlan happened. Even if you didn't see the original, you might be able to guess it was transplanted from a more populated setting because Grog asks Scanlan for a song so that no one else will hear.

When they're in the woods. Away from the group and far away from any other people.

Grog's dumb, but he's not that kind of dumb.

It's not a huge deal, but it's one more instance on a growing list of the writing CRew's inconsistencies.

To fix it, I'd change the line to something different (Grog asking for mood music instead, perhaps) or, hell, have it chronologically take place in Whitestone when they first escaped the Conclave. Just have Grog flashback to it in this episode. You'd have to change some things in a few episodes, though. Have Grog fight some residual undead or monsters hanging around the city so he can see what the sword is capable of first, for instance. But you could make it work. 

Nitpicks:

I need more damn banter.

Not just because we had more banter in the original stream and not just because it would be a great way to organically world-build and establish and develop these characters and their relationships...

But because none of these people have books, iPhones, or music to listen to while they travel, presumably for hours if not days. All they can do is talk. So it makes sense that they would.

There's another reason, but I'll get into that next episode.

~ * ~

Again, I wished they'd added some visual effect to indicate Allura was at least trying to cast a spell when those rocks fell. If you know the original story, you know she lives, and if you know D&D wizards, you know they have tricks for that kind of thing, but if you're new, it can look cheap that they got out without any previous indication that they had.

Aramenté

So...to pass through the fire.

For various reasons, the way this moment was presented in the Campaign can't happen here. And even if there was no getting around that, it breaks my heart that the way it went down, so much of the original meaning of this phrase was lost.

The long and short of it was that it was part of a pep-talk for Keyleth that was a metaphor for enduring adversity. And it's such a disservice to Kiki's anxiety and her struggles with her confidence to just have her suddenly understand the concept out of nowhere when we have everything we need to give it more weight.

We have the whole prior season.

Instead of Keyleth just suddenly realizing what she needs to do, what she's capable of doing, have her flashback to the Blue Dragon she helped kill. The badass magic she used on the road to Whitestone that saved Vox Machina's lives while they were chasing after Scanlan. When she healed Cassandra. Her ice magic against the zombie hoard. When she killed Sylas. Hell, you could throw in her escaping the Conclave, which was her almost literally passing through fire.

Then hit us with her mom's voice. Because then both she and the audience can connect her mother's phrase with all she's endured up to this point. Hammer home what it means.

And then it's clear that Keyleth's already done what Air Ashari are made to do. So she can do it now.

Pyrah And Future Conflicts

Keyleth is told that Thordak had help getting out of the Fire Elemental plane, which led to the death and destruction that's come to Pyrah. In the stream, the confrontation between Keyleth and the being that provided that help was electric, charged with her anger and outrage in a moment where all her lack of surety fell away and was the foundation for some incredible moments later. There could still be more coming to set up for it....but as it stands, I can't see this episode providing the same heft that its stream counterpart did.

Mainly because, in the stream, we got to visit Pyrah before the attack. We saw it thriving, calm and peaceful. After the Chroma Conclave's initial attack, Allura showed Vox Machina the devastation the dragons had wrought outside Emon. Pyrah had become the sight of a smoking crater and mounds of dead. It left Keyleth and Marisha both in tears.

We're not getting the same impact here, but maybe we could've gotten closer to it by having Keyleth's flashback with her mom occur in Pyrah. We could see how the city was meant to be, and then we could've further empathized with Keyleth when she gets there and sees how devastated it is.

Heading into the next show, we've got one hell of a performance coming up. Don't miss it!

[ravnicaforgoblins]

Ravnica for Goblins

One-Shots and Story Hooks

One thing Ravnica campaigns are rarely without is conflict. On a good day, somewhere between nine and ten of the Guilds will be having an issue with one another in some way, shape, or form. This is good for adventuring parties because it means there’s always something to do. While coming up with a session can literally be as simple as picking two Guilds and building off their general reasons for not liking each other (which is as easy as picking a fight on the internet), sometimes you need help. You need something to kickstart those creative ideas again.

Fortunately, the artists over at Wizards of the Coast have had over a dozen sets/releases to craft not just the main storyline of Ravnica, but unique little one-offs as well. They come with absolutely stellar artwork to help build the atmosphere of the City of Guilds, and wonderful bits of flavor text that are prime jumping-off points for your story ideas.

