#rpg thoughts

[library-of-legion]

I always thought the paladin class was kind of bland, vanilla, and boring. Like many others on forums, I shared the opinion that they were just annoying goody two-shoes. That was until I took a moment to actually read their tenets, especially the Oath of the Ancients:

Kindle the Light: Through your acts of mercy, kindness, and forgiveness, kindle the light of hope in the world, beating back despair.

Shelter the Light: Where there is good, beauty, love, and laughter in the world, stand against the wickedness that would swallow it. Where life flourishes, stand against the forces that would render it barren.

Preserve Your Own Light: Delight in song and laughter, in beauty and art. If you allow the light to die in your own heart, you can't preserve it in the world.

Be the Light: Be a glorious beacon for all who live in despair. Let the light of your joy and courage shine forth in all your deeds.

How beautiful is that? I want to follow these tenets in real life.

The paladin class is about working toward an ideal so strong, so unwavering, that it manifests as magic. Maybe my interpretation isn’t perfect, but thinking about a paladin breaking their oath now feels much sadder. How I choose to see it, an oathbreaker is not a person who accidentally broke a tenant but a person that stop believing in the dream of a better future.

[sunbleachedflys]

What the fuck

[the-gamling-dog]

I love it when powerful NPCs from the early campaign are like "my brother in Christ, no-one else in this world has exceeded level 10, y'all are monstrous oddities."

The sudden isolation for the players, the realisation that there is no Gandalf to deal with the trolls for them... is there any better way to subconsciously process the jolt of ascension into adulthood?

[faithfully-queer]

One thing I like about actually roleplaying in RPGs (video games tbc) is how you might start with a general plan for the character and/or how you'll go through the plot, then something comes along as you play that completes shifts priorities.

Like I was playing Dragon Age Orgins for the umpteenth time, with the Dwarf Noble orgin. The plan was to delay going to orzammar till the end, because returning so soon could be seen as a power play which would create problems. But, while tying up a lose end for one of my companions, I run into an old friend of my character in a rather touching reunion, who informs my character that her father is now dying. So now getting to Orzammar has become the #1 priorty.

Or in Fallout New Vegas, when one ending line of a DLC finally breaks my characters indecision, as she finally sees a solution to the messy war for the mohave. Or with a different character, who was originally supposed to be a little blase about morality in favor of blind fervor in support of NCR, getting a wakeup call from Boone's personal quest about Bitter Springs.

Like these moments are the highlight of any RPG I play, where just one moment changes everything

[gimmickblog-taxonomist]

How do you become a gimmick blog?

step 1: think of a gimmick

step 2: blog

[toaster-boi]

[suntails]

GAME START

[emilostingender]

The duality of lancer players

[criticalamityz]

i'm sorry, i can't tell you

[c-schroed]

If I had a nickel for every time an eldritch universe I love got an RPG announced on an August 1st,

I'd have two nickels.

[dukeofash]

Lancer pilots dressing up their mechs pt 2

[oldschoolfrp]

Albedo is the roleplaying game of furries in a crunchy '80s military sci-fi future setting, based on Steve Gallacci's story "Erma Felna: EDF" from his comic Albedo Anthropomorphics (Thoughts & Images, 1988). Gallacci was a technical illustrator for the US Air Force, so you get both "funny animal" comic art and detailed equipment diagrams:

[character-selecton]

Shout out to the fruitverse, busblr, snomblr, tbcu, OSHAverse, shower thinkers, potatoblr, restaurantverse, completionist, painters, counters, is-this/is-your-post, your-fave, wizardblr, government agencies, and ALL GIMMICK BLOGS

have fun. Role play. Make lore. Don���t let haters get you down. We may be “cringe”, but at least we know how to have fun

[spookydingus]

Rolling your own check without asking and announcing it is one thing, and disrupts the game for everyone, but I will never understand DMs that hate players asking for checks.

Like, what? Being proactive and playing the game and using their brains for creative solutions? You hate that? This isn't a video game, my brethren.

"Hey, can I do an insight check on this guy?" is a good idea, and something I might not think to call for every single time. Also, when a party needs help, it's my job to do that??? Like, what would you rather them do? "Yeah I'm just gonna stare at this guy and say that I examine him and use a whole bunch of keywords until you call for a check like it's chatgpt"?

Learn how to play with the party, not against them.

[s0rr3l]

BLACK MYTH: WUKONG OC

Name: Lǐyú (carp)

Age: 25

Height: 5''11 ft/180 cm

Pronouns: They/Them

Story

A traveller out of time and space, Lǐyú finds themselves stranded on Black Wind Mountain, alone and at the mercy of its hostile inhabitants.

Taking pity, the Keeper of Black Wind Mountain takes them in and assigns them the position of <Shrine Caretaker>, a minor position that oversees the upkeep and maintenance of the various shrines within Black Wind Mountain.

Under the elder Keeper’s care, Lǐyú begins to familiarise themselves with their new circumstances through the Keeper's guidance. Inbetween duties, Lǐyú takes the time to learn and record the world about them in an effort to understand and survive.

This routine persists for several weeks, until the arrival of a certain monkey.

Lǐyú is an optional (Companion) to the [Destined One], who may join your party after accepting the request of the Keeper of the Black Wind Mountain.

Accepting Lǐyú as a (Companion) will unlock their personal quest <<Long Way From Home>>.

((More info about their stats/abilities below!))

Stats

Although physically weak, Lǐyú is a valuable companion of the Destined One and shows surprising tenacity against the challenges of this new world.

(Companion) Lǐyú has 5 stats to upgrade from LVL 1. Stamina Recovery Rate and Damage Reduction stats are unlocked after clearing Chapter 1 ‘Black Wind, Red Fire’.

