#pixelcircus ​aabria

[wrenrix]

watching failed save and aabria just hit me in the feels with the line

‘i’m sorry bora i lose everything i love’

EXCUSE ME? MA’AM? I AM SOBBING. PLEASE

it’s so good and i can’t wait to catch up (two years in the future)

anyways, i don’t know how to tag this so wish me luck

[fangirling-paradise]

Happy 27th Birthday Saige Ryan! ♥️

I hope she's enjoying today. Maybe just relaxing at home during the day. And hanging out with friends at night ✨

[artemissoteira]

something I love about watching Aabria play ttrpgs is her absolute delight in character conflict and specifically characters who insist upon sitting in conflicts of deeply held convictions that don't have an easy resolution.

I feel like in Failed Save alone there are multiple times where both Fess and Chi have interrupted someone (PC and NPC!) who is trying to move past or minimize or make light of a conflict in order to make things easier or more comfortable (spitting over Dew, Amelia, everything about the contract in s6). it's such a cool way to interrupt the assumed 'yes and' / narrative flow of a ttrpg by forcing not just continued focus on a scene, but refocus in the framework of - no, you don't get to be comfortable, the camera isn't going to turn away, we're going to sit with the implications of this conflict and take it seriously even if it's hard because there's something here for us to dig in to, if you'll trust me to do it together and go there together.

I just think it's such a fun approach to this medium of fantasy and creative freedom and shared storytelling, especially in a game like Failed Save that is so over the top and lackadaisical with reality - until it's not, until the characters face something very, very real. and of course the GM has a lot of tools to manipulate that contrast and set up those emotionally intense scenes, which vince does very well, but it's very cool to see a player* using their more limited scope of tools to do the same thing.

I imagine it's a style that not everyone is comfortable with, given the way it challenges cultural expectations around conflict and specifically conflict in improv / ttrpg settings (and coming from a Black woman especially). I think it's not something a player can pull off well without a) an excellent sense of narrative pacing to know when it's appropriate and b) more importantly, a ton of trust at the table, with both other players and the GM. and naturally it's harder for the audience to be certain of the latter when we're watching through a screen and don't have the same context, so I don't think it's an uncomplicated thing by any means.

but god is it marvelous to watch when it lands.

*everyone in the Failed Save cast does this in really interesting ways, actually, but I think Aabria's style is the most overtly challenging to common ttrpg sensibilities and so the most stark. Gina's emotional sneak attacks with Murray and Saige's decidedly unheroic choices for Dasle are also always on my mind but. that's another post entirely lmao.

obligatory plug to go check out Failed Save (and other shows) @PixelCircus on twitch/youtube for high-octane high-chaos ttrpg fun

[pagingdork]

this is random but if ur looking for a live actual play show, I've been getting into Failed Save recently and I'd recommend it. it's just wacky RPG fun with a lot of comedy and heart. Aabria joins in season 2 (which I am currently watching) and they have awesome guests. they stream on twitch, and you can watch episodes there or on YouTube here on the PixelCircus channel.

It might not be your cup of tea, but as far as I can tell there isn't a super huge fan base or anything, so I wanted to boost, I guess.

[dodecademons]

Yall should try watching Salt and Serpent if you like ttrpg content. It's on the PixelCircus channel, Vods are on Twitch (live on sunday) and also uploaded to youtube on wednesday. It's basically gay pirates. It's just queer people everywhere. A story of flirting, sailing, pirates and all around fun. They use the Chaosium d100 system (basic roleplaying: universal game engine). Features some amazing people like gm Kailey Bray, with players Saige Ryan, Surena Marie, Aabria Iyengar, and Rowan Hall (and perhaps some special guests). It currently has 2 episodes out, and I believe it's 4 episodes. Pixel circus also has some other content including Failed Save which is also currently being streamed on twitch with many campaigns available on youtube. I digress, here's a little snippet from episode 1.