So here are four story hooks taken straight from Ravnica cards to incorporate into your campaign. You don’t have to follow these prompts exactly, but if they spark some ideas of your own, run with them.

Watchwolf

Ravnica can be lonely & intimidating for a Druid. With so much of the world made up of pavement and skyline, one’s connection with nature can feel like a long-distance relationship. You’d be hard-pressed to find a tree outside the Conclave without venturing into Rubblebelt territory. Furthermore, what animals do inhabit the big city have been almost unilaterally conscripted into service by one Guild or another. Azorius hawks, Boros hounds, Gruul boars, Selesnya cattle; to say nothing of the terrifying creations churned out from Guilds like the Simic, Orzhov, or Rakdos.

Even the rats seem to have loyalties.

I was browsing a Tin Street stall for watermelon seeds when I saw it. A wolf, staring right at me from a bridge nearby. I looked around but didn’t see anyone it seemed to belong to. Boros dogs wear armor, Ledev dire wolves are never without their rider, and if it was Gruul it would almost certainly have some sort of clan markings. Could it be a wild one?

Noticing my gaze, the wolf made its way over to me. It avoided the crowd with a comfort you don’t see in wild animals. This wolf definitely belonged to someone in the city.

A few of the merchants were staring at us. Even if it was trained, it was definitely making them nervous. The wolf nipped & tugged at my tunic with its mouth. Not with aggression, but with urgency. Spend enough time with animals, you learn to spot the difference. I bought my seeds, tipped the shopkeep generously, and brought the wolf to a quieter part of the city to speak with it.

Who are you?

Watcher

A watcher? Curious.

What do you need, Watcher?

Help

What help do you need?

Lost

You’re lost?

Watcher shook his muzzle.

Where’s your owner, Watcher?

Taken

Taken? Taken by whom?

Watcher told me.

A what?

Role Reversal

This was definitely one for the books. Even for the Senate, seeing a Sphinx up close is extremely rare. Seeing one at your desk filing a complaint about another Sphinx is unheard of.

“They are Uthlon the Wise. A model among their peers for stoicism, moderation, and sound judgement.”

“And you’re filing a complaint against Uthlon for....”

I checked my notebook.

“....Getting drunk and painting rude words on the temple of Azor.”

“Yes.”

“We’ll look into it.”

I expected a response. There’s always a response when people get angry enough to file a complaint. However, instead of shouting or threats, the Sphinx Agammemnos stepped back from my desk and perched down a few feet away. They were really going to wait there until I looked into this. My lunch was sitting an arm’s reach away. I sighed deeply. I hated this job sometimes.

Then, another Sphinx came in and approached my desk.

“I am here to file a complaint regarding Uthlon the Wise.”

I took my notebook back out.

“For the crime of shouting out ‘River’.”

I had to ask for that one again. Apparently, they were asking someone a riddle, as Sphinxes do, when Uthlon the Wise popped up and shouted the riddle’s answer. For that, I might seek out this Uthlon the Wise for the sole purpose of giving them a medal. No sooner had this thought crossed my mind when another Sphinx, this one rubbing their head and moving as though drunk, wandered in.

“I....am here to....file a complaint.”

“Regarding Uthlon the Wise?”

The Sphinx looked pleased. They do love when someone can guess what they’re thinking.

“Uthlon the Wise hit me over the head with a club.”

I’d just finished writing that down when more Sphinxes came strolling in. I’d never seen this many in one place, not even in Isperia’s court. Then I saw the strangest thing of all. A goblin came in, calmly walked up to my desk, and told me in the best Common I’ve ever heard from a goblin:

"My name is Uthlon the Wise.”

For the love of the Guildpact, what is going on here?

Mass Manipulation

There they are. I thought I made my instructions clear to dress the part. One way you can always spot a Dimir is by their shabby taste. They’re so concerned with being able to keep things hidden in their clothes that they can never wear anything that fits them properly. Orzhov assassins, by contrast, always dress to kill. We turn the art of killing into an actual art. And here this tit comes showing up at the finest diner in the Precinct wearing that awful trenchcoat. Ghosts, I should have hired that Ochran. At least they know not to be seen.

