#and I personally dual wielded myself

[localcryptideli]

Dual wielding has been used in multiple places and multiple times in history and it comes with very precise techniques and schools of fighting.

Just one example off the top of my head because I am having bad exhaustion right now but 16th century Naples was very big on rapier+knife as a fighting style, to the point that a lot of HEMA schools that specialize un rapier or italian fighting styles tend to specialize in that too. It's not only practical snd very safe when taught properly, but it was the favourite way of fighting for many people if you lived in the area at that time.

"dual wielding is too dangerous and impractical to be effective in real life combat" dual wielding is cool and sexy and sick as fuck and he who makes his enemy look like a lame little punk ass loser has already won half the battle before he even starts fighting the war. sun tzu said that.

[firestorm09890]

for my entire life I've been so sure that I don't like romance stories and as I'm rereading Hunger Games (I'm on Catching Fire now) I've been dreading getting to the whole Katniss Peeta Gale love triangle situation because ughHHHh but I'm sitting here kicking my feet like a schoolgirl at Katniss being so fixated on little things like Peeta's brushstrokes, the expression he makes when he paints, the way the light catches his eyelashes while all being unaware that she's focusing on these things and being absolutely confused about how she feels, and considering this has happened twice before with two other works maybe I have to reconsider. maybe I do like it when there's a story that's mainly about a whole bunch of other super intense and important shit but also has the main character slowly, imperceptibly grow closer to a friend

[danwhobrowses]

Since Critical Role's big endgame battle has begun (as of ep. 113) and looks to give us a fair handful of Lv. 20 combat across the board with VM and later the Nein - and also since the Omen Archive are yet to do a level up overview for Bell's Hells to Lv. 15 like I expected them to do after ep. 112 - I find myself optimistically and curiously wondering how Bells Hells would shape up should they reach Lv. 20.

Admittedly, I do remain worried about how underleveled they are; I know it's intended since the Hells are the 'underdogs not meant to be in this position' group but still, for comparison Essek debuted at Lv. 15 in C2 and Vox Machina ended their campaign at Lv. 18 when the stakes were slightly lower than what we have with Ludinus, the Vanguard, the Imperium, and Predathos. Still, with nothing we can do but pray they make it out alive - and I hope they do - I've decided to indulge that rare bout of optimism and deep dive into what would their Lv. 20 state look like? While also considering what they may add during this final arc should they level up in between like they did the last time they were on Ruidus.

We're gonna go through each character one by one for this, so I'll start with my favourite (aka the one I wanna talk/ramble the most about).

Ashton is perhaps the easiest endgame build to tell class-wise, it's likely Tal will have them go the full 20 since Grog has already done the Fighter dip and there's not many other multiclasses that can be of a greater benefit to them; the intrigue however with Ashton focuses on the ASI they get at levels 16 and 19, the first one particularly if there's still a level up mid-battle. The obvious route for the first ASI is to get back the CON they lost in the shard incident - which I still find an unfair penalty since they gained nothing from surviving the bold and deemed impossible action, 'your reward is you get to live' doesn't stick with me given that the 10 rolls (well, 9 plus the resurrection ring) are proof of survival anyway - and absorbing Dusk Hunger sadly didn't give back, adding to their DEX instead - which, also kinda stubborn of Matt, adding 1 AC isn't exactly worthy of absorbing a legendary item especially compared to what Orym got with Ishta, they were better off trying to dual wield it if Matt's not gonna give stats that'll suit Ashton's wheelhouse, STR and CON, and let the tank be a tank - so it will likely fall into Tal's hands to get Ashton's stats to where they want them to be. Either way, Ashton's STR and CON are going up if they hit Lv. 20 as pure Barbarian, Primal Champion adds 4 to both and increases their max to 24, so without ASI Ashton will have 22 STR and 20 CON by Lv. 20 anyway, with ASI however Ashton can go 24/22 in either direction - and we can't rule out more absorption in the future, since Legendary loot may be yielded from this endgame battle plus Otohan's Backpack, Zathuda's storage cloak and maybe any other armour from the two could be Legendary items just gathering dust among the group, but if Ashton were to take any of them they'd have to wait a day since the Harness only grants 1 permanent and 1 temporary buff per person, and each person who uses it on the same day risks it breaking by 20%. However, we also can't rule out Ashton taking a feat instead of ASI, it's a slim chance but there are some feats that can be of use for Ashton in general or specifically vs Ludinus; Mage Slayer, Strike of the Giants (Hill or Stone Strike, of the two I'd go for Hill because of it causing the prone condition, which will help Ashton and allies, like Orym with that 1d6 extra Force Damage, stack critical damage), and Great Weapon Master could be powerful if they don't focus on ASI. The Tough feat is always good for being tanky too, but such a feat would likely only be used at the Lv. 19 ASI/Feat domain to get the most out of it. The only other places Ashton can get major potential buffs - outside of any new enchanted items that aren't armour - are from Dunamancy and their Titan powers, but neither have provided a clear opening for improvement as of yet. Ashton hit their final Dunamancy path at Lv. 14, where they got Mark of the Messy End (which compared to Essek getting access to stuff like Reality Break doesn't seem to balance out but I guess Wizards are glass cannons so Dunamancy does more with them), but there is a quiet, lingering mystery over how Potions of Possibility and Luxon Beacons will behave if Ashton and their Dunamancy brain interacts with them, given how they have many potions on hand, in general and gifted to them by the Kryn Dynasty before they met with the Nein, and Ludinus using Luxon Beacons as power sources, there is potential for Ashton's Dunamancy to increase that way - or simply through Matt adding an extra Dunamancy path in place of an ASI/Feat, a Dunamancy-based feat, or swapping Primal Champion with something else. The Titan Form could also improve by level, and I kinda hope it does, it's powerful but given the time limit and Exhaustion it's still below the level of Grog's Titanstone Knuckles in terms of utility, if more power or less limitations are imposed the higher their level it could scale Ashton up further in a similar manner to having a Vestige or, in Orym's case, a Relic of the Red Solstice.

Speaking of Orym, you'd assume that he'll also go for the clean 20, but this is Liam O'Brien we're talking about - he gave Vax a Druid level for his love of Keyleth, so you can't put it past him to add a level in Bard for Dorian. Like Ashton, Orym has 2 ASI waiting for him at levels 16 and 19, due to maxing his DEX - and absorbing Ishta overclocking it (a DEX increase that actually makes sense as a Finesse blade Fighter, adding +1 to AC and attack rolls and a higher DC for enemies to save against superiority die attacks) - Orym has already dipped into feats a lot but could always find room for more. Great Weapon Master, Shield Master, Mage Slayer, and Tough again at level 19 are viable options for Orym and his build, but there's also a unique option of, instead of taking a level in Bard, Magic Initiate: Bard in lieu of Dorian; taking the feat lets him gain the 4th attack Lv. 20 Fighter yields while adding some handy Bard magic such as Friends, Thunderwave, Command, Bane or Cure Wounds - all of which are Level 1 Bard spells. While adding a level in Bard would be a nice gesture, the Magic Initiate feat would probably work better for Orym's build if he wanted to reference his connection to Dorian this way, since he doesn't need 4 extra 1st level spells and he already has a lot of proficiencies and bonuses to cover his rolls anyway, plus he still carries the sending stone if he doesn't want to do either. If he went for ASI, Orym could try to rival Ayden's passive perception by buffing his WIS, but I doubt anybody would hold it against him to be less perceptive than a god. Regardless of ASI and feats, a pure 20 in Fighter does up Orym's lethality immensely, getting a potential 12 attacks with two Action Surges - the second gained in Lv. 17 - in one round (16 attacks if hastened and 17 if hastened and a Time Rage Mark of the Messy End - which I believe allows you to attack with Bonus Actions - is used on an enemy), which would make him an extra efficient killer and protector for combat, which suits his character as well. While multiclassing is an uncommon trait to reference a partner, in Orym's case it's probably moreso cute but unnecessary flavouring.

Adding an element of their partner into their build is something Imogen has done already with decent effect, however. Imogen is another pure 20 likelihood; she has 2 ASI, a Metamagic choice, her final Origin Feature - Warping Implosion: essentially you teleport and anyone within 30 feet will be caught in a gravity fissure - and Sorcerous Restoration - 4 sorcery points restored per short rest - waiting for her at the full 20. As alluded, she already has Laudna influences in the Shadow Touched feat and a vial of her blood in her equipment so she needn't use a feat or a multiclass in further reference to her, which means it comes down to what options she chooses for her ASI/Feats and future skills. With her CHA maxed out already, the two ASI would need to go elsewhere or to feats; War Caster could be used to help her concentration spells, such as the reskinned Hunger of Hadar, Telekinesis, and Investiture of Lightning, unused spells such as her mother's Reverse Gravity, Hold Person, or Globe of Invulnerability, or future 8th-9th level spells such as Dominate Monster, Gate, and Mass Polymorph (turn them all into horses!). Otherwise using one of those ASI to add 1 to INT and WIS will add to saving throws of those stats (+1 for INT and +2 for WIS), she can also remove all her stat negatives by adding an ASI to her STR in place of a feat. Imogen also has options with choosing a final Metamagic from Sorcerer; she has Quickened, Distant, and Twinned Spell already, so the next one needs to also be helpful in combat; the potential of Extended and Transmuted Spell are decent, but Heightened Spell may be the best fit for her - spending 3 Sorcery points to impose disadvantage on a spell save can be very useful when using Imogen's spells such as Psychic Lance, especially against powerful magic users like Ludinus. Going a little extra meta with things, Imogen at Lv. 20 is only going to exist in one-shots or guest appearances - which means short rests aren't likely to faze her as much, also recovering 4 out of a total of 20 Sorcery Points per short rest isn't a lot when you get all of them back after a Long Rest. If Imogen were to pull a swerve and multiclass she could simply sacrifice an ASI for an 18/2 split or just take a 19/1 dip without it doing any negative effect to her current build. Of the multiclassing options, I find that the Tempest Cleric could gel pretty well with her build; connecting her lightning magic and her storm analogies (and her attempt to reach out to the Stormlord) from a narrative perspective, while combat-wise she'd get to use Wrath of the Storm to damage anyone that attacks her (as many times as her WIS, so 1-3 depending on her ASI usage) and, if she goes for the 18/2 split, she can use the class' Channel Divinity to max out a spell's lightning damage - which if used on a 9th Level Lightning Bolt is 76 damage without enhancements! - she also gets some minor healing to add to her repertoire, and with a group without a pure Cleric you can't really have a shortage of players who can heal even if it's a little bit. I can't see any other dip doing her as much benefit, so the full 20 is more likely, even if the maxed out Lightning Bolt would work wonders.

