#paladin is also very good

[echotheandroidneko]

I've been thinking a lot about game design in TTRPG's, speciifcally in everyone's favourite dumpster fire 5e, and I've come to the realization that I kinda fucking hate ability scores. Or at least, I hate how 5e does ability scores.

So everyone knows about the martial/caster debate. It's literally been going on since D&D was a thing. Linear Fighter, Quadratic Wizard etc. etc. etc. And sure, spellcasting is incredibly potent. No doubt about that. The fact that you get a class feature that is actuall 16-20 class features in a trenchcoat by the time you're done levelling to 20 while the martials are entirely reliant on their GM for even a modicum of that kind of power by getting magic items is fucking bullshit and everyone knows iot. Buuuut, the thing I see talked about much less in the space is how fucking shafted martials are due to their required ability scores.

Take the skill list in 5e. There are 18 mainline skills in the game. 4 of them use physical ability scores. Three of them are DEX based and one of those is can almost be an outright replacement for the one that uses STR (GM dependant). Add to the fact that martials have a much higher requirement for CON, an ability score that doesn't have any fucking skills attached to it, and you begin to see exactly how fucked martials truley are.

Because the thing is, when I sit down at the table, what I would like for my character to do is have impact. Not just in combat, but on the world as a whole. I'd like from a moment to moment snapshot to have a character that is meaningfully able to contribute in a way that isn't just being a background character granting someone else the help aciton. For spellcasters, they get to do this all of the time. With good spell choices and skills, they're impactful both in and out of combat. They're capable of dishing out comparable damage to a martial and/or controlling the fight to guarentee a strategic victory while also being able to have good chances at succeeding the checks neccessary to progress out of combat (social, information gathering, navigation, etc) but because martials have to invest in STR, DEX and CON in order to be good at the things their class is supposed to be good at, under a standard array/PB they're just much, much worse at everything that doesn't involve hitting things than a spellcaster is.

So, if you're after the fantasy of being a character that uses a sword and doesn't use magic, you're also having to accept the fact that you'll be second fiddle to whatever Bard/Wizard/Sorcerer/Warlock decides to show up if they know even the bare minimum of how to get the most out of their class. Anyway, tl;dr, Rogue is the only non-caster class thats viable for both in and out of combat and Blades in the Dark is a much more elegant solution to how skills work. Or bring back skill ranks, my beloved.

[heybiji]

dande's dying btw

[balleater]

braius being an oath of the ancients paladin brings up a very interesting dynamic going on with its tenets compared to the commandments of asmodeus

[dungeonsandblorbos]

whenever we're playing Curse of Strahd and the DM (my husband) decides it's time to introduce a NPC who is either morally dubious or straight up obviously evil but describes and voices them in such a way that they're clearly super charismatic and/or hot:

[dimension-20-every-introduction]

Everyone Introduced in Dimension 20's Fantasy High: Junior Year episode 16

[bogkeep]

My Original Character Heartsword: sentient sword given a body to control through magical means

T. Kingfisher's novel Swordheart: sword given sentience by having a man bound to it through magical means

[anakinh]

my personal lovm review so far is that I don't mind most of the changes they're doing and I even like a few BUT that they have (so far) done my girl Raishan so dirty. I wanted to see her fight Thordak, goddamn it!

(also Vex was the one who came up with the idea to use Yenk for a vestige and they should've kept her doing that! establish her as a leader! smart! strategic! why is grog doing the planning asjfjsd I made a joke about how it's Travis Willingham breaking through Grog during a typical analysis paralysis section but man I wanted Vex doing it)

[a-drama-addict]

finally sharing my durge <3 meet freyja (she/her) everyone

[justalittlebluetiefling]

Watching The Unsleeping City again because I missed Ricky. I think he’s my favorite Zac character.