The only reason I’m resorting to this alley skulker is because I need the job done quickly and on the cheap. If this imbecile ruins my appetite, I’m docking the price of the meal from their pay. Then again, if I do that, I wouldn’t be paying them at all.

Seems fair to me.

“Dreadfully sorry I’m late.”

“If this is how you run your business, I may just take mine elsewhere.”

“Now, now, let’s not get hasty.”

The server came over to take our orders, but because of this idiot’s tardiness, my main course would have to wait while they ordered drinks.

“Would you like to see our wine list?”

“Water is fine, thank you.”

Ghosts, I should have hired the Rakdos. This whole day is already a loss and it’s only breakfast. Why did I ever think these fools could be trusted with something important?

The server poured water from the pitcher while I waited.

“So, what’s the job?”

“What’s the job? The job is everything! How you present yourself! How you treat your clients! How you behave in high society! How am I supposed to trust you with a contract when you can’t even show up on time for a breakfast?”

They just sat there, drinking their water. Not even the decency to look ashamed. I’m going to put a word in to the Judge for another purge, this is unacceptable. We shouldn’t have to put up with these dredges.

Finishing their water, they clinked their glass on the table.

The whole diner was suddenly quiet. Not the awkward, shocked quiet of society types pausing to listen. I’ve lived in this city for almost 70 years and I’ve never heard anything like this kind of silence. Every single person froze in their place, some halfway in the motion of eating or talking. Then, every single head turned in our direction at once.

“I was afraid it might come to this. I know you have things to do, so I’ll be brief. When I ask you for the job, I don’t need your background or history and especially not your personal take. I know how uptight you Syndicate types are about contracts & paperwork & details and all that nonsense. I just need the deed and the name of the person it’s being done to. That’s all.”

Every face stares at me with blank captivation. Not a single eye blinks. Not a single mouth draws breath. Including mine.

“But first, let’s talk about the pay. For starters, since the target is probably wealthy enough to afford protection, the rate will double. Second, since you clearly have trouble keeping your mouth shut, you’ll need to be kept under supervision until the job is done, so the rate will double again. Lastly, since the reason I was late was because I was debating whether or not to poison your drink, let’s double it again and call it a deal.”

I swallow hard. I should have never gotten involved with House Dimir.

“Seems fair to me.”

“Excellent. Now, what’s the job?”

Debtors’ Transport

This one will not be easy. This isn’t your standard smash & grab in the Bulwark where the Wojek are too busy busting Gruul skulls to chase after a gang of thieves. Everyone in the city has thought of it at least once; rob the Orzhov. The problem is, everyone knows what happens to anyone who tries; best case execution, worst case servitude. The air surrounding the Orzhov Guildhall is saturated with the ghosts of poor souls still paying off their debts to the Syndicate centuries after death. It’s not a fate you wish unto anyone, least of all yourself.

But still....the temptation is right there. An Orzhov transport, one of those big bloated ones that look like someone took a person, removed their bones, and then blew them up like a balloon. Walking right through the plaza. Every week, same time, same route, same cargo. An enormous sarcophagus filled with more coin than your average Ravnican citizen will see in a lifetime, and the moans of the latest poor soul who fell too far behind on their payments.

From the street separating the haves & have-nots of Precinct Two, around the Hall of the Guildpact in Precinct One, then a straight shot along Plaza Avenue to the Orzhova Church. Roughly one hour to walk five miles of city and deliver the cargo into the greedy hands of the Ghost Council.

They aren’t subtle about their business, but they aren’t subtle about security, either. At least four Advokists and Knights for a light haul, double that for a bigger one, and if they’re really hauling a score you can expect a trio of their fully-plated Giants as well. Not to mention the gargoyles they have perched on roofs for every single street along the route. And the transports themselves aren’t exactly known for being well-tempered when something agitates them.

But you rip off a score like that and your entire crew can afford to buy a mansion on a floating mountain.

Assuming you get away, of course. That’s always the rub. There are few things the Syndicate take more personally than being robbed. You rob a score like that, they don’t just send the Order of Sorrows after you, they send the Angels. The executors of Orzhov justice who don’t sleep, don’t stop for lunch, don’t stop for anything until they find you. At least when the Firemane kill someone it’s an exciting way to go. Better death by immolation than spending every night listening for the sound of feathered wings dropping a scythe down on you.