[artemissoteira]

ID: thumbnail of a youtube video by PixelCircus with a runtime of 2:42:30. the title is truncated but reads, “Barbie D&D | Aabria Iyengar, Carlos Luna, Saige Ryan, Kailey...” the thumbnail image says “Barbie D&D” in pink barbie script font and features Saige, Aabria, Rachel Seeley, Carlos, and Kailey Bray all wearing different pink outfits. end ID

btw this was a charity stream to raise money for the entertainment community fund (the fundraiser is still open if you want to donate) in explicit support of the strikes!

oh my god YES

[pagesofkenna]

there's a post in the tag about someone wishing to see more Omar in D20 and I agree, but it also reminded me about how a year ago a few RPG streamers I like started Power Play, and I never ended up watching it, and I just recently learned that Omar was in that and I could have seen what an awesome player he was long ago if I just had watched it

and then I got to thinking about how many cool actual plays are out there that don't have the budget that Dimension 20 or Critical Role have, but tell really cool stories with really good players regardless! And a lot of these players deserve recognition, but there's so little space to showcase new players for audiences who only watch D20 or CR

so anyway I compiled a list of every single actual play Omar has been in (at least, those I could find VODs for)

Power Play: actual play of Icons, a silver-age inspired superheroes rpg, hosted by QueueTimes! It's played remotely, about 59 episodes long, and includes several one-shots where (I think?) they play some other game systems as well

The Borros Saga: Banesbreak: actual play of Dungeons and Dragons, hosted by PixelCircus! Played in person, about 12 episodes long, with some one-shot vignettes. Aabria is also a player here!

Monsters and Fables: actual play of Dungeons and Dragons, hosted by the official D&D channel! Played in person, 6 episodes long

Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG: actual play of Dungeons and Dragons, hosted by Hyper RPG! Played in person, about 9 episodes long, and half the time Omar is DMing!

Balboa Cantrip Academy: actual play of Kids on Brooms, a rules-lite magical school rpg, hosted by Hyper RPG! Played remotely, and only 3 episodes long (Episode 2, Episode 3, on Twitch)

Pugmire: Homeword Bound: actual play of Pugmire, a simplified D20 with dogs, hosted by Saving Throw! Played in-person, only 3 episodes long

The Last VHS Store: a 3-episode series hosted by Saving Throw, where Omar GMs a lite D20 system he designed himself! All in-person

Carrier Penguins: a series of 4 one-shots hosted by Saving Throw, playing Lasers and Feelings, an easily hackable lite system. Ep1, Ep2, Ep3, Ep4, all in-person

Oneshots specifically:

Aces in Space charity stream with QueueTimes, playing Blue Shift - remote

The Golden Girls charity stream with PixelCircus, playing Lewd Grannies - remote

The Gauntlet s2e2 with Hyper RPG, playing Pathfinder (Omar later GMs the 8-episode s4) - in-person

Spy Island ep1 with Hyper RPG, playing ?? (an ad-hoc mafia/werewolf rpg) - remote

(And here's just a truncated list of his Saving Throw oneshots, bc there's a lot: Scooby-Doo rpg playing Wildlings, Lasers and Feelings with the Doubleclicks, House of 100 Nightmares GMing Dread, John Wick charity stream playing Lasers and Feelings)

Game the Game (board games instead of tabletops RPGs) with Geek and Sundry, playing Pitchstorm, Aftermath, and Scott Pilgrim - in-person

He was also a campaign guest player in Failed Save c2e3 (D&D, PixelCircus), Damsels, Dice, & Everything Nice s3e2 (D&D, PixelCircus), and Ironkeep Chronicles ep21 (D&D, Saving Throw)

[roll20]

Come Fail Your Saves with Pixel Circus!

Failed Save is the TTRPG show that has it all: chaos, comedy, chat interference...ahem...interactivity...

DM’d by the exhausted Vince Caso, this cast of seasoned TTRPG players and improv comics take the audience on a ride that is filled with laughter, joy, and every now and then, an actual human emotion.

