#adding to this: this also goes for ships!

[sprintingowl]

Ninjago TTRPG

First off, credit goes entirely to @junipart for letting me know it exists.

Second, I'm probably going to get stuff wrong. I don't have a strong background in lego and I knew very little about Ninjago before today, so I'm mostly going to be looking at this from a TTRPG design perspective.

That all out of the way, the officially published Ninjago TTRPG is a weird proprietary OSR game that has some really fun ideas and some wild missteps and I think it's worth talking about.

So, what is it? The Ninjago TTRPG is a tie-in game with a 26 page booklet built around a proprietary board and spinner. It's pretty sparely layed out and has a very zine-y fanmade vibe despite being official. It's also got pretty good fundamentals despite being a proprietary rpg, with a GM who interprets and makes rulings and guides the story.

Checks are made with the proprietary spinner, which the book describes as a kind of funky d5. It rolls 1, 2, 3 (which you add to your stat) or a heart (critical) or a skull (fumble.) Per Junipart, the spinner the book describes isn't actually the spinner they shipped (which was a d6 with 1--3 repeated,) but the spinner the book describes is neat. Stats matter heavily, but crits happen often, so upsets are always possible.

Stats are Body, Mind, and Toughness. Body is used for physical stuff, Mind for perception and social and knowledge, Toughness for when you get hit. Also there's a Body skill called Dodge that you can use instead of Toughness, which makes Toughness seem like a terrible stat. But at least it still affects HP?

Ninjago TTRPG has no HP system. Your first hit in combat, you ignore. Your second, you get stunned. Your third, you get KO'd for a few rounds. Ninjago is very careful to keep all of its violence nonlethal, and this results in a combat flow where people kinda keep hitting the mat and getting back up. Adding to this, there's a unique mechanic (under the unfortunate heading of "Loot Boxes,") where three times per adventure a PC can pick themselves back up for free.

The nonlethality of Ninjago TTRPG is interesting as a design limitation (and leads to some of the writing of all time: "Please note that a ninja never strikes to kill,") and it clashes with the more marketable idea of life or death combat ("life or" combat doesn't really sing as loudly.) The game's prewritten adventures bridge this gap by treating everything as a puzzle---after all, if everyone gets back up after a few rounds, you kind of need to problem-solve a way to keep them from continuing the fight.

Unfortunately, the adventures are also *very* overwritten. There's four of them, and they all spend a lot of words mapping out everything that might happen in every room. This isn't a game that trusts the GM to GM, and instead of trying to teach them it hands them a narrative flowchart.

It also doesn't want the players to create OCs---you can play as the characters from the show, who have premade statlines, but you can't make your own PC unless you reverse engineer the system yourself.

It feels reasonable to assume that a lot of this is the result of conflicting priorities between the brand and the development team. The game gives genuinely good advice to the GM about going where the story is and letting the players choose their own path, and then it immediately backtracks and specifies that that path should be on the proprietary gameboard. The game has a blank character sheet at the end instead of prefilled sheets for the show's characters, but there's no character creation rules. The game has only players make rolls (rad!) but it also doesn't seem to have a plan for what happens if a player tries to roll against a player.

Overall, I think the Ninjago TTRPG is an interesting read. And I think it's *very* ripe for some mechanical tinkering. If you're a Ninjago fan, it's runnable as-is. And if you've played a session or two of D&D, I guarantee you could nudge the game into having proper character creation, adventures that don't need the gameboard, and rolls that don't need the spinner (tbh just use a d6 and reroll 6s.)

It doesn't seem to be properly for sale anywhere, but I did find some links via the site below.

Also, if there's a Ninjago tabletop community, or there's a bunch of people who've been tinkering with this system, or if you're a Ninjago fan who didn't know about the tabletop, or anything else, let me know! I'm always curious about who my posts reach.

[mariajamel]

A farewell and a reunion or perhaps just two farewells

[shyhandart]

wanted to show you my rainbowglider kid so far! just a WIP ☺️

Holy crap! Alternate universe siblings!!