Abilities

[Luck that goes against the Heavens]

Lǐyú's fortunes are known to dip and rise in unusual patterns.

While they often come across opportunities to gather precious materials, ingredients or equipment, it is always accompanied by mortal peril.

Their Luck is so unnatural that it defies the natural balance of the world, so fortuitous encounters often come with the risk of danger in an effort to suppress their Luck.

(Companion) Lǐyú has MAX LVL [LUCK].

Can inflict one of the following debuffs to enemies within their range: Increased Miss Rate, Reduced Critical Hit chance, Reduced Movement Speed, Reduced Resistance to the Four Banes

Grants one buff to allies, 2 buffs to Companions (for more information, please see BUFFS page)

Increase the rate of EQUIPMENT/LOOT drops and discovery of precious ingredients/materials

Due to their nature, (Companion) Lǐyú will influence the [Destined One]'s own [LUCK].

Warning: should Lǐyú enter the STRESSED state, their [LUCK] will start to indiscriminately target allies and foes alike.

Will attract enemy AGGRO within a certain radius if not using Stealth

Allies and Companions will be afflicted with one random debuff: Increased Miss Rate, Reduced Critical Hit chance, Reduced Movement Speed, Reduced Resistance to the Four Banes

Introduces random environmental hazards

It is recommended that the [Destined One] keep Lǐyú's STRESS to a minimum.

Skills

(Companion) Lǐyú should come equipped with the following skills prior to joining the [Destined One].

Shrine Caretaker: Taught the basic upkeep and care of shrine maintenance. Allows Lǐyú to access the hub-world like the [Destined One].

Stealth: the ability to sneak past lesser yaoguais. However, skill will increases STRESS on Lǐyú. Can be upgraded.

Additional skills can be attained or unlocked through the completion of quests or advancing the main storyline.

TIP: Lǐyú is purely a support type (Companion) with little to no attack skills and prone to causing unexpected changes to main storyline. May the [Destined One] keep this in mind.

Spells

Due to limited Mana, Lǐyú cannot perform any spells.

Upon the completion of the <<Teacher for a Day>> quest, Lǐyú can begin training to increase mana and unlock [Spells].

In Chapter 3 ‘White Snow, Ice Cold’, Lǐyú can trigger the optional side quest <<Teacher for a Day>> upon meeting (Companion) Zhu Bajie.

Curios

Due to limited space, can only equip one curio at a time.

Upon meeting the Yin Tiger or upgrading to Legendary quality armour, Lǐyú can increase their curio slot by +1.

Current slot:

Wind Chime: Rare quality. Found while exploring the ruins of an old temple at the bottom of the mountain. Slightly increases movement speed. “Hark, the wind rises! That yaoguai must be coming this way!”

Inventory

(Companion) Lǐyú starts off with 10 inventory slots. These are their starting equipment:

Journal: Never seems to run out of paper. Lǐyú can use this item to access daily observations, enemy weaknesses and important landmarks/discovered secret realm locations.

Gourd: unknown quality, gifted by Yuan Shoucheng. A mysterious item that will grow along with it's user, has yet to show any special abilities. Can be upgraded.

Backpack: unknown quality, bigger inside than out. Carries all of Lǐyú's belongings.

Smartphone: rare quality. A keepsake from Lǐyú's world. Interacting with this item with the [Destined One] can trigger side quest <<???>>. “What a marvelous device!”

Fruit Leather: peach-flavoured. A consumable item that can raise the [Destined One]'s favourability.

Equipment

(Companion) Lǐyú starts off with the following equipment:

Old Temple Garb: rare quality. Gifted by the Keeper of Black Wind Mountain, who claims it was left behind by the previous Shrine Caretaker.

Cotton wristwraps: common quality. Plain but sturdy, in surprisingly good condition.

Cotton legwraps: common quality. Plain but sturdy, in surprisingly good condition.

Sneakers: unknown quality, but undeniably tough. A foreign brand gifted by their best friend. Claims to be both water-proof and fire-proof.

Hoodie: rare quality. A limited edition print from Lǐyú's favourite brand. Offers no defensive abilities but brings a sense of comfort. Can decrease the rate of Lǐyú's STRESS.

Quest Objectives

<<Long Way From Home>>

Lǐyú's final objective is to return to their original world. This can be completed by first completing main quest <<Revive Sun Wukong>>

(This objective is an optional side quest available to the [Destined One]. It is not compulsory for the completion of main quest <<Revive Sun Wukong>>)

<<Hug Auntie>> (must complete main quest objective)

<<Eat hotpot with friends>> (must complete main quest objective)

<<Red String of Fate>>

Secret side quest that triggers randomly depending on the relationship status between (Companion) Lǐyú and the [Destined One].

To unlock post-game content, the [Destined One] must complete main quest objective <<Revive Sun Wukong>>.

Endings

There are currently three available endings depending on whether the [Destined One] will complete Lǐyú's personal quest <<Long Way From Home>>

<<Till We Meet Again>>

Normal ending. Lǐyú returns to their original world after the [Destined One] fufills their destiny.

<<Promise>>

Secret Ending. Unlocked after the successful completion of the following side quests:

<<Long Way From Home>>

<<Red String of Fate>>

<<Fishbowl>>

Secret Ending. Unlocked after the successful completion of the following side quests:

<<Red String of Fate>>

<<???>>

Depending on the [Destined One]'s actions during CHAPTER 3, can trigger side quest <<???>>

(To achieve this ending, the [Destined One] must fail to complete side quest <<Long Way From Home>>)

[toaster-boi]