But if you did it right, made sure no one saw you, made sure no one could trace it back to you, it could be done. It can be done.

But who would be willing to take the risk?

[xiekeyin-lyrics]

[ENG TRANSLATION + Explanation] Shaking Chloe 谢可寅 rap lyrics for THE9 Sphinx

Written by: Shaking Translated by: xiekeyin-lyrics 

First Rap part

小老虎 跳个舞 (romanized: xiao lao hu, tiao ge wu) “Little tiger, dance” Since Keyin’s nickname is tiger, due to her name Yin is a old character referring to and representing tiger, so she’s somewhat hinting she’s the big tiger and calling the little tigers to dance. 

This is open for interpretation whether she’s saying: 1. Little tigers, let’s dance together! (aka let’s play! let’s have some fun!)  OR 2. Small tigers, dance for me (like a clown, entertain me with your dance.)

键盘声大 霹雳啪啦 从不在乎 (romanized: jian pan sheng da pi li pa la, cong bu zai hu) “the keyboard’s loud, blah blah, (i’m) never bothered.”  噼里啪啦 pi li pa la is the sound of keyboards frantically being typed on, but it can also be used when someone is rambling. the word for keyboard is 键盘. In chinese, there’s a term called 键盘侠 which means keyboard warriors - a term typically referring to people who hide behind their computers and keyboards, talking crap, spreading hate, brave with words behind their computers. Most typically this term keyboard warrior is associated with internet haters who thinks they are righteous and is brave with their cruel words. So this line basically’s like, the keyboards is loud (because many are typing furiously or someone is typing quickly and harshly), pi li pa la (imitating people rambling OR the constant ringing sounds from keyboards that typing causes), i’ve never cared or i’ve never been bothered by it. 

踏不灭 踏不灭 野兽野火 (romanized: ta bu mie, ta bu mie, ye shou ye huo) “Can’t stomp it out (x2) the beast’s wild fire.” 踏 means both stomp and step on, it means no matter how you step on / stomp on, the beast’s wild fire can’t be stomped out by you. 

The term for beast 野兽 translates to beast but in chinese, it’s a terminology referring to wild animals too. Considering Keyin’s nickname is Tiger (Shaking’s Yin is a chinese character representing Tiger, a wild animal), she’s basically saying stomps on her or stepping on her won’t diminish her wild fire (of passion)

灭 has a double meaning too. It’s usually a meaning of diminishing fires. But in another way, 灭口 is a term for killing someone, murdering someone, to silence someone through death. So this line can also mean that no matter how you stomp to kill, the beast and the fire won’t be killed / diminished. 

And the way she repeated 踏不灭 (stomping it out) twice actually delivers a vibe and impression to it. cause when people are frustrated, they tend to do things repeatedly? like if you stomp to kill something and it won’t die so you keep stomping on it a few more times? so it delivers an impression of expressing this kinda emotions from those who wanna stomp on her and her flames of passion. So this line is expressing, no matter how badly you stomp to kill / to diminish, keyin the wild beast and her flames of passion, the fire in her is never gonna die or die out. 未解的 飞跃的 你看不透我 (romanized: wei jie de, fei yue de, ni kan bu tou wo) “Those unsolved, those soaring, you can’t see through me” The ‘you can’t see through me’ basically means, keyin’s not an open book that you can easily predict. Rather than an invisibility concept, it’s more of a: you can’t see through what I have up my sleeves - i’m unpredictable, i’m unreadable, i’m mysterious and unphantomable.

Second Rap part:

Cuz I'm a queen  A simple lyric, but it’s an ongoing theme that keyin has had ever since she first started rapping. In her first self-written rap song - Shaking Non-Stop, she crowns herself the queen and this lyric shows us the amount of confidence and self-pride she still has predebut since 2018 till now.

This is a theme that resonates and comes back again in the final rap lyric of Sphinx later on.

You look at me 不屑的表情 WO  (romanized: you look at me, bu xie de biao qing woo!) “You look at me, a disdainful expression, wo!”

Oh My God 笑话 难关从没怕啦 怕啦  (romanized: omg, xiao hua, nan guan cong mei pai la pa la) “Oh my god, what a joke. Challenges? Never been afraid~” Personally I loved this line cause of how sassy it is. 