This is Caustic Phantom, but everyone they know calls them tommy :3

[fandomfive39]

Les Mis movie/tv where nothing is cut, and there's an ever present narrator who takes over the camera Lemony Snicket to ramble about all the things Victor Hugo does before we see the director and crew forcibly cut him off to continue the storyline

[sonknuxadow]

remembering when the covers for the issue where amy and surge first interacted were coming out and people were saying they wanted surge to fall in love with amy at first sight and immediately decide to change so she can be with her . as in actually wanting that to happen in the comic not just as a fanfic thing . and sorry not to be a hater but i can't be the only one who thinks that surge suddenly becoming good because romance kind of would of sucked right .... like idk that just doesnt sound like a very good direction to take the story . sorry .

[cherrylight]

hi there !!

nice fun positivity for you 🫶

if you are someone who makes multiple self inserts for one specific f/o or if you have one self insert for multiple f/os you are so valid! if you like how you designed your self insert and want to see them in different worlds with the multiple f/os you have, you are so incredibly valid!

if you have tons of ideas running through your head and you have so much love for your main f/o and are curious of different dynamics, you are valid! it doesnt matter if you have one self insert or a plentiful of self inserts, if youre having fun, then thats all that matters <3

i know it may seem odd or strange to have so many self inserts for one particular f/o, that you feel as if you should stick to one self insert, but if its fun to you, then it shouldnt matter! having creativity to make so many self inserts is lovely! its nice to explore different ways to share different forms of love for your f/os!! 

reminder — selfshipping is for you, if that means making numerous of self inserts for one f/o or having one that ventures in the different universes your multiple f/os are in; selfshipping is for you, it should be fun, and it should make you enjoy exploring.

[proshipaes]

Everytime I see one of those ''Gregory is Michael's son and that's why he looks like CC!" theories/AUs all my fucked up brain can think is... What if Gregory looks like CC because he's also William's kid?

Like I'm pretty sure it couldn't work because blah blah timeline, but I desperately want to fuck up Michael's life even more by having him have his own father's kid.

[phantajam]

my hot take about descendants is that NONE of the core four were ready for a relationship until maybe like, the third movie (rant in tags)

[nandors-girlwife]

No but is it really one of your favs ships if u don't have a playlist for them

Yes I wrote this post only to share my ship's playlist if any of y'all care so WHAT anyway here they are

Merthur Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qC8kcwkTy8zUwwMtNdHEJ?si=4CarnOY5T1ewqmF8mhQnXA&pi=u-SN42Cs1oTvei

Nandermo Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2e9mFwufBGWVoMK7f6XvuX?si=xZk2rdD2QXSmEZnYNXR6UA

Innefable Husbands Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4WikaxxtH3Ng8XzF0O8FHJ?si=aHVR_0sLQiaj1D2eIj16mQ

Spirk Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4O0QIOgqo7XqudFnVwqgNq?si=JKO0dVzrRrS8MCgEUfPT1Q&pi=u-AQYOd9ueTZGa

HaiYin Addicted Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1tFgmi573GBCl6S4WmcdV2?si=QZrvfnFzRTqC6duWC7FFSA&pi=u-8vZmJe-7QKWC

Starsky and Hutch Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3b1mBG9fLViODX8RGgvcyU?si=blQ2LemBR6OuBx6hDEjtGQ&pi=u-L0oTCcAvQ1aA

HiraXKiyoi MBM Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4pqPVCBF4MA150J5p46Lkl?si=I50S8qSvRSiS0ZetP0LiWg&pi=u-XKj5oLVNRCWT

MoonjoXJungwoo SFH Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/629rkeb2aOZGivxbOZtD1V?si=UEt6bwZjTTCnj3KiS8sRFg&pi=u-0hbm4T-hSRmh

Johnlock Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5FQcrmLVlmLw5hK4PHlNbm?si=22Yt14mrSXyfTTvZN-dWsw&pi=u-HaXVuA4bTc2x