You know who also knows Lightning Bolt? Well, a fair amount of players and NPCs but also Dorian! Let's talk our Boy in Blue - no I did not say 'Blue in Boy' in my head when typing, shush! - he's our last PC likely to be a pure 20 of the group, also because the rest have already multiclassed, but like Imogen there is also the opening for a little bit of multiclassing. The ASI in levels 16 and 19 are probably best put into maxing his CHA stat that's currently at 16, DEX could also go up to 20 for additional Gambolcleft damage but the sword is pretty powerful as it is - it depends if Robbie wants Dorian to focus on Spell or Melee output for stats, but casting is probably the better way to go. Not many feats would help Dorian outside of maybe Tough and War Caster, perhaps Slasher but they do seem like minor additions he can go without, so ASI is likely the best route to take for him. Unlike with Orym where a dip in Bard wouldn't do much good mechanically, Dorian could easily take a dip in Fighter and have it be a solid investment; the Bard's Lv. 20 ability Superior Inspiration only helps if you've used up all of your Inspiration, and as said with Imogen that probably won't come up in a one-shot scenario where Lv. 20 Dorian would likely appear, but by Lv. 19 he will already have added spells from any magic class via his final dip into Magical Secrets - and honestly I have no clue what one he could take because like, all of the spells! Wish is probably the go-to one but Dorian doesn't want anything from the gods so maybe not? - and he'll already have a 9th level spell slot from earlier levels. A 1-level dip in Fighter can give Dorian Second Wind for some self-healing and another Fighting Style to choose from: either Superior Technique - like Orym has - or Duelist would suit best, and if Robbie sacrifices an ASI he can go up to a 2nd level for Action Surge, which is handy should he focus on melee. There aren't many other 1-level dips that would suit Dorian narratively, there was probably Warlock potential in EXU: Prime when the crown was in play but since, again, the group lacks a pure healer, Dorian is probably better off investing his stats and skills towards Bard spells - which in turn bolsters DPS as well as healing.

From one Bard/DPS healer to another, Braius debuted with some pretty high stats to begin with, with only WIS being a negative modifier. As a 12/3 multiclass he can go a few different directions - much like his character arc and selection of deity - but it leaves him at a crossroads - also like his character arc. The 12 levels in Oath of the Ancients Paladin means he's locked out of getting Bard's Magical Secrets, if he maxes out his remaining levels in Bard he gets 2 ASI, a College of Tragedy feature (make crits be at rolls 18, 19 and 20 after an ally is hit with a crit plus a '+10 on a roll but a -10 penalty on the next' skill), Countercharm, and his Bardic Inspiration dice will go up to 1d8, but all of those are kinda covered by Dorian's higher level Bard class and Ashton's Mark of the Messy End while in Luck Rage to a higher or better extent. The 3 levels in Bard however has locked Braius out of Paladin's Aura improvements and the big Elder Champion buff, which is a big loss, if maxed out in Paladin they'll get Cleansing Touch - end a spell on yourself or anyone you can touch as many times as your CHA, one ASI, a 5th level spell slot (handy for Banishing Smite, Circle of Power, Destructive Wave, and Summon Celestial), and Undying Sentinel - which is just a once-a-long-rest Relentless Rage with no CON save. Build-wise, it would be best for Braius to go one of three different paths; either go for a 15/5 split - so no 5th level spell but he gets 1 ASI, Undying Sentinel, and Font of Inspiration for the 1d8 inspiration - a 14/6 split - where we swap Undying Sentinel for the college feature, or go the unique path and add a third class - while the 5th level spell slot has powerful spells Braius' combat is much more melee-based so it is a less likely option. A 14/3/3 triple split sacrifices his ASI/feats but 3 levels in Fighter gives him another Fighting Style, Action Surge, Second Wind, and a Fighter subclass to add to his combat prowess. One unlikely Fighter subclass that could suit Braius is the Rune Knight; with 3 levels Braius will have access to 2 runes, which can be tied to his character's artistry, to add to his gear - the Fire and Cloud Runes being the most useful to him from what I see - they would also get Giant's Might as a skill for an extra 1d6 of damage once per turn. Fighter isn't the only class Braius can benefit from though; he would only need to dip 2 levels in Cleric or Druid to gain their subclass-based abilities; a Shepherd Druid would give the group a slight benefit with the Hawk Spirit skill, using a reaction to attack with advantage and having advantage on perception checks, but similar to Imogen he'd probably benefit a bit more from dipping into Cleric - particularly Grave, War, Ambition, and Peace Domain Clerics, who each have abilities that can further empower him. A dip in Barbarian would be handy for Danger Sense - not so much Rage because you can't use spells - maybe opting for the Zealot path subclass, which also suits narratively, for an extra 1d6 damage, or a dip in the Monster Hunter Ranger to aid in picking out weaknesses. A 12/4/4 split could also work, forgoing Cleansing Touch to grant Braius 2 ASI or feats if Sam wanted them; with that they can balance their WIS to 10 and then max out their CHA and another +1 elsewhere, or just do a feat like Fey Touched - since he was touched plenty by a Fey Hag all across her manor - to max the CHA and gain a spell like Hunter's Mark to aid in combat.

Speaking of Hunters, Chetney may not have been designed to survive the campaign but with Travis rolling the fatal 0 when playing as Grog that old man is still, somehow, kicking. If Travis doesn't pull a Bertrand and allows him to continue defying the odds and live to Lv. 20, Chetney would be in a similar position to Braius - having gone the Tealeaf route and locked himself out of the full 20 in Blood Hunter by having a dip in Rogue - in being in a crossroads of classes. If he invests his remaining levels in Blood Hunter to 19, he still gets a lot from the class; 2 Order Features (advantages on bloodlust saving throws and on any branded creature, then unlimited hybrid transformations on the next feature), 2 ASI, and an extra Blood Maledict. Chetney's 1-level dip in Rogue however means he could also invest into any Rogue subclass for a 17/3 split (or a 16/4 split if he sacrifices a Blood Maledict for 2 ASI over one) instead; Assassin would help his damage output especially since he likes going Invisible, but the Revived subclass would be funny implying that he died but miraculously came back and no longer needed to risk dying in his sleep because he doesn't need to sleep anymore. Chet could also triple class like we suggested with Braius; 3-5 levels in Artificer - since he's a toymaker his toys can be infused beyond the enchanted distractions, going for the Armorer subclass can also be handy for the Thunder Gauntlets ability too, 2 levels in Fighter - for Action Surge, 2-4 levels in Monk - which has decent potential if his chisel is made a dedicated weapon plus the possible boons from Kensei, Mercy, or Open Hand paths, or even 3 levels in Ranger - where Hunter, Gloom Stalker, and Monster Slayer subclasses each have skills that could help Chet in combat, can all be seen as options, but it can also run the risk of being overcomplicated. Despite a Feat sidestepping Chet losing control in his Hybrid Form, logic says that Chet would likely stick with the 19/1 route since the feat only imposes a disadvantage against losing control and he can still do collateral damage, character-wise he'd likely want to keep his Lycanthropy on lock as much as he can. Plus, going to 19 Blood Hunter levels yields unlimited transformations and the second ASI hits at Lv. 19; with the two ASI - which he cannot get from triple classing - he can max out his STR and buff up his CON, DEX, and/or CHA for any additional bonuses, he has no negative stats so any are fair game. I don't see any feats that'd be too helpful, but outside of AC or DC boosts from increasing CON or DEX, upping CHA could also help with persuasion and being persuasive and tricksy.

Persuasive and Tricksy are some of many words you can use to define Fearne, who is also a Rogue multiclass. Her current 10/5 with Wildfire Druid as the majority allows her some wiggle room for her to go a few different directions. The 5 levels in Rogue have locked her out of a second ASI in Druid, the timeless body (not really a big deal for a fey), additional Wild Shape perks, and the 9th Level Spell Slot though, but if she invests only into Druid levels for the full 15 she does still gain one ASI and her Wildfire Feature 'Blazing Revival' - where once per long rest Mister can sacrifice himself (I don't think it's a permadeath sacrifice just like an 'off the board until resummoned' sacrifice) to revive her to half HP if she's downed - alongside a 6th, 7th and 8th level spell slot. If she goes for an even spread of 10 levels each with Rogue's Arcane Trickster however, she gains 2 ASI, 2 more proficiencies, Evasion, Magical Ambush, and a few more lower level spells. Both have valid directions - and as much as Fearne is a 'collector' I think a third class probably won't suit her and will perplex Ashley further - for her character even with mixing the level splits; a 12/8 split will grant her 2 ASI and a 6th level spell slot, while a 14/6 split grants one ASI, a 6th and 7th level spell slot, the Blazing Revival, and 2 proficiencies. Since Fearne doesn't do many sneak attacks and uses her Rogue abilities more for pickpocketing, it would probably be sensible to lean more towards Druid; a 15/5 split if she wants that 8th level spell slot for Sunburst, Incendiary Cloud, or Feeblemind, but a 14/6 split if she can do without - Plane Shift could narratively be on her radar so she can travel to the Feywild as she pleases, but Fire Storm is still a mighty 7th level spell that can be additionally buffed by her titan form which as mentioned with Ashton could also potentially scale up with levels - would give her more stuff to work with, plus extra Druid Levels buffs up Mister's health so he could be looking at 75-80 total HP (5+(Druid Level x 5)) depending on whether Fearne goes level 14 or 15. Since Fearne took War Caster already from her last level and her WIS is already maxed out, ASI to CON could be looked into to add health, AC, and DC, while also improving her chances at holding concentration for her saving throws, alternatively she can up her DEX to improve her pickpocketing so she can finally claim one of those eggs, since she's tragically 0-2 on that. Feat-wise, there is still the Elemental Adept: Fire feat to bypass enemy resistances to Fire too, lots of enemies will have Fire Resistance after all, so if she doesn't want to use ASI there is still that to use it on. So level-wise there is some wiggle room but class-wise she is better off picking one to focus on.