难关 can mean challenges or obstacles and it’s kinda a term you use for games obstacles or the toughest point of games that you have to go through in order to level up. 

But then she goes like, 从没怕啦怕啦 the first two characters means ‘never been’ and the way she raps 怕啦怕啦 is kinda a tone of cuteness and in a joking way kinda? it’s an attitude of a child going “hehehe its fine its fine it’s nothing!” kinda like brushing it off vibes too. So the attitude in this is like her being cute and saying, “obstacles? challenges? heheheh i’ve never ever been afraid~” and what makes it best is like, she’s implying the obstacles AS GAMEPLAY OBSTACLES AND SHE’S BRUSHING IT OFF nonchalantly while saying she has never been afraid ooo i love you keyin 

HOWEVER! Because of the lack of punctuations, the way she raps the 难关从没怕啦 怕啦 can once again mean something else if you frame it differently. If you separate 从没怕啦 怕啦 and add in a question mark at the end, it can mean i’ve never been afraid of obstacles, are YOU afraid (of me) now? (it’s just asking are you already afraid / are you now afraid? in general. but to me it’s hinting a vibe of asking those who looked at her disdainfully, are you afraid of me now? seeing my attitude?) 

this part all depends on how she wanna delivers it LOL i’m not sure how she wrote it to be cause 难关从没怕啦！ 怕啦? and 难关从没怕啦怕啦 means two different things :’) and i guess we’ll only know which does she mean when we look at her perform

Final Rap line

万箭齐发 看我的眼神杀 (romanized: wan jian qi fa, kan wo de yan shen sha) the first four words literally translates to “tens of thousands of arrows being shot collectively”. the last six words means, “look at my killing / electrifying gaze.”

Since the arrows are being shot - notice the direction of the arrows aren’t mentioned.

Therefore, there are two ways to interprete this :  1. She’s the general. Commanding her army, leading and welcoming the battle with w her charismatic gaze / gaze that shows that she is out to kill.

This is an aura and vibe of a general / a warrior. Considering earlier, keyin raps “Cause i’m a queen”, and these two lines together is SO precious because it’s a theme she started with when she first started rapping - Check out her solo performance two years ago “Shaking Non-Stop”(linked), her first rap piece that she wrote. In Shaking Non-Stop, Keyin refers to herself as the queen with lyrics like “Welcome to my kingdom, it’s shaking so dope!” and in the chorus and most of the song she implies she is the general, the soldiers all ready, waiting for her signal to charge forth full-force. 

Now in Sphinx, it feels like her theme has not changed, she grew but she kept her confidence and self-pride that she’s still a queen, she’s still a brave, smart, righteous general. The 10 words here is like a signal commanding soldiers to shoot (btw if we watch chinese historical war dramas, at the beginning of a war, the defending army would stand guard the city tall walls and begin collectively shooting when the general signals to, and when the war begins and the offensive army comes.) and her killing gaze is typically the attitude of a general ready to fight. 

2. Keyin is describing the tens of thousands of arrows being shot at her. She is still welcoming, fronting the battle with her charismatic, killing gaze. 

In this way of interpretation, Keyin’s no longer the general. Rather, she is fighting the battle alone. But she is still fearless, still out to kill those who collectively shot arrows at her - still ready to front those who gangs up against her by attacking her collectively.

Interpretation 2′s arrows would symbolise the hate and attacks towards her over the years, how haters would gang up to attack her collectively, targetting her. 

-----------

note: the italics parts in romanized are the rhymes that shaking used for her rap, which is tbh throughout all her parts that she wrote.

I’ve posted this on one of the translation videos (link) for everyone to better understand the lyrical genius shaking LOL.

Keyin’s parts may be short but she has always put in lots of effort to write smart, good lyrics and i do think it’s so important to understand her lyrics as international fans :)

[riccardolll-blog]

Cluing in Puzzled Players

This puzzle was inspired by Knight of Raven’s Mythical Menagerie post.  

Allow me to set the scene for you.