[swordmaid]

lolth-sworn society beauty standards must be so crazy and strict tho…. like if the red eyes are a gift from lolth and if not every drow are born with the red eyes I just imagine you’d get ostracised if you’re born with white eyes or purple, like ur not wanted by lolth from birth so ur inherently worthless. in the same vein if you also don’t have white hair then you’re treated as an Other bc you don’t look like everyone else. and I imagine that lolth is THE very definition of their beauty standard so they aspire to look like her, and all the beauty trends and ideals are influenced from her or from her spiders and if there’s anything any feature about yourself that deviates from lolth’s standards then you’re considered as ugly and grotesque.

likewise, I’d imagine the upkeep of beauty is a sort of status symbol because if you manage to keep up with the elaborate outfits and hairstyles without worrying someone is gonna kill you with it it means that you have the luxury to be comfortable. and also the means to afford such things in the first place bc resources in the underdark are pretty limited and gems from the surface needs to be imported and id imagine they’d be more expensive bc it’s already so risky going down the underdark let alone doing trade in menzoberranzan.

like unsure if this an actual thing too but I like the hc so it’s real to Me! But I like the idea that hair is essentially a status symbol towards the drows, and they favour elaborate braids and updos that resembles a spider’s web and cocoon, and a way to punish and shame someone is to cut off their long hair. like imagine if the matriarchs wore gigantic elaborate braided hair with all these head pieces and designs to show off the status of their house and the power they themselves have, and the lesser houses’ braids are much more smaller in comparison. she would have the means to do her hair like that daily because she has designated servants and slaves attending to her needs, and she has the money to afford all sorts of accessories. and the same goes for their clothes too, since silk is a favourite amongst the drows and it’s a pretty difficult fabric to work with. I’d also imagine lace being a highly sought out fabric among them since it’s so delicate and flimsy, and it could easily snag. but the fact that you’re able to wear something fragile as lace is a power play in itself since it’s a show off your own strength and power … kind of like a taunt ?

anyway, this isn’t really going anywhere I’m just typing aloud but I’d imagine in a society where almost everyone’s colouring is similar to each other, where beauty is one of the most infamous traits they’re known to have, and where they claim that red eyes is a gift from the goddess they’re all expect to covet and worship id imagine the beauty standards there are so crazy and toxic lol

[nyxiemania]

Happy father's day to this undead ruler of Thay!

[svampira]

[jacqcrisis]

I've only had Minthara for a day and a half but if anything happened to her, I would kill everyone in this room and then myself

[bright-cloud]

🖤Midnight Crusader🖤

My newest BG3 character: Artorias! A Paladin of Shar 🖤

[protect-namine]

you know, I think neji would enjoy playing dnd. getting to write stories and play characters with no limitations, and having to improv with the other players because he would never have full control of where the story was headed? it would be a dream come true, and also therapeutic. neji would of course be the dm who would "yes and" anything his players want to do. the story would be something everyone has input on and would help shape. an adventure that neji himself couldn't predict or write on his own. also, just imagine him describing his setting and doing all his character voices, he'd love that so much

I think it would be a good exercise for quartz too, because they'd have to make their own characters and backstories and roleplay in character without a script to direct them. especially to kisa "transparent vessel" tachibana, who can act out any character but is afraid of letting herself be seen through them. similarly, kai as well, since he'd be in charge of his own character instead of propping someone else up

on the flip side, fumi would get to enjoy playing a character but not having the pressure to be the lead/spotlight of a story. he's there to play, not perform

sou would also LOVE dnd. I think he'd be really into the character creation and lore, and is probably the next person I can think of who can try being the dm when neji is sick/tired/wants to be a player. he's the player who takes down notes and remembers one small detail neji mentioned four sessions ago that becomes relevant to the current session. neji loves him because sou is the one who appreciates his world building the most

suzu and fumi would instigate so much in the adventure, which neji would love. suzu makes a character everyone loves (like hachipochi) and always brings snacks to the table

fumi has read all of the player handbook, and mitsuki has read maybe a quarter of it (only the relevant parts to his character and how some dice rolls and combat work). mitsuki is also the one who doesn't put much effort into his character's backstory but unexpectedly gets big character development during the adventure, surprising everyone in the table including both the dm and himself

otori is very good at both roleplaying and combat, has created a compelling character, and tries to go on solo adventures but eventually gets roped into the party because he can't adventure alone in neji's setting

[thegoldenavenger]

for the oc doodle I have: Liz was just coming out to herself as a trans girl when she was magically transported to a fantasy world in the body of a small elf druid. Her original body was tall and large, and she's super stoked to be a cute elf girl but also super weirded out to be suddenly small and delicate and everything looks huge and her face and voice have changed suddenly. Meanwhile her best bro Rodrigo was turned into a pink-haired lady tank and he's pissed about it, so Liz doesn't know how to admit she isn't bothered by being "turned into a girl"

isekai is good for gender euphoria