Our final member of the Hells Laudna has already picked her focused class; on a 12/3 Sorlock with her patron bound to a soul anchor - get fucked Delilah - she has implied to go pure Sorcerer from herein. Marisha has previously stated that she saw no gain in any more Warlock levels even when Delilah was still active and while a 6th level in Warlock would grant her an ASI at Lv.4 and unlocks Grave Touched - change damage to Necrotic plus 1 extra damage die when in Form of Dread, which is pretty solid - it does indeed suit narratively for Laudna to avoid more Warlock levels. The 3 levels she has gained from Warlock though have (war)locked her out of her final Sorcery feature of Umbral Form - which would've made her resistant to everything but Force and Radiant Damage, so like Braius' Primal Champion it's quite the loss - but she still looks to get Shadow Walk which aids her mobility, providing that there's darkness or shadows in the vicinity, as well as one ASI and another Metamagic option by continuing the Sorcerer's path, not to mention a dangerous 9th level spell slot. Unlike Imogen, Laudna opted for Empowered Spell in her current Metamagics alongside Quickened and Twinned, doing Heightened or Transmuted probably wouldn't suit Laudna like it does her partner though. Instead, Careful Spell could be a good choice for Laudna since her CHA is maxed out, so she could pick 5 creatures to auto-succeed a saving throw to a spell she sends, but since she doesn't have many AoE spells Extended Spell may be the better fit to keep up concentration on spells like Animate Objects, Mirror Image, or any future powerful concentration spells she'll have access to like Eyebite, Globe of Invulnerability, Reverse Gravity, or Blade of Disaster - which Delilah used pretty effectively in Aeor - ongoing. Even so, the one ASI remains; the Amulet of Health puts her CON to a fixed 19 so if she added one CON it'd be 16 without attunement, which is still pretty good but worthless if she just keeps using the amulet, she could put +1 in her woeful STR so it's a -2 rather than -3, or opt for feats such as War Caster - for those powerful concentration spells - or another Eldritch Invocation with Eldritch Adept, such as Armor of Shadows or Eldritch Spear, which may be more fitting for her fun scary nature.

And that's all of them, for a TL/DR I expect Ashton, Orym, Dorian and Imogen to do the pure 20 for their classes, while Chetney will go 19/1, Braius and Fearne go 14/6, and Laudna goes 17/3. But if it were me, the only ones I'd adjust from those would be Dorian (19/1, adding Fighter), Imogen (18/2, adding Tempest Cleric), and Braius (14/3/3, adding Rune Knight Fighter) just from a meta/fun perspective. Either way I'll just be happy to see them make Level 20, so fingers and every other digit I have stay crossed for whichever route they choose.

[ahsokasupremacy]

Alright, here are my Top Ten funniest guesses (+1 that I bet nobody ELSE will guess) for who Inquisitor Marrok actually is!

You are most welcome to correct me or let me know who YOU think is most probable.

And just to challenge myself, I’m NOT putting Ezra. Because that would be too obvious.

1. Barriss Offee

I’m serious when I say that this is probably the most likely.

We know that she is a very important character in Ahsoka’s life, the writers could be trying to mislead us into thinking that the Force User is a man when really we have no confirmation that they are. Plus Dave Filoni has said in interviews that he refused to have the character make cameos just because he wanted to save her for later. Also, many people already speculated that Barriss became an Inquisitor after Order 66, explaining the double-sided Inquisitor lightsaber.

2. Darth Maul

Their build is a little too skinny for Darth Maul, and also wow, he must really be getting up there. And also, he died in Rebels. But when has that really ever stopped Disney from resurrecting him? I just think they should keep bringing him back. For the bit. I want the opening scroll for the upcoming Daisy Ridley movie to contain the words “Somehow, Darth Maul returned…”

3. Bo Katan

I highly doubt this because her character arc on the Mandalorian is already concluded, but I can kinda see her doing this as like, a side gig. Homegirl is probably broke from paying off Mandalore’s restoration fees. She’s not a Force User unfortunately, but when has that ever stopped her? I like to believe that Bo Katan simply woke up one day and decided to be Force Sensitive and it all kinda worked out for her somehow.

4. Lux Bonteri

If this is the option David Filoni is going with, BOOO. Yet another character who isn’t Force Sensitive. If you really think about it, Dave Filoni probably wants to include someone with an important history with Ahsoka, someone close to her that she held dear and that betrayed her and that she still has lingering feelings for.

Well actually that person is Barriss, and yknow, she kinda went MIA. Sooo the next best thing we could get is Lux, I guess!

5. Anakin (Force Ghost)

Daaaad, what are you doing here?

Well, the ghosts of Obi-Wan and Yoda told him to fuck off and get a job. So here he is. He’s putting in the work! He’s logging onto his Zoom! Ahsoka is gonna be sooo surprised when he finally takes off the mask and reveals it was him along. Just you wait! It’s gonna be so funny!

6. Korkie Kryze

Now we’re really starting to get big brained here.

In Legends, we have Jacen Solo. In the sequels, we have Kylo Ren.

But in the Brand New Republic era? Hark, a new villain arises. Korkie is embittered about being left behind and forgotten by his biological parents, Satine and Obi-Wan. And now he is out for revenge against all the Force Users and Mandalorians who abandoned him. Mwahahaha. We should’ve known he would turn out like this, he’s a ginger after all.

7. Ventress

This would technically make Dark Disciple non-canon? But I don't think Dave Filoni cares, considering he hilariously made the Ahsoka novel non-canon. Ventress is obviously very powerful and capable of dual-wielding and she would make a great candidate for an Inquisitor. Plus her and Morgan Elsbeth are both former Nightsisters so points for rapport.

8. Anakin’s Evil Clone

Hey, I mean Palpatine HAD to start somewhere, right? He didn’t just create Snoke without practice. I like to think he tried making a second Anakin at first, only to discover that Clonakin was a huge pain in the ass and doesn’t wanna follow orders just sit on the couch all day eating the space equivalent of Hot Cheetos.

9. Cal Kestis but he’s evil now

This one pretty much goes against everything we know about Cal but hey, I’ll take a live action Cal cameo any day now. I’ve been on the frontlines defending my babygirl Anakin since day one, don’t even try to lecture me about the ethics of stanning Darksider Cal.

9. Mara Jade

OK no more messing around!! I'm serious this time!

EVERYONE LISTEN CLOSELY!

I think the reason why Dave hasn't made any references to Eli, or Ar'alani, or Vahnya must be because he grew up on the 80s Legends trilogy (not the canon trilogy). Whenever Thrawn is mentioned, there is a direct reference to Heir to the Empire. The same novel where Mara Jade is introduced as the Hand of the Emperor. Coincidence? I think not! Obviously, this must be part of Dave Filoni's master plan to softlaunch the upcoming top secret Thrawn series adaptation.

10. Starkiller

My only real proof is that his name (Marek, Marrok) kinda sounds similar?

Making Starkiller canon would create a whole bunch of problems for the Star Wars timeline. I think his origin story is too Mary Sue-y for even Dave Filoni to try and integrate into current canon.

However, it would be interesting to see a showdown between Anakin's two former apprentices. Interesting, but unlikely.

And finally, for my last guess, I will tell you exactly who Marrok REALLY is. Kathleen Kennedy told me personally, so don't get mad at me! She said it, not me!

11. Luuke (the clone Palpatine made out of Luke's dismembered hand)

This is the ONLY correct answer.

Us Timothy Zahn enjoyers know that this was really Luuke all along. I told you, Snoke isn't the first clone that Palpatine made! I imagine he had a lot of downtime and got bored and decided to fuck around, and that's how we got Luuke.

And yes, I would cast Sebastian Stan to play him because I'm petty AF.

[oliolioxenfreewrites]

A Peek into the Nightshade Curse

Here's a first look at Kirjani—I crafted this myself using the Neku app!

Kirjani, the Nightshade Sorceress, is a complex character defined by her deep scars and unyielding determination. Her dual-colored eyes—one a deep red, the other a piercing purple—reflect her internal struggle between vengeance and the remnants of her once-innocent soul. Born from anguish, her past is marred by the violent loss of her village and loved ones. Initially, a healer named Adisa transforms into Kirjani, a sorceress driven by a burning desire for retribution against the corrupt nobility that tore her life apart.

Her connection to the original Nightshade Sorceress, a figure of legend from 786 years ago, serves as both a curse and a source of immense power. The original Nightshade Sorceress was betrayed by those she sought to protect, leading to her descent into darkness and the casting of the diabolical Nightshade Curse. This spellbound her to the cycle of vengeance and rebirth every 125 years. This curse passes down to those who inherit her anguish and anger, and Kirjani is the latest to bear this burden.

Kirjani’s struggle is a real doozy. She is not only battling her external enemies but also facing the darkness that threatens to swallow her whole. Talk about a tough gig! She is juggling the powers of the healer she once was with the dark sorcery she now commands. This duality is no joke; her magic can heal wounds just as easily as it can wreak havoc.

Her journey is a rollercoaster of inner turmoil. She is caught between the desire to shield her world from the catastrophic consequences of the Nightshade Sorceress��s full awakening and the burning urge to seek revenge. Kirjani’s path is not merely about retribution; it is about discovering balance in a realm where light and dark are in a constant tug-of-war. Will she rise to be the hero her world desperately needs? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: it is going to be one wild ride.

Kirjani’s transformation is both physical and emotional. Her hair, once dark, has turned a stark platinum, and her attire has shifted from the bright colors of her past to the darker tones that reflect her new identity. Despite the darkness within her, Kirjani still possesses a strong sense of justice, although it is now twisted by her experiences and the power she wields. She masks her pain with cynical humor and uses it as a shield to keep others at bay, but her interactions with her companions, like Rick and Raelin, reveal the remnants of the caring person she once was.

Her relationship with Rick, her first love, is complicated by their shared trauma and his unspoken emotions that linger between them. Kirjani looks at Rick as another piece of her old life that she will do anything to keep; she decides to use the immortality curse on him Rick’s transformation into a Shadow Walker, a decision made by Kirjani in a moment of desperation, adds another layer of complexity to their dynamic. Kirjani’s actions are driven by a need to protect those she cares about, but she is constantly aware of the line she walks between salvation and damnation.

As the Nightshade Sorceress, Kirjani is a figure of both fear and admiration. Her power is immense, but it comes with the cost of her humanity. Her ultimate goal is to prevent the original Nightshade Sorceress from crossing over into their world, a fate that would bring about global destruction. Kirjani’s journey is one of sacrifice, as she must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her world, even if it means losing herself in the process.

In the end, Kirjani’s story is one of redemption, power, and the struggle to maintain one’s humanity in the face of overwhelming darkness. Her character is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, even when it is bound by the chains of a cursed destiny.