Cast: Saige Ryan, Xander Jeanneret, Aabria Iyengar, Anthony Carboni, Gina DeVivo, and Kailey Bray

Written by Dan of Pixel Circus

Fridays | 6pm PT ( am UTC) | twitch.tv/PixelCircus

Roll20 Presents Recap:

Chaos Initiative found a dragon! It was great. Hang with them Mondays at 1pm PT.

Burn Bryte: After Midnight is in full swing with rescues and mysteries and more! Join them in Olaxis Mondays at 6pm PT.

Indoor Recess got real. Steel yourself, go catch up, and then chill with them Tuesday at 8pm PT.

Balikbayan: Returning Home traverses the fantastical realms of Filipino-inspired cyberpunk. Live every Wednesday at 5pm PT.

Tabletop Tabletalk with GabeJamesGames started with looking at the D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide on Roll20 and spiraled into a chaos of ideas and plans. So, the usual. Catch up on the series over on Youtube.

Follow us on Twitch and YouTube so you don’t miss your favorite Roll20 Presents shows and find new creators.

Help us support Code2040! As a tech company, we are striving towards a more equitable industry and one of the ways we’re doing that is with matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040.

[wrenrix]

i’m now thinking about dis and piper and their love and how piper always respected boats as beings and talked to them and talked to dis and accepted dis as sentient so much that it allowed dis to become sentient.

piper believed so much in the reality of dis, that dis was real, and in turn dis felt a want for the first time and therefore was for the first time

anyways i love them so much and i will never think of anyone else again

[wrenrix]

something something , endless devotion to each other

something something , talking and being heard so much that someone becomes aware

[wrenrix]

another day another day of dis and piper thoughts.

Charybdis, the namesake of Dis.

A ‘monster’ but was not the monster. Charybdis the whirlpool pulling in ships breaking them and pulling them down to the depths to never return.

Dis, a boat who ate and repurposed other boats to make a better one.

fell in love with a half siren.

sirens who lure their prey into the ocean steering ships the wrong way, crashing and breaking them upon the rocks

Piper, a siren by nature, steering Dis through their adventures. Another force of nature that can survive being pulled in.

Two magnets, who’s sakes caused destruction, being magnetised to each other and not causing each other harm. Endlessly protecting each other, unleashing destruction outwards.

[wrenrix]

“I’m sorry Bora, I lose everything I love” - Fess

so when I said it destroyed me, I then decided to draw it and here is a lovely thing i tried to do

[wrenrix]

i need someone to understand how obsessed i have become with pixel circus and, in particular, Salt & Serpent.

because it’s just so good

the characters, the PLAYERS

THE GM

(Aabria Iyengar, Surena Marie, Saige Ryan and Rowan Hall with Kailey Bray as GM)

they’re all so good

and the outfits are beautiful.

everyone is just so good and it’s all so fun and they’re just a little pirate crew who can do no wrong.

also it’s gay. just as an addendum.

just saying, it’s so good, more people need to talk about it and that’s the piece.

[fangirling-paradise]

Saige had a pretty dope 2021! She FINALLY got to meet (in-person) Gina after being in a DND party together for over six months. Meeting Damien 🥰 Looks like they went to multiple costume balls this year, how lovely 💙 Moving to a new house 🏡 Traveling to Italy with her partner 🇮🇹 Just hanging out with her PixelCircus friends. The photo from the wedding episode is making me even more excited for the return of Failed Save! 🤩 2022 has so much to possibly be better but it may be hard to beat 2021 😂

Saige's Instagram (1/1/22)

[fangirling-paradise]

Happy 32nd Birthday Damien Haas! 🎊🎂🎊

Hope he enjoys today. Maybe relaxing at home with his loves 🎂 Spend tomorrow with family/his mom

[fangirling-paradise]

Kailey, Aabria, Saige, & Gina for International Women's Day 👭🏻👭🏻

PixelCircus' Twitter (3/8/22)