JuwonXDongshik BE Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1CCdkdJnhPFGRSNsdEPDgV?si=lJQpUXWoThyP4QeKDkzuFg&pi=u-2-ueYj5xSOOs

This is my legacy

[dunadaan]

i'm thinking about the time 4 years ago when i was rping with a girl and we shipped blackwall from da:i and créa and it was fun until her personal life exploded and ended our friendship. and right in the middle of that i had gotten a commission of our characters...and by the time the sketch came back from the artisti was like. welp. i dont even talk to that person anymore. but ill still pay you for this commission bc you worked hard on it and it really is beautiful

so now i have this really pretty commission for a ship i dont even ship anymore and have never posted anywhere LMFAO

[electoons]

how you know the ship is good and true

[peacockrulz]

youre so right about narration!! i could go on all day really, its the biggest thing for me that takes a fic from good to great, especially with characters like j- characters with a persona of sorts, characters that lie to themselves or are in denial, or characters with a lot they need to sort through, and j is sort of all three in some capacity. i cannot wait for hostile takeover to update! if you ever decide to try writing a fic id love to give it a read! ive noticed you have a lot of interesting ideas about characters and their dynamics through your fanart, something i think could translate to writing well. you also clearly have an understanding of what makes a fic good- though i know from experience its often easier said than done. still, id love to see you try! this is actually my first time rp-ing canon characters, ever. right now im playing j (thanks hostile takeover) in a discord server, though i might try n soon because i reaaallly struggle with characterizing him. ive been roleplaying my whole life really! i started with roblox warrior cats though... im shuddering with you id kill for more dollxn art from you though. no pressure but you get them it seems. its been a while since i listened to final girl but its definitely their song suggestive lyrics or not i hope they die and go to robo-hell together <3 - juzi anon

*sigh* putting this under a readmore because HOO BOY did I maybe went full analyzer on this one. thanks for your time Juzi Anon <3

I've read alotta fics in my time on the internet and honestly? I don't think I've ever read a fic that hooked me on a character narration quite like Hostile Takeover's J. J's awareness of every part of what shes doing and how shes doing it makes it even more subtle when you realize that despite all of that, she has so little awareness over what she thinks. Like she doesn't question it. Uzi's narration makes a point to show how she censors her own thoughts, she doesn't allow her mind to wander to certain parts of the past, shes completely aware of how some thoughts sound and decides against saying it all together. Meanwhile, J will go on and on about how much better the job would be without V's constant talking back and N's inability to do anything right, and in the same paragraph be constantly thinking about the argument with V, and what got V so messed up to begin with. J is like a rock, a precipice of confidence. But the moments where she doesn't know what to do, (like when she thought she was going to die in that church tower from the rising sun) its almost like she has to put on appearances even in a moment where shes completely panic-ed, that she still somehow has to pretend she knows what shes doing, even with no one around. Its why the fic made me rethink J in general, I've loved J for while but Hostile Takeover was the first time I actually was able to SEE what J could be as a character story. It really puts into perspective how important narration can be in telling a damn good story. (Sorry this became a J paragraph. I could analyze fics for the rest of my life and be happy lol)

Haha maybe one day I'll finally sit down and write. I'm not really the greatest at translating my thoughts to text, for some reason its easier for me to illustrate my feelings about a character then to write it out. The only reason I can draw fanart like that is because I analyze these characters to death lol. Looking at all the angles of two characters and then asking the question of 'what would it take for them to be on friendly terms' is a pass time I indulge it frequently!!!! Thats why I like rarepairs, sometimes they're dynamics are alot more unique than most, even if they're 2 characters that have never once canonically interacted (which is my favorite. Alot more creative thinking with that one yknow?) Still, maybe I'll get to it :O (prolly would practice writing analysis post first. because I always have to stop myself from doing it on other posts XP)

I've also grew up on roleplaying (my brother is into roleplaying and that got me started on it lol) used to roleplay on roblox even before I could read (which. isn't a joke actually. who gives a 5 year old unrestricted internet access???) funnily enough I can't even say I ever completely grew out of it, I still visit alot of roleplay maps on roblox (including WCUE!! never actually roleplayed there but I think its fun to spec) but mainly I used to roleplay on animal-based mmos like FeralHeart in my younger days.