Tag List

@drchenquill @illarian-rambling @kaylinalexanderbooks @leahpardo-pa-potato @slenders1ckn3ss

@somethingclevermahogony @inky-duchess @sassystyl @rotting-moon-writes @highlycosmic

@avaseofpeonies @oc-atelier @ceph-the-ghost-writer @paeliae-occasionally @davycoquette

@unforgettable-sensations @hissorrow22 @boredwritergirl @scorpiothesaint @thewrathoffemalerage

@rirori-jeorgiarn @spookyceph @enne-uni @the-golden-comet @weirdgirlcroix

if anyone is interested in joining or being removed from the list, just let me know in the replies or ask! :)

[darkdemeter]

Child Reader hcs! If S/O was playable, I could imagine her being like some low HP and ATK but speedy rogue-like person due to Strife training her with a knife and stealing items from enemies. She could also be used to crawl small places and be lifted up by War or Strife to reach high spots. And she could even have her own little bag of collecting souls that she uses not for herself but to gain some discounts on amount of Souls the Horsemen would need on upgrades. Such a sweet cinnamon roll! 🥰

CHARACTER CINNAMON GUIDE HER WAY HOME ─ THE GAME HEADCANONS

◤✘DARKSIDERS REQUESTS | CATALOGUE (Platonic!) Strife and War x Female Child!Reader

NOTES ↳ ANON ANON ANOOOOOON! YESSSSSS! OMG I LOVE THIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSS! This is a concept I'm absolutely obsessed with -- that being the reader is a playable character in the Darksiders franchise. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks like this and I finally get to put these ideas into a post! I went a bit crazy with the hcs amount that I had to stop myself.... there is so many ideas I have with this concept alone...

────────────────────────

✘ Nicknamed Cinn/Cinnamon.

✘ Your size is used to your advantage. Being so small, you are able to sneak past enemies (unless their level is higher than yours or they're a boss).

✘ If you have enough skill points put into your stealth, you can also utilise your "Deft Mittens" ability - this ability will morph into "Deft Hands" and then "The Phantom Hand" the higher your level is and the more valuable loot you'll be able to pickpocket from higher level enemies.

✘ You're also quick and have a short but 2 charge evasion sprint ability much like Strife. A very rogue-like build that utilises stealth and the element of surprise. You're armed with a single dagger that can eventually be upgraded to dual wielding through Strife's training.

✘ When War and Strife near a small crawl space, they will beckon you over to have you travel through and reach whatever objective you must accomplish.

✘ If you find a spot you can fit through but it's higher up and out of reach, you can call over either War or Strife to lift you up, your character delivering the voice line, "Uppie!" and you'll be hoisted up.

✘ you have the cutest voice lines... hands down. FACTS.

✘ If your health gets down to 1 point, there is a chance that either War or Strife will use an ability called "Guardian Wings" that flies them to your immediate aid to either block an attack combo or to grant you a healing potion if they have any.

✘ If you lose all your health or are inflicted with a powerful debuff that compells you to be stunned or paralysed while very low on health, this can potentially trigger Chaos and Anarchy for several seconds. If the enemy is downed within a certain time frame, then you will be resurrected without needing to start from your last save point. If not, then you "pass out" and need to load from your last save.

✘ A cute little mid-combat cutscene will occur if you have a healing potion and give it to Strife or War. Yes, you will want to stack up on potions just to see it because it's so cute.

✘ Uhmmmm especially in the genesis type cutscenes -- you are the cutest ray of sunshine. Anything and everything you do is the fucking cutest thing.

✘ You have a very shallow health pool and a weaker attack rate compared to your Horsemen counterparts. This means you will need to be very careful about your strategy going into fights. The more you rest at camp and train your abilities, the stronger you will become.

✘ Eating food at camp grants you buffs.

✘ Tool tip! remember to always search for treasure. Relics found in these chests can be traded into Vulgrim for health upgrades.

✘ If you go to Dis, she can also upgrade your gear and potentially grant you buff if you complete little return quests for her.

✘ Being human has its advantages. You have a passive "tinker" ability that's very weak to begin with but can be upgraded further on with your levelling and your story. This ability allows you to craft useful tools and gadgets.

✘ Dialogue options with Strife and War when you're out and about on your adventures are worth the many playthroughs! You get choices (much like DS2) where you can ask them questions about your surroundings, battle advice and special banters can be triggered in certain places and areas and if you do the hidden misc questlines.

✘ SPOILER HC! You can use the snow sphere given to you by Samael to use as a light source in dark areas. Go to Samael to upgrade this sphere and it can grant you a clairvoyant ability that can either lead you to higher level loot or if you're stuck, show you onto your current objective's path.

✘ You have a little satchel/drawstring bag that has a default number of 5 inventory slots. These can be upgraded at higher levels by Dis OR you can partake in small misc quests by Strife who will teach you the passive ability to increase your inventory space.

✘ You can also collect souls into your little bag that can give discounts for Strife's and War's upgrades on their armor and their abilities.

✘ War can also teach you a few abilities the higher your level is and if you put skill points into your strength but by default, you're role is a close ranged rogue type.

✘ You can choose whichever Horsemen you want to ride with and this gives you control over the movement. There are chase sequences where you can only evade oncoming attacks, but you can learn horseback combat that will allow you to either throw your dagger or cast a spell/ranged gadget.

✘ You can pet and feed Ruin and Mayham. Cause if the developers didn't allow you to do that, then that's just cruel.

✘ When travelling through swampy areas or anywhere that is too dangerous for you to traverse by yourself, you can engage War or Strife and they will carry you across.

[ultimate-sword-showdown]

Welcome to the Ultimate Sword Showdown!

In this poll, the coolest swords in media will battle to the death. Before we begin, let's go over some rules.

What defines a sword?

A sword must have a blade and a hilt--your nunchucks, hammers, and shurikens belong in another tournament.

The blade must be at least 1.5x longer than the hilt--no knives or spears here.

Any sword following these guidelines is welcome--longswords, short swords, broadswords, katanas, or anything else you can think of.

Addendums:

Swords from all media are allowed, including books.

The keyblades from Kingdom Hearts are allowed.

Dual-wielded swords may be submitted together.

Sentient/talking swords are allowed.

Characters who transform into swords are allowed, as long as a sword is their primary form/primary non-humanoid form.

These criteria should cover most edge cases--if you are unsure if a sword counts, you can always submit it anyway, and if I don't think it counts I will simply not include it.

Structure of the form:

The following questions are included on the form, with only series of origin being required to answer.

Name of the sword (e.g. Master Sword, Galaxia, Ludwig's Holy Blade). If the sword does not have a name, leave this box blank and fill in the other boxes to the best of your ability.

Series of origin (e.g. The Legend of Zelda, Kirby, Bloodborne).

Wielder (e.g. Link, Meta Knight, Ludwig). If this sword is wielded by both the player character and another character, specify the other character, as in most video games the player wields the majority of swords encountered in the game. If the sword is passed down from generation to generation a la Vampire Killer, list the family rather than a single person (e.g. Belmont Clan).

Describe the sword. You may describe the physical attributes of the sword, but please also describe the sword's accomplishments as well if possible. If the sword was used to level entire cities, tell me about it. If the sword is imbued with a special power that grants its wielder unique abilities, include that information. I will be including descriptions of all swords in the polls, and detailed descriptions will drastically cut down on the amount of research I have to do myself for this tournament.

Provide a link to a picture of the sword. This once again cuts down on the amount of extra work I have to do for the tournament. If possible please use a picture with the sword isolated (i.e. not held by its wielder). If no such picture is available, I will make do.

A link to the form can be found here.

Structure of the tournament:

I am not sure how long the submission period will last, but it will not be open past April 4th (1 week from now). I may close it early depending on the number of submissions I get. I will warn you 3 hours before closing the form.

After the form is closed I will work on making the bracket. Polls will begin 1-2 days after the bracket is posted.

I will be choosing submissions based not on how many times each sword was submitted but by which swords I personally deem cool enough to enter the bracket. This will be based on a mixture of appearance and accomplishments. Do not complain if your sword did not make it in.

I will limit this to three swords per series. If necessary, prelims will be conducted to determine which swords will make it in.

Rules:

You may submit as many different swords as you would like.

Do not submit the same sword multiple times--this bracket is not based on number of submissions, so this only serves as an annoyance.

Propaganda is allowed and encouraged--send it via reblog on the poll, an ask, or tag me in a separate post.

Be civil. I will not have wars in my tournament. If you do not respect this rule you will be blocked and will not be able to participate in the tournament.

I as the mod am the final call on decisions. I decide what swords make it into the bracket, and I will determine what to do in case of ties or other unusual circumstances. If this does not please you, you...too bad.

Miscellaneous

Mod goes by The Bladesmith, pronouns are they/them.

Tags:

#sword showdown -- all posts related to the sword showdown.

#not sword showdown -- any posts not related to the sword showdown.

#sword showdown polls -- all sword showdown polls.

#sword showdown propaganda -- all propaganda.

#sword showdown updates -- important non-poll posts related to the sword showdown.

#the bladesmith answers -- answered asks.

#the bladesmith speaks -- general posts.

Tagging other tournaments for visibility:

@divine-swag-summit @vg-soundtrack-showdown @blondbitchbeatdown @sapphicshipshowdown @mad-scientist-showdown @failgirl-tournament @anti-canon-trans-showdown @losersbracketofficial

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2024: July Wrap-Up.

This month, I picked my knitting back up with a vengeance, started a Three Sentences Writing Challenge, AND participated in several work-adjacent Social Events (who am I, even), On Top Of accidentally nerfing myself with several brick-like books, so! This little stack isn't half bad. Photos and/or reviews linked below:

ORDINARY MONSTERS - ★★ This was a miss for me, y'all, AND it was a brick, so it took a hot minute to read. I wanted it to be better than it was, but it rambled and wandered Too Much (which, coming from me, you KNOW is bad). Salty also-rambly 1.5k review linked.

IF FOUND, RETURN TO HELL - ★★★½ Way cuter than I was expecting!! I had a good time with the second person. Hugely relatable (which. wild. all things considered.).

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE - ★★★½ Funnier than anticipated, and very readable for something out of the '50s! I see why it's a cornerstone of the (sub)genre. Glad I have a copy on hand now.

THE ACTOR AND THE TARGET - ★★★★★ This Rewired My Brain. It took me three (3) weeks to get through. It was so good. If you're a writer, definitely check this out, 10/10 recommend.

WHEN AMONG CROWS - ★★★½ I checked this out from the library because hardback novellas are Expensive if you're not sure you vibe with the author's style, but I had a good time! Witcher fans should descend on this, I think.