The players are investigating a conclave of wizards with an interest in shape shifting beings and monsters.  In the dark, the workshops are a collection of strange instrument silhouettes, heavy curtains and an almost musty atmosphere.  The silence of the place hangs over them.  As they sneak about, the players come across what appears to be a large circular room connecting all the workshops.  Sick of fumbling about in the dark, one of the players lights a torch.  As light spills onto the floor, the lightness is relieved by the dark grooves of circles and juts of lines carved into the floor.  Waving the torch around, it becomes apparent that the circles are connected in the shape of a nonagon, with a triangle in the center connecting out to the nonagon at three points.

(For those who are more visually oriented, like myself, here is a diagram of what I’m talking about:)

In neat lines around the room are what look to be granite chess pieces, about 2-3 feet tall.  Peering closer a player notices that the statues appear to be in the likeness of various animals.  Dogs, birds, cows, snakes, lions...  One row even contains several humanoid looking statues... 

---

And so it begins!  The Mythical Nonagon.  My players really got into this puzzle.  It seemed to appeal to their creativity and their problem solving skills. 

Aim

The aim of this puzzle is to place a chess piece on each of the circles, so that the combination of the first circle and any other circle it is directly connected to (by a line) must make up a mythical creature.  What does this mean?  

Take any blue circle which is not connected to an orange circle.  Let’s assume your players put a bird chess piece on that blue circle.   Assume you players then travel one step clockwise around the nonagon, and then place a horse piece.  The combination of the two creates a pegasus - success!  Your players must also connect the bird to another chess piece on the circle which is one step anti-clockwise to the bird.  In other words, they must put a piece on the anti-clockwise circle that also makes a mythical creature, e.g. a lion, so that the combination of bird + lion makes a griffin. 

As you may have guessed, the triangle must use a combination of three animals to create a mythical creature.  Each point also connects out to the nonagon to create a separate mythical beast combination.

A list of suggested chess pieces and creature combinations is at the end of this post, but you’re of course welcome to make your own.

Clues for Players

A room with circles and chess pieces might be ok for intellectual characters(/players), but what do you do when your party is more brawn than brain?  You clue them in. (Haha.)

Using clues for puzzles can be a powerful tool.  At a fundamental level, clues can be positive or negative.  Positive clues encourage a behaviour, while negative clues punish certain behaviours.  It’s important to consider the kinds of behaviours you want to encourage, not only for solving the puzzle, but also for your dealing with your campaign at large.  The following are a couple of questions that might help you think about your broader goals:

Do you want your players to leap into action and keep the story/drama moving?  Or would you prefer your players carefully uncover layers of information and misinformation before taking action?  Do you want them to trust or question NPCs?  Are the players meant to consider the morality of the choices they make?  Would you like the players to be tactical in combat?  Or more curious about their environment? Etc.

Example Positive Clues

Every time the players make a correct combination, a holographic image of the creature appeared above the triangle (I used glyphs on the roof as the basis of the simulation for my campaign).  Use one or two sentences to describe what the characters see as confirmation that they made a correct combination, and to give flavour to the task.  E.g. “A centaur hunts beneath a starry sky, an arrow notched in its rowan wood bow.” “The Cerberus’ teeth snap as the foul scent of it’s breath washes over you, making you gag.”  This kind of positive clue is important so the players know that they were actually succeeding at the puzzle.  Some kind of puzzle based gauge is important for sustained player interest and moral.

A more general positive clue could be that after some exploration and investigating the players discover that the walls of the circular room are engraved with some kind of sequencing that appeared to be connected to different types of shape shifting and hybrid monsters.  While the players can’t read the sequencing code entirely, a DC 13 Intelligence check is sufficient for them to work out that the sequencing has something to do with combining different animal parts to make up a hybrid monster (including a couple of potential combinations, e.g. harpy = bird + human, owlbear = owl + bear).  Or if that’s too advanced, have some scrolls on a desk or dumped by the door in one of the workshops which have illustrations depicting a couple of the potential combinations.   By using this kind a clue, you will encourage your players to look around when faced with obstacles and puzzles, or to investigate before running into action.  Come up with clues that suit the kind of goals you have your players’ behaviours in the campaign. 