Iffff,,, I could say anything about N's character,,, to hopefully help inspire some ability to write him (and sorry this gets its own paragraph) I would probably say that he is a very self-destructively selfless person, whos never gotten over anything or anyone in his life (I.e when V was in stasis during their time in the manor, N constantly visited her and would draw pictures of the two of them together ((as lizards)) and is kinda implied to have been reading books to her during this time. Even after getting 'digitally lobotomized', while N couldn't exactly remember V as he knew her back then, he still carried that affection he had for her all that time ago. He never stopped caring about V, even when he forgot) while I wouldn't describe N as in anyway 'innocent' or 'naive', N still has a habit of unconditionally caring about pretty much anybody lol. He had like, what, a 27 minute conversation with Uzi? And while it wasn't enough to completely convince him, it still was something that made him hesitate ("I really enjoyed our time together,"). And while I'm here (having mentioned Uzi) I would also say N is a very lonely character, seeing as he was often belittled by his peers (J) or in some cases completely ignored (V, but she had her reasons and thats a different discussion) a funny part of N's character is just how much he IS like Uzi. A person completely isolated by his kind because of how he is, who was never given an explanation as to why, why everyone is so oddly cruel to him. The biggest difference though being that N never fought it, he completely accepted getting knocked around if it meant he could stick around. It took someone else to point out how fucked his situation was to make him think twice about it. Uzi is the type of character to go down kicking screaming and punching(asterisk but thats also a different discussion), and N, despite being in such a similar place to her, isn't that kind of guy. While I wouldn't say N is the type to take everything lying down, there is something to say about just how much he is willing to take before getting angry, yknow? Overall, I think N is a very loving, loyal-to-a-fault, kinda guy, but his compassion for those around him is often times the reason he gets so tunnel-visioned in the first place (i.e causing explosions and throwing rocks and debris everywhere in a mass, angry panic, trying to go save V.) and its why he is so willing to get himself hurt in the first place. ("I really enjoyed our time together, but I can't have you shooting V with that thing.") (Or yknow, cutting his arm off, but thats alot less selfless-ness and alot more self destruction) His patience and understanding is one of his biggest strengths and somehow always the reason he gets hurt. Basically I think he need to go a lil insane as a treat.

((Oh its also good to note that his unconditional love for everyone around him is also the only reason why he has lived this far to begin with (the characters this includes: V, Uzi, AND Cyn.)))

I also think the above, is the reason why I enjoy NxDoll so much. it takes SO MUCH for him to hate someone and yet Doll did the one thing that would make him do it (hurting someone he cares about the most). I just knoooowwww if they saw eachother in that church it would've been ON. That fight would've taken out the whole god damn BUILDING. it would be two people fighting for the exact same fkcing reason!!! REVENGE!!! the horrible chain of trauma contuines with them!!! killing one will only leave the other with what remains!!!! And yet I also see them as two people who would really benefit from being on friendlier terms. Both becasue N's softness is just not something we ever see Doll treated with, and because Doll's avocation for justice might just be the thing N needs to get a god damn backbone for once and earn himself some self-appreciation.

But I also think its more fun when its enemies AND lovers.

They should make eachother worse <3

[sorrygotthesesacks]

Sometimes I look at my works on AO3 and think "I don't remember writing that" but then I'm like. "oh WAIT, yes I do remember writing that JJBA/hypmic crossover for FugoNara Week last year - how could I possibly forget such a thing exists?"

[supatroopa]

Girl send help I'm struggling, the disventure camp all stars is doing the thing where the relationship drama is the focal point and I am not having it put the blorbos in a blender not a miscommunication plot

[nattvingen]

*Kneels down to touch the dry earth* This land is ancient... And yet, parched dry as it is, there is life, still.