ALWAYS COMING HOME - 76*/618 pages read; will report back later. I asked the People about this one, and the People have Spoken (read: this won my What Do I Read Next Poll), but I may or may not have miscalcuated how many brain cells I have available lately between work and writing, so I may or may not be cutting this with library books. I'll finish it. Eventually. (*asterisk because she keeps referencing Other Pages In Line, and every time she does I jump ahead to read those pages instead and then come back to where I was. I'm dual wielding bookmarks through this tome, it's an Experience™ so far!)

Under the Cut: A Note About ~*★Stars★*~

Historically, I have been Very Bad™ about assigning things Star Ratings, because it's so Vibes Heavy for me and therefore Contingent Upon my Whims. I am refining this as I figure out my wrap up posts (epiphany of this month: I don't like that stars are Odd, because that makes three the midpoint and things are rarely so truly mid for me)(I have hacked my way around this with a ½). Here is, generally, how I conceptualize stars:

★ - This was Bad. I would actively recommend that you do NOT read this one, no redeeming qualities whatsoever, not worth the slog. Save Yourself, It's Too Late For Me. Book goes in the garbage (donate bin).

★★ - This was Not Good. I would not recommend it, but it wasn't a total waste or wash--something in here held my interest/kept my attention/sparked some joy. I will not be rereading this ever. Save Yourself (Or Join Me In Suffering, That Seems Like A Cool Bonding Activity).

★★★ - This was Good/Fine/Okay/Meh. I don't care about this enough to recommend it one way or another. Perfectly serviceable book, held my interest, I probably enjoyed myself (or at least didn't actively loathe the reading). I don't have especially strong feelings. You probably don't need to save yourself from this one--if it sounds like your jam, give it a shot! Just didn't resonate with me particularly powerfully. I probably won't reread this unless I'm after something in particular.

★★★½ - I liked this! I'll probably recommend it if I know it matches someone's vibes or specific requests, but I didn't commit to a star rating on Goodreads. More likely to reread, but not guaranteed.

★★★★ - I really enjoyed this!! I would recommend it (sometimes with caveats about content warnings or such--I tend to like weird fucked up funny shit, and I don't have many hard readerly NO's). Not a perfect book for me by any means, but Very Good. This is something I would reread! Join me!!

★★★★★ - I LOVED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS, IT REWIRED MY BRAIN, WILL RECOMMEND TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE AT THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION (content warning caveats still apply--see 4-star disclaimer). Excellent book, I'll reread it regularly, I'll buy copies for all my friends, I'll try to convince all of Booklr to read it, PLEASE join me!!

[dieselpvnk]

Why don’t you like your least favorite campaign in rw?

Spearmaster is just. I dont like it so bad. Most of this is btw not objective critisism but just stuff I personally don't like for reasons varying from pretty valid to plain stupid.

there' just way too many moments that I find frustrating and not fun. Sure, you could say skill issue and that I should just get better at the game, but

I did this with chaos + enemy randomizer, I make myself suffer in this game for fun and Spearmaster just hits different. (also yes I'm just taking a chance to bring up this screenshot again because I kinda slayed)

random, but this is the only time I get to mention I was so excited at the start of the campaign, just to get upset upon realizing cool new starting region is just Outskirts, the first few rooms made me hope for a mix of Shaded, Drianage and Superstructure kinda region. I guess seeing what's behind the Surv/Monk starting pipe is cool, but I hoped for something different. Also sad you can't go back there.

The mechanic is nice ig, I like killing things, holding two spears is cool ig, but tbh, a pebbles and a spear is even more effective in most situations. The way Spearmaster gets food is pretty cool and very unique, but I do miss munching on corpses. Not having a stomach slot isn't a big deal, until you remember Spearmaster has a bunch of unique lore pearls bc nobody else has access to pre-collapse Moon. Imo it's much much worse than the story pearl.

Speaking of, the story pearl. It's whatever, don't care, prior to Spearmaster I played Hunter bringing both the pearl and the neuron to Moon and it was much more difficult, as Spearmaster I just used a passage. What IS a problem tho, is having to go between iterators back and forth. I wanted to know what Pebbles was talking about, so I went to Moon first, then I had to go to Pebbles to get top surgery, then I had to go back to Moon again to give her the pearl, and then I had to go to Sky Islands, which is also going past Pebbles through the Precipice.

The spawns are brutal, which is not an issue itself, I liked Artificer's camapaign a lot. The issue id that it feels "bullshit" brutal instesd of "challenging" brutal.

The regions are also not something I enjoy. Past Garbage Wastes? Better as Artificer with brief acid immunity and awesome mobility [and high threat level to compensate]. The only really good part is build-a-ladder room. Waterfront facility? It's whatever, and again better as Artificer because I can make shortcuts myself, as a little treat. any wall is scaleable and gap is crossable [unverified information], the Precipice is bad. Tight jumps, no shelters, missing a jump.is very punishing and a lot of threats on top of that. Yes I know you can bring a grappleworm, but I hate them so I'm not doing that. Moon's Underhang? Struts, I believe. Also very fucking bad, just. she has an awful infestation she should get it checked out. The only and only thing that made me get get that awya from me mod and remove spiders. Also it's hard to navigate and it doesn't have enough shelters to compensate. Moon's superstructure? I don't like superstructure regions because zero-g is the worst mechanic every concieved for rain world. also getting food from neurons is annoying. I know I don't have to I can just go through Superstructure in one cycle. but I still hate it.

The lore? Don't give a shit honestly, I was kinda hyped for the broadcasts but then I just didn't care, I was just hoping I can skip them faster. I don't care about iterator drama stfu!!!! Like it's cool and all. in theory. but in reality I really just ended up not caring at all. Call me a fake fan but I wish they just weren't in there or there was a lot less.

Spearmaster is a lot more enjoyable if you disregard the camapign and do whatever. But at that point I'd rather play slugcats I enjoy more anyway. No dual-wield and no unlimited spears isn't a deal breaker

[breachverse]

Breach: Chicago War Zone - WIP Update 13 - 20th of December 2022

What's this? Another update less than a month apart?? Has Christmas come early?!

No, no it hasn't come early… But this update has.

Update 13 has been released! Chapter 2 Part 2 for both routes have started all the way up to the first chance of a downtime. Though you can't hangout with anyone or train your skills, or visit the shop, at least the chapters have started. :sweat_smile:

Breach: Chicago War Zone (Updated)

DEVELOPMENT LOG#13 (20-December-2022)

(B2.1.1.22.12.20)

Alpha - 13

Squashing them bugs and fixing them typos

Added main links to Breach page

Added randomization change option to chapter settings

Added checks display change option to chapter settings

Added maps to Show Stats menu (Look in the phone menu)

Fixed heist planning not sequencing correctly

Started Chapter 2 Part 2 of The AA branch

Started Chapter 2 Part 2 of The FBI branch

Reintroduced dual wield system

Alpha - 13.5

Added route indicators on the Show Stats screen

Added additional lore information in the Show Stats screen

W.I.P.: Chapter 2 Part 2 of The AA branch (23%) W.I.P.: Chapter 2 Part 2 of The FBI branch (23%) W.I.P.: AA Hangout (9%) W.I.P.: AA Store system (25%) W.I.P.: FBI Hangout (9%) W.I.P.: FBI Store system (25%) W.I.P.: Stat screen upgrade (30%) COMPLETED: Chapter 2 Part 1 of The AA branch (100%) COMPLETED: Chapter 2 Part 1 of The FBI branch (100%)

Word Count: 637,822 words including codes (Last update was 593,471)

I personally did not expect to be able to finish another update of this size this quick, but here it is. I've finally gotten most of my affairs in order just in time for Christmas and New Year.

My head and stomach hurts but lately I've been given a ton of motivation to continue writing so, here we are. Around 44 thousand words overall. Not too bad considering it's only a month apart.

There's not really much news, since the last update was only a month ago, but, as for myself personally, I am fine. I'm still dealing with a ton of family issues and trying to juggle work, rest, and self care. But, I think I've found a good balance. I hope…

I did the head count of the hangouts, and, well, there's going to be at least 51 hangouts, if I'm doing 3 hangouts for each character. That is currently 17 total ROs, not including future ones. Also not included are the 3 side jobs for each route (Except the independent route)

So, in total, on top of the main story, which is 16 chapters in total for both The Archangel and the FBI route, PLUS 2 chapters for the Independent route…

Breach: Chicago War Zone will also be getting 51 hangouts with all the different characters, with three hangouts per character (Including the trio). You'll be able to romance 17 characters, as well as go on 6 different side missions to unlock special sets of weapons, armor, and gear at the TWO stores available in the game.

… Yeah, I uh… I've… dug a hole for myself here.

But, it's not like I'm gonna stop writing, so, here we go!

Much love!

---------------------------------------------

Link to the CoG Forums post

I also have a Discord server!

[coruscqte]

Data Bank

Title and Requirements > Details

First Meeting: Greetings. I am Zhenyan, a commander of the Xianzhou Luofu's Cloud Knights. I will be assisting you on your travels through the Luofu.

Greeting: Something new to report? Do tell if you have brought any new intel in for the Knights.

Parting: It seems our time is up for today, and my duty calls. Try not to cause too much trouble on your way out.

About Self: Serving the Cloud Knights: The years have been kinder to me than most, and I am able to continue to serve my purpose to the Knights with my own tactical knowledge. I ...enjoy the day in and day out, truly. To stand in defense of the Luofu is quite fulfilling. I prefer to stay busy.

Chat: Dual Blades: My blades I refer to as my twin flames. I choose not to arm myself with the typical polearm, I feel as if it slows me down when I need to be in the middle of ... well, everything. Why replace them if they have always served me well?

Chat: Journal: The journals are for keeping records easier. My memories are difficult to keep these days, as old as I am my mind is not always fully whole. I choose to reflect upon them.

Hobbies: I fear I am not very entertaining. I enjoy sparring with any ready and willing trainees, and any soldiers that believe they need the help. But truly, a stroll in exalted sanctum is quite nice. The sanctum is beautiful most nights, you can see the stars so well.

Annoyances: Short lived species are always so ... fast-paced. Foxians and long-lived species are slower, enjoy life as it comes, yet every person I have met feels as if they must always be rushing around. I struggle to understand why this is. The decades pass, and so much remains the same.

Something to Share: Do you know how many ways one can disarm a sword-wielding soldier? Quite a few, and each one is more delicate than the next. Twisting an arm, a wrist, taking it all together. Trust me, I know them all.