Example Negative Clues

On the other hand, if the players just tried a random (incorrect) combination or a combination they knew was wrong, I had a jet of flames erupt out from under the offending circle momentarily.  The player who placed the chess piece had to make a DC 15 dex save for the first round the flames appeared (the surprise factor), and then a DC 12 dex save thereafter to avoid being burnt.  A failed save was 2d8 fire damage, and a successful save was half damage.  This would (hopefully) encourage your players to think, maybe look around and see what else they can find to help them solve the mystery.

If you didn’t want to be as tough on your players, you might allow them a chance to get the combination wrong before you activate the flame trap.  Or maybe there’s no penalty for an incorrect combination, but trying to rig the puzzle with multiple combinations of the same monster trips the flame trap.  It’s up to you and your goals.

Suggested Chess Pieces

Birds x 7, Bear x 2, Hyena x 2, Humanoid x 7, Spider x 2, Rabbit x 2, Lion x 5, Fish x 3, Crocodile x 2, Hippo x 2, Goat x 2, Cow x 2, Lizard x 2, Dog x 4, Snake x 2, Horse x 5

Suggested Combinations (in no particular order)

* Indicates that I allowed multiple combinations of the same animal parts to create the different, separate monsters.

(And yes I did allow false combinations that don’t assist in solving the puzzle as a whole. *cackles*)

Pegasus - horse + bird

Chimera - lion + goat + snake

Cerberus - 3 x dog

Merfolk - human + fish

Sphinx - lion + human

Manticore - lion + human (+ bird)

Cockatrice - bird + lizard

Griffin - lion + bird

Medusa/lamia* - snake + human

Harpy/angel* - human + bird

Minotaur - bull + human

Hippocampus - horse + fish

Faun/satyr* - goat + person

Centaur - horse + person

Hippogriff - horse + bird

Ammit - hippo + lion + crocodile

Merlion - lion + fish

Jackalope - rabbit + deer

Drider - elf + spider

Gnoll - hyena + human

Owlbear - owl + bear

Wyrven - lizard + bird

Werewolf - dog + person

Ichthyocentaur - fish + horse + human

Ophitaurus - bull + snake

All the best for your planning and playing.

[magicarasa]

CFAC 09 Entries -- Part 1

First image by SpaceWeaver

Second image by Rob Joseph

Third image by Diego Gisbert Llorens

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many innovative designs. You all are really hitting this challenge hard. It’s awesome!

@amtgplayer

This is one bizarre take of the “PvE” idea: it fits in a normal game of multiplayer Magic, and mostly act as a normal Magic card — except with some probability, the players will then need to fight a monster together. (I took care that it only triggers in multiplayer.)

A major downside of this idea is that it is hard to describe a formidable adversary on a Magic card. Still, I think this example reasonably simulates a prison player that sits behind Ghostly Prisons. (Disclaimer: I don’t actually play multiplayer, so maybe I’m off by a lot.) Other “environmental players” can replace drawing cards with more interesting actions, like exiling cards from its owner’s library and casting some without paying the mana cost.

I don’t know how many rule problems will come with this idea, but I imagine the rule of thumb “the owner of the card makes all possible decisions” should eliminate most of them. (Yes, that means it “turns on” things like Fact and Fiction.)

This design is incredibly bizarre and absolutely nothing I ever expected to see. Masu will always have at least one intervention counter so it does become a big hurdle players have to commit to pretty quickly in order to take her down. Furthermore they have to do this after having their fields wiped. I think that task might be a little too difficult as is, but this is just so weird that I couldn’t say for sure. It does make for an interesting addition to a pillow fort deck--essentially telling players to attack this instead of the pillow fort player (though if they eliminate the real player this card leaves the game anyway so maybe it just means they should put more pressure on that player).

There are definitely a ton of rules issues but the concept here is really exciting. Well done!

Two points!

@dimestoretajic

Okay, here’s the thing.

I have no clue how Rain would affect the battlefield. None. I 100% believe it could work for the fan block, possibly in the same way weather affects combat in Pokémon, but how it would work outside of “things happen when it’s raining, or sunny, or snowing, or windy”, I have no clue. But… enjoy this “weather matters” card anyway? ^^;

Also Native American block FTW. :D

So basically the Steamflogger Boss of this contest. ;p The stats are reasonable, all depending on how Rain actually functions but even it’s easy to turn on, I’m imagining something a la world enchantments or planechase planes--you only have one active at a time so other players could make it sunny or whatever to negate the bonus. Weather matters is an intriguing concept.