(Breaking: Local Opossum remembers that ff.net still exists in the year of a lord 2023 and there could be new or old fics of repute on there that aren't on AO3, though I really don't understand why. It told me to get my teeth checked. In Louisiana. Discounted, y'know, for Christmas. I'm in Sweden so I won't be doing that but I suppose that means my aggressive adblocking works. Anyway, I super don't remember how to navigate this damned site anymore and it is a wretched, wretched place at any rate, and yet I persist. Thots and preyers pls.)

[tarysande]

The best part about coming back to the source material after a looooong time is you sorta get a fresh look at canon in comparison to whatever the dominant strains of fanon have become. Or, in fact, whatever your own dominant strains of headcanon have become.

I mean, yes, Garrus “I’m not a good turian” Vakarian gets infinitely cooler (and more competent!) by pretty much every metric as the storyline progresses. He does. But fresh out of ME1 and into ME2 through his recruitment, I find myself genuinely amused by how thin the veneer of badass is over a pretty dominant core of straight-up nerd sprinkled with idealism mixed with self-doubt.

When you have Garrus in the squad all the time (and thus get all his ambient dialogue and remarks), you really pick up on the number of times he calls out bad behavior, unethical actions, cruelty, and rule-breaking, especially in ME1.

He’s not actually a hothead who can’t abide rules of any kind. In fact, most of the time he’s pretty pro-law-and-order, and he gets amusingly hall-monitorish when people are breaking rules he considers important and worth following.

Fundamentally, Garrus chafes when his sense of what is just is at odds with what the authorities do about that injustice (or what they stop him from doing). And I would hazard a guess that the reason his actions seem so intense or harsh or "of course we should have shot down that ship in the middle of the Citadel" is indicative not of his impatience but of the degree to which he thinks the authorities have failed to uphold that justice. We know he can be patient. He's a sniper. His whole modus operandi on Omega is precision kills without civilian casualty. But when that long fuse finally burns down, he goes from zero to shooting down ships in the middle of the Citadel in what looks (from the outside) like a heartbeat.

And yes, injured pride hastens the burning of that fuse; he doesn’t like losing. Or admitting defeat. Or failing.

Having just replayed his recruitment mission, a few things really stood out to me this time.

The merc bands really hate him--and they also reluctantly admire him (he's described as smart, resourceful, dangerous, idealistic, brave, slippery; they all agree they only way they managed to get this far is by isolating him and employing dirty tactics). I mean, there's literally a station-wide announcement that Omega can return to "business as usual" once Archangel is out of the picture because he was disrupting things so completely.

The way Garrus blames himself for the deaths of his squad is so freaking turian. Failure reflects on the leader who places his people in danger they can't handle, not the individual who fails. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Yes, Sidonis betrayed him, but the person Garrus blames the most? Is himself. For trusting Sidonis in the first place. For raising Sidonis to a position where he had the means and opportunity to harm others--and the weakness of character to turn coat, to save his own hide, instead of dying to protect the others.

Garrus mentions more than once that he was trying to emulate Shepard. And his tone always implies that he knows he failed because Shepard would never have let a Sidonis into the fold. Again, he's blaming himself. Like a good turian. Yes, he wanted to avoid the red tape and bureaucracy of C-Sec, but his code--Archangel's code--certainly aligns with Paragon Shepard's morality (with a Garrus Vakarian twist).

And since it wouldn't be meta without adding a Tara's Headcanon Twist ... I've always wondered why "Archangel" when it's such a ... human concept. But this time, when I noticed how he spoke about Shepard's influence, and how quickly he brushes aside the name when she asks him about it, I wondered if it wasn't actually his way of honoring the mythology of the dead woman whose example he was trying to follow. Not that Shepard is a God he's worshiping, but ... there is something about the way he talks about her. Garrus doesn't make himself over in the image of a God, though; he's the soldier, the right hand, the avenging angel responsible for carrying out divine punishments suited and proportional to the crimes committed, the rules broken, the selfishness or cruelty of the perpetrator.