Knowledge: I am older than most, which means I have seen more than most. How quickly the Luofu has changed in the past century, the people and the places. But, somehow nothing at all has changed. I see the same faces in new people, I see the same events with new traditions. Fascinating, how that works.

About Jing Yuan: The general? I think of him quite highly, he is a capable man just as I am. He is my superior, though in years he is far my junior. (Hums) There is still much we learn from one another.

About Yanqing: Yanqing is as talented as his master, though I believe this confidence gets him into trouble quite often. (Sighs) I wish that he were not as well-spoken and lively as he is. He has taken to believing that just because I share his interest in swords I will support his habit – do not tell Jing Yuan I have added to his collection.

About Fu Xuan: The master diviner I believe does not fully trust me, even after this many years, but if that is how it is, then I respect her wariness. It is not as if I am a particularly good omen.

About Tingyun: The Amicassador is usually the one to attempt to drag me out of my more official duties for treats and I believe what she calls, gossip. I do not understand why she does this.

About Yukong: (Sighs) The things dreams are made of, and when they shatter to nothing but dust, Yukong is an example of how to pick up the pieces. I wish her nothing but the best.

About Sushang: Was I ever that young? (Sighs) Was I ever that reckless?

About Bailu: There is little I understand about the Vidyadhara, but the dragon lady is a very capable healer. Truly, I find myself impressed by her prowess.

About Blade (after Trailblaze Mission "Omniscient Inquiry of Arcana"): Mara, the blessings -- curses -- of Yaoshi take many forms. He is the closest I have come to meeting another facing the same fate. To lose my memories fully or to have them torment me ... I am unsure which one of us is worse off.

About Dan Heng (after Trailblaze Mission "A Dragon Gallant, Its Ocean Distant): For a man feared by so many upon the Luofu, he is but a boy of a handful of years. I suppose no one truly escapes their past, an unfortunate reality. In comparison to many, I am sure he is still ... ah, wet behind the ears.

About Jingliu (after Companion Mission "Clouds Leave No Trace"): The Mara is decisive, precise, gnarled even. Something akin to a blade, the roots of a tree, I am unsurprised how terribly it corrupted her. May she find peace, in what is left of her life.

Eidolon Activation: Learning is not left to the young, for I still set my sights upon it.

Character Ascension: To start is simply to sprout. To continue is to grow.

Max Level Reached: I will never back down, as I am the true master of the self.

Trace Activation: A new blade in my arsenal, I will make use of its strength.

Added to team with Jing Yuan: General, let us stand firm in defending the Luofu. I am forever in your service.

Added to team with Yanqing: Stay close, Lieutenant. Follow my lead, and you just may learn something.

Added to team with Fu Xuan: Master diviner, do you see victory in our future?

Added to team with Yukong: Fear not, Helm Master. Let us sail through the skies together.

Added to a team with Sushang: (Sighs) Do not make this expedition one to report to your superiors, Sushang.

Added to team with Dan Heng - Imbibitor Lunae: (Hums) I do not fear who you were, Imbibitor Lunae. It is who you are, that I must know.

Added to team with Blade: We find ourselves on the same side. Let us walk this road together, so others may not have to.

Added to team with Jingliu: To return from the brink … I would not wish your fate on anyone, Jingliu.

@sundays-wing-piercing + @lesbianbootheng

(lmk if you want me to stop tagging you in zhenyan's updates)

[wearepaladin]

Sending much love to you. It’s always a joy when I see your blog become active again and I love seeing your posts. I hope you’re keeping well

It has been a while since I’ve talked about it or asked you questions in regards to Zagähk- the Goliath oath of the ancients Paladin being played in the campaign I’m running - much has happened and both the player and I are super pleased with his character growth and the things he’s undergone. He’s gone through trials I will detail a bit more below, and come out stronger, more confident, capable, and “has begun to embody the spirit of a great tree- not only shading and protecting others from the harsh storms of evil, but also altering the world around himself to manifest and environment of kindness and growth.”

Having come so far and experienced so much I find myself unsure where to direct Zagähk - what awaits him? How do I challenge him? The party is pretty varied in their moral stances- and there are story beats coming up that will likely bring characters into contention (though maybe not- they endlessly surprise me) Zagähk has undergone Proabably the most personal growth as we head into the second half of the campaign.

So, how do I keep my paladin invested in the story, and continue to make his story interesting, even though he has achieved much and experienced a satisfying level of character growth?

Context:

Zagähk has been through a lot- discovering his god Mirandi was not a true god, being forsaken by her but choosing to turn away from her himself in order to protect the people close to him even as an Oathbreaker.

Wielding powers foreign and sickening to him he fought the embodiment of an Elder Evil seeking to smash one timeline into into another, preventing that evil from gaining a foothold and at the same time learning the origins of Mirandi and her compatriots- the Seven Bonds of Throm Zar.

He connected to the soul of the Veilborn Septarch that has ridden within him since childhood, and that Septarch taught him to embrace the inexorable power of change, and to use it as his own.

He caught the attention of a new god, Resha, the goddess of balance, and swore an oath to become her champion in service of the worlds natural places, his friends and to stand against the existential threats of the Elder Evils hunt his party.

He died, facing down the servants of the Worm Hunger in their plot to obtain an artifact of the Veilborn hidden within an elven Archive. And the Veilborn soul was lost forever to give Zagähk the chance to live again.

He healed the mother tree in the elven city, and is grappling with his reality as no longer having dual souls within him. Standing between his fears and his hopes he is facing the future, ready to fight for what’s important to him

Could have sworn I answered this. Thank you for sharing your work and the continuation of the story.

I can empathize a great deal with it honestly. That lul when you finish one part of your life, and the wind lacks guidance on where to go next.

Frustrating as they are, Lulls have their uses. If nothing else; there is value in introspection. In my case, it led me to realize I was ready to try out a new career in voice overs/audio narration that I’ve been sort of quietly thinking about for years; but now I’m saving money to really buy equipment and training for it and I’m excited to really get into.

Sorry, I’ve made this about me, but I think the same lesson applies. A bit of quiet thought can reveal answers and that has a value all its own.

[beecreeper]

A bit of a self-indulgent ask here, but what are some of your favorite things about your Tavs and Durges? Parts of their design, personalities, little things of yourself you put into them etc? :3c

Uuuuuugh this is such a hard ask to answer because they’re my babies!!! I love so much about them so I’ll try to put things here that I haven’t had the chance to talk about anywhere else.

Putting it all under a cut because it's long

One thing I really like about Briar is her homebrew alcohol hobby, inspired by my real life experience with like four of my friends all getting into homebrewing mead at the same time. A lot of those meads were really good but some of them were uuuuuuhh. Questionable. The point being that I am now very familiar now with the funky microbial taste of partially successful homebrew experiments and I find it delightful imagining that my gross daughter likes that taste specifically.

There’s a BUNCH of myself in Molli because she’s literally a self insert but one aspect that makes me really happy that I never get to talk about it Molli’s brother, Kae! Inspired by my irl brother, Molli’s brother is a trans man who left their hometown they were both still teenagers. He shows up as Molli’s dream guardian, but Molli doesn’t recognize him because the last time she saw him was before his transition! I really like the wibbly wobbly psychic magic implied by the fact that her brother’s form is somehow in her head despite not having seen him like that yet. Molli meets back up with him in Act 3 because he’s working at for the Guild (I just got done playing through that section and I even used a hireling to have him in the party in game!). Something else I think is fun is that his name and his deadname are inspired by my brother’s names but in the opposite direction, so his name is inspired by my brother’s deadname and his deadname is inspired by my brother’s actual name (I ran this by him first and he agrees with me that it’s funny).

One of my favorite little details about Ferox is that he really loves poetry (which is NOT inspired by me at all I hate poetry tbh). He’s not good with words himself, but he really appreciates people who are. He likes to read or (even better) listen to poetry and just chew on the meaning of it or the interplay of the words and whatnot. He’s got a lot of thoughts about it but has a hard time articulating any of them. I think maybe in far off epilogue land I'll have him try his hand at composing his own.

This isn’t so much about Myrala as an oc but I’m excited to play her in game because I’m gonna dedicate myself to roleplaying the one handed thing in game. Like, no dual wielding, no two handed weapons, no long bows, stuff like that. It’s a small detail and probably won’t be toooo relevant since she’s a cleric BUT it makes me happy regardless.

If I’m gonna be perfectly honest one of my favorite details about Poppy is her full name – Porpentina Namethief. I had pulled the name Porpentina from the Harry Potter wiki (this was over ten years ago forgive me 😔) and felt completely Big Brain Moments when I thought of using Poppy as a nickname (imagine my disgust when terf supreme went with “Tina” instead. Even Penny would have been better! But I will die on the hill that Poppy is the clear best nickname for Porpentina.) And her last name is derived from some old homebrew dwarf lore that me and a friend came up with where there’s a dwarven city state thing where your last name is determined by a ceremony where babies are placed in a room with a bunch of metals and minerals and whatever the baby does determined not only their name but their position in society. Names like Goldbiter and Ironbanger and stuff like that. It's her mom's hometown, but Poppy, being raised outside of that city, never got her name there. She visited the city as an adult for a job and went out of her way to steal everything valuable from the naming chamber while she was there, earning her the moniker “Namethief”.

Thanks for the ask! Sorry it took me so long to answer!

[eight-freakin-gids]

A review of Another Crab's Treasure where I also talk about Slay the Princess  

I've finished* playing two very different games recently, and my experiences with them are such that I feel compelled to share my thoughts on them. This is a long post, so here's a Read More.

      The first of these games is Another Crab's Treasure, the indie Souls-like action RPG. I want to preface this by saying I'm not really a negative person by a lot of standards. My friends and family will occasionally joke that I think everything is "fine," and there's some truth in that. I tend not to hold anything to an exceptionally high standard. I am not overly critical of anything that doesn't meet my standards.

      With that in mind, I did not like this game, and I feel bad about that.

      For some background, I got into the Dark Souls series sometime between the releases of Bloodborne and Dark Souls III. I started with Dark Souls II, and had a hard time getting into it (but later revisited and finished it). Contrasted with that, I got really into Bloodborne, and still consider it one of my favorite games of all time. I played Dark Souls III when it came out, and played the Painted World DLC when it came out. However, I didn't play the Ringed City, and I have yet to play any other souls-like after that point. No Sekiro, no Nioh 2, and not even Eldin Ring (despite literally everyone and their dog playing it). I think a big part of this is due to life circumstances. I don't own my own PS4 or PS5, nor do I own a gaming PC. I could only play Bloodborne and Dark Souls III because I lived with my siblings and could conveniently borrow theirs.