Two points!

@morbidlyqueerious

So, this tackles two separate things, namely “angels that don’t care” from @nine-effing-hells and darkbond from @conorace .  I’m honestly not certain if this card even needs to be black, actually.  Also, the artifact thing is mostly from the art, but maybe it’s also unneeded?

I love the story that the flavor text adds to the effect here. As far as the effects go, I think it could be either WU or WB--white typically exiles while both blue and black steal things. If you wanted to push it, since the exile is creature removal, this could be bent into mono black. But at the same time it makes it even more iconic to have an unusual mana cost like this. Basically development can tweak that knob so it fits best in whatever set it’s in, which is nice.

The effects make sense but it’s in a bit of a weird space--just exiling one creature isn’t a huge play for a big investment on an otherwise vanilla creature, whereas if you get to steal a creature (and get an ETB trigger if it has one) for the same cost it’s a much bigger play without actually investing more (aside from running stuff that gets your opponent’s cards into exile first). Other than that I think an angel without flying would confuse a lot of players and that the art here is ambiguous enough that it could fly probably.

Two points!

@origins15

My thought process was inspired by the creation of atraxa from a lore perspective, how each praetor had a keyword of their color put into the creation. This is a collaborative effort between Sheoldred and Vorinclex. Their creation is ravenous, and is only sated through blood or mana.

I chose Phyrexian mana for flavor reasons, and I also felt that having the only payment option being two life would have been a little strong.

This is clearly a rattlesnake (rattle-gorgon?) something that’ll be a great defensive option, but can get some attacks through when necessary.

Nice use of Phyrexian mana. Cards that want other players to pay for something always run into this sort of problem and being able to pay two life instead of colored mana is an interesting option.

The problem is this is a lot of text to read sitting across the table, upside down, on an opponent’s card. Most players will accept it as a menace and deathtouch wielding gorgon and forget they can change that. However I think perhaps you could make effects like this a small focus in a set and perhaps give them a special frame in order to draw attention to them and clue players into the fact that they should be reading them pretty explicitly and keeping them in mind.

Two points!

@outerspace-messiah

Reading the creative bit, I figured story telling was a very important part of this plane, so I wanted to create a story telling mechanic. Chronicle acts like haunt or cipher in that it’s exiled and attached to the creature, but when it dies, it passes the story to another. Of course, not having another creature to pass the card to means the story is lost.

For the card itself, it looks like a lot because of ETB effect, but I was merely going for something flavorful based on the art that other Chronicle cards don’t have to have. The ETB turned out to work mechanically well with Chronicle though!

And of course, my only worries for the mechanic are the same as the problems with Haunt and Cipher, but that be a lesser problem since this is an unofficial set.

Which plane? We have a few we’re deciding from but no decision has been made yet. Chronicle is a neat mechanic, and it does have its issues. For one, being a permanent type that would remain on another creature but which is technically in exile is a big headache.

While mechanically quite different, my first thought was what if you had a Bestow variant that went on enchantment creatures and basically did what Chronicle does, except it would be attaching the aura to another creature (and thus it would still be on the battlefield).  Cool card, but it’s a lot to unpack and a tough area to play in.

Two points!

@sphinxs-revelation

I hope you recieved my lengthy submission for the Arcana mechanic on MtGFanset. This card is obviously intended as an enabler for it, though even without it, it leads to some interesting choices, espescially in multiplayer. It lets you help your teammates or appease would be enemies. You might want to reveal something harmeless… or better show them why not to mess with you?

Arcana actually posted from the queue, either earlier today or late yesterday, I’m not sure which.

Numbers on the card are solid here, especially since the lifegain is symmetrical. It is really cool to see just how many cards support this sort of effect, how innate they are to the game, and how the presence of such a mechanic can totally change how you evaluate those cards.

As for Arcana, it seems like it could be big trouble developmentally. Maybe a one-off fan set can skirt that trouble. Hedron Alignment gives free reveal triggers on your entire hand each upkeep. Madcap Experiment makes this totally broken by loading Arcana cards while putting in only as many artifact cards as are necessary to keep from dying. Just something people would definitely have to be aware of when working with this.

Two points!