      But I also tell you this because there's a chance I'm just not a SoulsBorne guy. I haven't really had the motivation to seek out these titles I've missed. This could explain why I feel the way I do about A.C.T. But at least, I want to be clear I don't need to git gud either.

      So anyway, we get this new Crab Souls on the Switch, and I think that I might as well try it out. 

      Credit where it's due, Another Crab's Treasure crafts a nice world. It's colorful, it's funny, it's charming, and it brings attention to the real-world problem of polluted oceans. But subjectively, I can't say I enjoyed the game very much. To sum up my biggest issue in one word, it's options. I am a player who values decision making in games. I want to express myself through the choices I make, be it narrative decisions or choice of strategy. Another Crab's Treasure didn't make me feel like I had many choices, and those choices I did have didn't feel like they mattered.

      The game invites us to compare it to its inspirations, so I'm going to compare it to Dark Souls III. I like Bloodborne more, but I want to do Crab Game the favor of trying to create a more direct comparison. 

      In Dark Souls III, you immediately begin with the option to choose between one of a few base character options. Each one offers different tools in order to tackle the incoming challenges. After navigating the opening area and defeating the first boss, you are immediately given access to the game's central hub. In addition to anything you find in the opening area, you can buy more weapons, ammo, and consumable items to help you on your way. The options available to you only increase as you continue to play the game. So many weapons, spells, and armor sets at your disposal, free to mix and match to your heart's content.

      When I played Another Crab's Treasure, I felt stifled. You don't get any starting options. You have one weapon. It has two attacks: light and heavy (compared to Dark Souls games, where you usually have light, heavy, fully-charged heavy, dodge attack, roll attack, running attack, and plunging attack at least. None of that even considering the game-specific movesets like Trick Weapons, Weapon Arts, dual wielding, or Power Stancing). Oh, Crab Game has plunging attacks and running attacks, but you have to unlock them in a skill tree after beating the first boss! Yay! Isn't that awesome?

      I think Crab Game's first boss is really when my opinion on it began to sour. They introduce the Shell mechanic to you, and I do not care for it. What little choice for customization the game would have in this system is offset by the inconsistent nature of it. You can never guarantee access to a specific shell, because you're limited to what you can find in the environment. Even something as simple as a preference between Small, Medium, and Heavy is not something you can guarantee. This lack of consistency only gets worse with the introduction of the Umami system. I hoped that acquiring this game's magic system would help ease my pain, but no. Your "spell" (singular) is tied to what shell you're using. Did you like that spell? Too bad, you weren't perfect, and now you have to manage with something else. Why bother even learning what all of the spells do? It's not like you'll have any of them for long.

      But I'm getting ahead of myself. The fact that Shells have durability also bothers me. Blocking feels like a complete waste of time. You move so much slower while blocking (regardless of what your shell's weight is), and you lose effective health even when you successfully guard against an attack. So. Why. Even. Bother? Also, they throw this entire shell system at you immediately before you have to fight the game's first boss. Better figure it out quickly, fucker!

      It took me an appropriate amount of time to beat Crab Game's first boss. I didn't hate the game, but I was having less fun. Progressing from there, you unlock the game's skill tree system before reaching the second boss. But before that, I want to talk about this game's performance issues. I probably didn't do myself any favors by choosing to play the Switch version. The frame rate drops considerably during certain scenes. And I normally don't give two hoots about performance in a game— I love Bloodborne in all of its 30 FPS glory. So when I bring it up here, know that it means I thought it was considerably distracting. 

      So I'm making my way through the corrupted Fort Slacktide en route to boss #2. At this point, the game's map choices became a mixed bag for me. The implementation of the Grappling Hook was intriguing, but ultimately made it feel like a Legend of Zelda item in the worst possible way. Rather than using it as a generalized tool to navigate any obstacle, you only ever use it to overcome a Grappling Hook Obstacle(tm). I have a few other nitpicks with the Fort Slacktide experience, but I'll spare you some of those. This review is long enough as is. I reached the first shortcut for the area, died, and then never figured out how to use that shortcut. This was also the first and only time I lost all of my Microplastics. So after giving up on finding the shortcut, I try to make my way back up through the same path. And then, I get hit and clip through a wall directly to the fort's second shortcut. I'm not going to hold a bug against this game too much, but know that it happened. With that, my time at Fort Slacktide came to a premature and unsatisfying end. I fought the boss and beat it on the first try. Why is this significant? Because I stopped caring. I just mashed dodge and light attack until I won.

      I have yet to make my way to the alluded-to Big City area. Judging by my collection of Corruption Crystals, The Shallows is likely one area out of fourteen. I'll admit I've played a comically small amount of this game. If you argue that I haven't played enough, I don't think I'll disagree with you. Maybe all of my problems will be solved if only I go a little further, but I don't feel like rolling the dice on that. That doesn't change what I've experienced.

      More than anything, this game has solidified a rule for me: any time a game makes me say aloud "This game is fucking stupid," my enthusiasm for that game is cut in half. 

      Sorry, Another Crab's Treasure. I sincerely hope that I'm in the minority here. I hope your game is the delightful souls-like romp that it looks to be. I hope to give it another chance some other time, but I won't be finishing it now.

      I've written a lot, so I'd like to summarize my points for anyone who doesn't want to read all my hogwash.

Another Crab's Treasure offers considerably less meaningful decisions compared to its contemporaries, and that is in direct conflict with one of my core desires for playing games.

The choices that the game does offer are shallow and come at a slow trickle.

The Switch version has performance issues bad enough that it bothers me, the guy who never cares about game performance so long as the experience is fun.

The systems that set this game apart from its contemporaries (namely, the Shell system) do not serve to improve the game experience for me.

I feel like the game has rewarded me for not engaging with its mechanics. I just did whatever was simplest, and it was the most effective.

I haven't been given any reason to believe that these problems will meaningfully improve if I keep playing.

      Now, I don't intend to talk for long about the other game I played. Partly this is to avoid spoilers, but it's also because I've already written a lot. Above all, I want to leave off on a positive note, so I want to talk about Slay the Princess.

      Slay the Princess is a visual novel. It's a horror story. It's a love story. It's a monochromatic game that features time loops, so how could I, an In Stars and Time enjoyer, not like it?

      I think the biggest reason that I wanted to talk about this game alongside Another Crab's Treasure is to contrast the decision making between the two.

      Slay the Princess, like many other visual novels, features choice of dialog as the primary "game" mechanic. Normally, I enjoy games with complex systems that I can really sink my teeth into. And yet, visual novels are also a favorite of mine. In spite of their simplicity, the impact of your choices is a central pillar to the genre, and that appeals to me greatly.

      This game takes that a step further. It does a thing I love: it makes your decisions matter even when you think that they won't matter. In any given scene, you roughly have two choices: select an "Explore" dialog option, or choose an option that advances the scene. Generally, an Explore option will provide you with new information. Sometimes, it also adds even more dialog options.

      But sometimes, the Explore options will secretly be the options to advance, for better or for worse. Sometimes you can back out, and sometimes you have to live with your decision. I could see that element of the game frustrating some players, but that's the reason why I love it so much. Adding stakes to all dialog invites the player deeper into the role play. You're not just here to mash through all of the text until you reach your next signpost decision. Every line of dialog has consequences, so you need to think carefully. What do you want to say? What do you want to do? Choose carefully. Sometimes, the game will remember your choices even when those choices don't seem like they would have mattered.

      There are a number of other things about this game I adore. It offers an intriguing narrative that had me speculating like a madman, so needless to say I think the story is good. The artwork is gorgeous and haunting at the same time. And, it features the voice talents of Jonathan Sims of The Magnus Archives fame.

      I played this game alongside my younger siblings, and I loved it enough that I will happily revisit it in my own time. 

      If anything I've said here encourages you to try out a new game, than that's a win for me. Maybe you disagree with me about Crab Game. Maybe my reservations about Crab Game give you enough heads-up to better work through it's problems. Or maybe my vague praises of Slay the Princess have piqued your interest. In any case, I hope I can contribute a positive experience to your life.

[lixenn]

For your khr 3.0 questions!! ⚙️, 👻, 🦟 and lastly 🎁!

How late am I to answer my own fucking questions?

Yes.

As you might have guessed I did not prepare answers for my ask game in advance, so this took me ages to get to OTL

Thank you for your patience Momo, have my take on my silly questions:

⚙️You somehow, in some way ended up as a Vongola guardian. Now, what form does your Vongola gear take?

Why me? Why did Reborn drag me into his recruitment scheme 😭😭 I’m just some guy, an innocent lil bean that has done no wrong. Ignore those schmucks chilling in the ditch, they are just taking a nap. …. What? Blood? Nah that’s just ketchup, don’t worry about it, they are fineeee~

Aehm…

Now that I have delivered some nonsense let’s get to the actual questions:

I’m really not a jewellery person, I do have various bracelets, necklaces and some rings but the only jewellery I really wear on a day to day basis are my earrings. I mostly stick to my two trusty hoops and leave the other two holes alone simply because the hoops are the only ones that won’t bug me when I sleep.

So, my Vongola gear will most likely take the form of earrings and since I’m a Cloud (because I wanna be one lmao) I’d say I would have dangling knife earrings, where I can easily take off the knife part (maybe some magnetic mechanism? or simply Vongola gear bullshittery) resize the weapons and then dual wield them in battle. Or if I wanna go distance just throw them at the enemy over and over again because the Propagation property just allows me to duplicate my weapons for as long as I feed them my flames.

(Disclaimer: I have not reread the shimon arc in years and I really don’t have the energy for a research dive rn so I’m taking artistic liberties for how a Vongola gear works)

👻Which KHR character is your spirit animal?

This is an easy one! It’s Fuuta! Simply because I resonate so much with these panels, they speak to my soul:

While I don’t really mind the rain unless it’s storming and I need to go places, the wonky part… I know it’s just a translation but I use “my brain is wonky” so much… Fuuta and I… two sides of the same coin…

As for this one… that line is so fucking accurate. I often get ideas either late at night when I want to sleep, when I’m outside on a walk or even when I meditated recently. And by god if I don’t write the exact sentence down at the moment it comes to me, it will be lost to the void. I might be able to remember the basic premise (which is less likely when I have an idea while half asleep) but the phrasing will be gone unless I note it down. It has caused me much frustration and it’s the reason why I write notes on my walks or sacrifice my sleep at times.

So have this quote from my khr reread: “Fuuta is my spirit animal, my soulmate, my darling babyboy.”

🦟 There's been an "accident" and one of Shamal's mosquitos got you good. What deadly disease are you infected with?

Need… to draw… need… need to write…

Creation so near but yet so far. The longing so overwhelming it borders on obsession, alas no words bring joy, no art brings peace. For I have been struck down with maniac creative block, which compels you into wanting to create with your entire being while at the same time preventing any creation from happening via intense burnout and extreme self-doubt. Thus, eventually leading me into a pit of despair which I won’t be able to dig myself out of. RIP me 😔

🎁 bonk "Fuck!" A box has fallen into your lap. It seems like it can be opened via flames. It could be anything: a weapon, a box animal, random junk or radioactive waste some dipshit sealed away for shit and giggles. It's a ✨ mystery box ✨ What will you do with it?

I stare at the box.

The box doesn’t stare back but that was more based on the lack of eyes than anything else.

It appeared out of nowhere, hitting my head with particular viciousness like spiteful God chucked it into the mortal realm in a rage. One wouldn’t expect that a thing that small could do this much damage but the throbbing pain at the top of my skull suggests otherwise.

Now what to do with a mystery box…

Curiosity gnaws at me.

A normal person would throw this thing into the trash. They would get rid of it and move on with their life. Common sense would tell them to not interact with the box that could contain who knows what and might possibly be cursed.

However, I’m a scientist. I’m a scientist that has been handed a funky new thing, which holds countless possible outcomes in its tiny square body.

Naturally, self-preservation is yeeted out of the nearest window and I’m reaching for my notebook, phone and toolbox.

Time to pick the mystery apart.  

Khr ask game 3.0

[rosymourning]

The Apostate of the Absolute - a Minthara build

"Ready for battle."

Minthara is an Oathbreaker Paladin, smiting enemies with ease. She betrayed Lolth and was discarded by the Absolute, what comes next?

[check out my other builds!]

Gameplay Notes

This is a full class Paladin build, so the main gameplay loop is to hit hard and smite for a bunch of extra damage. As expected, the build has several good options for spellcasting outside of smites as well, with a bit of an added bonus of itemizing towards Poison damage. I chose to keep a mace as the main weapon, largely based on some character consistencies. To be honest, I am not a huge fan of playing paladins, so I’m sure there are a ton of ways for this to be much better than it is.

Stats and Leveling

Final build: Level 12 Oathbreaker Paladin

[see my comments about making/breaking Minthara’s oath below]

Minthara’s (default) stats: STR 16 / DEX 15 / CON 14 / INT 10 / WIS 12 / CHA 17

Level 1 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 1

Level 2 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 2

Fighting Style: Protection

Divine Smite [wow! you’re a paladin now!]

1st Level Spells [Command and Bless are top tier]

Level 3 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 3

Level 4 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 4

Feat: ASI+ DEX>16, CHA>18

Level 5 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 5

Extra Attack

2nd Level Spells

Level 6 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 6

Aura of Protection

Level 7 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 7

Aura of Hate [aka the best Paladin aura ever]

Level 8 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 8

Feat: Savage Attacker

Level 9 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 9

3rd Level Spells

Level 10 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 10

Level 11 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 11

Level 12 - Oathbreaker Paladin Level 12

Feat: ASI+ CHA>20

Items

Armor - Blackguard's Plate (3 Murder Tribunal) [I always loot her armour in Act 1 and give it to Astarion lol]

Melee Weapon -

Xyanyde (1 Goblin Camp) [this has to be looted from Minthara at the Goblin Camp, she won’t have it in Act 2 - it’s not incredible, just cute for her to get her old weapon back]

Handmaiden’s Mace (3 House of Grief) [if you want a sword, use Blackguard’s Sword (3 Murder Tribunal) for the Dazing Smite feature, and instead take ASI+ STR>18 at Level 12]

Shield of the Undevout (3 Murder Tribunal) [I love this shield on Minthara, so once you get it, I think it’s worth dropping the dual wield]

Ranged Weapon - Gontr Mael (3 Steel Watch Foundry) [I try to spread out legendary items amongst the companions, which is why not every build has the Helm of Balduran (lmao), but I think this bow works well for Minthara]

Amulet - Broodmother’s Revenge (1 Emerald Grove)

Helmet - Diadem of Arcane Synergy (1 Creche)

Ring 1 - Poisoner's Ring (2 Moonrise Towers)

Ring 2 - Ring of Mind Shielding (1 Myconid Colony)

Gloves - Blackguard's Gauntlets (3 Murder Tribunal) or Poisoner's Gloves (2 House of Healing) [I genuinely cannot decide, so I will present both options and leave it at that]

Boots - Blackguard's Greaves (3 Murder Tribunal)

Cloak - Derivation Cloak (2 Moonrise Towers)

Lore and Flavor

I gotta be completely honest when I say that I think it is absolutely, entirely ridiculous for Minthara to be an Oath of Vengeance Paladin in this game. Minthara is not fighting the greater evil - she IS the greater evil. Given the options that we have in game, Vengeance is definitely the better option, but I really don’t think it fits her character. So… Oathbreaker it is!

Here’s where it gets weird and metagame-y and immersion breaking, which I am disappointed in myself for… Minthara has to break her oath. Apparently, betraying two gods is not enough. There are a few frustratingly immersion breaking ways to do this, including:

Respec into Oath of the Ancients or Devotion and kill a non-hostile NPC (like Z’rell in her office, for example)

Select an odd, out of character option for the He Who Was quest, forgiving Madeline

Personally, of these decidedly bad options, I’d prioritize option 2, since it doesn’t require a respec. Minthara does have some dialogue absolving herself of guilt for her actions under the Absolute’s influence, so it’s possible forgiving Madeline could make sense for her character. I just don’t know - there isn’t a nice, easy solution.

But I feel strongly that Minthara’s “canon” subclass should be Oathbreaker — strongly enough that I’ll do some janky shit to get there. Because when did Minthara swear an oath for the first time? Surely it would have been during her days serving Lolth. Then she betrayed Lolth and presumably broke her oath. If not then, then maybe she swore an oath to serve the Absolute after being tadpoled which now, under the protection of the Prism, she is turning her back on again. Or maybe, it was intended that she swore to get revenge on the Absolute for abusing her after being set free (which makes a LOT of sense to me… if Oath of Vengeance was actually about getting revenge…). Is it this exact dialogue scene? Is this when she swore her Oath of Vengeance? Regardless, here is the oath she supposedly took:

Fight the Greater Evil. Exerting your wisdom, identify the higher morality in any given instance, and fight for it.

No Mercy for the Wicked. Chasten those who dole out their villainy by wiping their blight from the world forever.

The DND 5e language is similar, but with notable differences:

Fight the Greater Evil. Faced with a choice of fighting my sworn foes or combating a lesser evil, I choose the greater evil.

No Mercy for the Wicked. Ordinary foes might win my mercy, but my sworn enemies do not.

By Any Means Necessary. My qualms can't get in the way of exterminating my foes.

Restitution. If my foes wreak ruin on the world, it is because I failed to stop them. I must help those harmed by their misdeeds.

Most of these paladins end up being Neutral (often Lawful Neutral), because the vibe is very much that they’re doing good things but getting their hands very dirty while doing it. An Oath of Vengeance Paladin with the Cult of the Absolute as their sworn enemy is aiming to kill all the cultists and destroy the Netherbrain… Minthara is very much not trying to do that. She explains her goals very clearly: “In killing Ketheric, we fractured the cult’s leadership. When we break the other Chosen and claim their Netherstones, we can take control… The power of the enslaved elder brain could reshape the world. We could reshape the world… First we take the Netherstones, then the brain, then the world.” To wrap up the conversation, she mentions her oath, clearly expressing that her motivations are tied to it: “We have a purpose and a bond. By my oath, I will fight with you while that purpose holds.”

Like with Shadowheart (who I desperately want to play as a Twilight Domain cleric after she betrays Shar), the actual best subclass for Minthara is simply not an option in the game. Minthara really ought to be an Oath of Conquest paladin. Check out the DND 5e Oath of Conquest, and tell me it doesn’t match perfectly:

Douse the Flame of Hope. It is not enough to merely defeat an enemy in battle. Your victory must be so overwhelming that your enemies’ will to fight is shattered forever. A blade can end a life. Fear can end an empire.

Rule with an Iron Fist. Once you have conquered, tolerate no dissent. Your word is law. Those who obey it shall be favored. Those who defy it shall be punished as an example to all who might follow.

Strength Above All. You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin.

Like… come on. That is Minthara forwards and backwards. (To be clear - she’s definitely trying to get revenge as well, I just think that’s not the primary motivation.) But anyway, Oath of Conquest isn’t an option in game (at least vanilla - there are incredible subclass mods out there for those who are interested) so I don’t totally know why I’m even talking about it. Without that option, Oathbreaker is the way to go. She’s abandoned more gods than most people worship in their lifetime, and the main gameplay features of Oathbreaker are pretty fun to play with (Aura of Hate??? Like come on???)

My last comment is that, I know, I’m building Minthara late game with a mace. What the heck. But here me out - this is a cool and character-appropriate mace! The Handmaiden’s Mace appears in Baldur’s Gate 2 as well, where it’s looted off a Handmaiden of Lolth and has this description:

This mace has been crafted finely by the drow and specially treated to survive the glare of the sun. It was made for surface raids by the subterranean race... and its black metal glistens with a dark poison that seems to be generated from within and causes incredible damage upon a successful impact. The mace seems almost alive and warm to the touch, and slithers away from those whom it does not like... namely drow or those who are similar enough to not make a difference. In the hands of anyone else, the mace becomes mere dead weight.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s looted off Viconia in the Cloister of Sombre Embrace, with a description that references the previous game. Basically, this is a mace originally belonging to a Lolth-sworn drow that ended up with Viconia and eventually back with a Lolth-sworn drow! I think Minthara would be comfortable wielding it (she uses maces to begin with) and is one of a subset of people that actually can (if we go based on the Baldur’s Gate 2 lore). I also like Poison damage on Minthara, because it seems fitting with her drow heritage, but I guess that’s more of a personal vibe check than anything I’ve researched. The other mace is just to generally continue her dual-wielding maces set up until switching to a shield - keeping Xyanyde and giving it back to her once you save her (after she presumably lost it) is adorable, in my opinion.

[check out my build disclaimer for info about how and why I don't min/max or completely optimize builds, prioritizing lore and vibe instead]