#rune rager

[dailycharacteroption]

Hybrid Class Review: Bloodrager part 3

(art by Chetan Ranjan on Artstation)

 Archetypes

 Surprisingly, despite being a derivative class that came out later, the bloodrager actually has more archetypes than the sorcerer, which I suppose has to do with the fact that the sorcerer has always been more focused on customization through bloodlines rather than archetypes. In any case, let’s take a look, shall we?

 One of the most common categories of bloodrager archetypes are those that modify their inherent magic, resulting in different expressions. The Ancestral Harbinger, for example, uses the connections to their heritage to summon mystical allies. Meanwhile, Crossblooded bloodragers have two bloodlines, representing a unique confluence of power from mixing heritages or a unique source that straddles the line between two. Blurring the lines between bloodrager and magus, the Enlightened Bloodrager studies their magic more deeply to unlock more mystical powers at the cost of their martial skill, while the Greenrager taps into primal nature magic. Hag-Riven tap into a changeling’s heritage with hags, while Id Ragers tap into a specific emotion. Metamagic Ragers have a knack for bending their spells through sheer force and will, while Prowlers at World’s End tap into the guidance of spirits. Meanwhile, Symbol Strikers master the art of utilizing runes.

While still ones that alter magic, of particular note are a pair of archetypes that focus on being the bane of spellcasters. Spelleaters do not directly interfere with casting, but their ability to slowly heal and even absorb their own magic to heal quickly makes it hard for them to be put down. Meanwhile, true to their name, the Untouchable Ragers forgo the ability to cast spells to gain a natural spell resistance, shrugging off spells like they weren’t there and relying on the other magical abilities of their bloodline.

Others utilize special fighting styles, such as the Blood Conduit, who channels touch spells through their bodies as they grapple foes, or the Bloody-Knuckled Rowdy, which specializes in unarmed combat. Bloodriders emulate certain mount-themed barbarian archetypes to channel their eldritch rage into their mounts, while Primalists emulate barbarians more directly by eschewing some of their mystical power for traditional rage powers. Polymorphing spells are fairly common on the bloodrager spell list, and Rageshapers specialize in utilizing such forms. Meanwhile, Steelbloods and Urban Bloodragers both call upon the trappings of civilization, the former by specializing in wearing heavy armor, and the latter by utilizing a weaker but more flexible bloodrage that is more acceptable and useful in civilization.

 While still a short list, we can see that the bloodrager has a lot of decent options for recontextualizing the class. Admittedly, these options don’t deviate too much from “aggressive melee powerhouse with spells” too much, but if you’re looking for flavorful options, there’s plenty to pick from, especially when you remember that you still also need to pick a bloodline too.

Speaking of which, tomorrow we’ll do a look at the bloodlines and other mutations available to the class!

[beserkerpanda]

The Lady Embersong

Lady Solyriel Embersong stood with her back to the balcony door, overlooking the spires and walkways of Valdraken below. She was dressed in her typical cutting fashion, with an elegant red dress and just enough bangles around her slender wrists. Her long, flowing raven locks hung over her shoulders loosely, covering the bare skin there as modesty would demand of the void elf.

“Are you sure he’s coming?” the elf asked, her once softly tanned skin now a pale blue, complementing her dress perfectly. Softly glowing eyes regarded the large Pandaren standing beside her on the balcony.

“He’s never let me down yet,” Kai replied with a soft chuckle, slightly muffled by the red scarf he wore to obscure his features.

“Honestly, this situation could use a bit of tact and discretion,” the void elfess suggested, sighing softly.

“Hey! I can be discrete!” came the boisterous response of Kai’s brother as an even larger, heavily armored Pandaren joined them on the balcony.

“No you can’t,” Solyriel replied with a shake of her head, though she was unable to contain the smile that crossed her lips.

“Come on now, I’ve never told anyone about that whole situation with the void stuff,” the battle rager said with a grin.

“You mean how we met?” the priestess asked.

“Yeah! That!” Huan agreed.

“I would think that’s more embarrassing for you,” the elf said with a wry smile.

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” the large Pandaren continued. “Almost as clear as the day is right now……”

Several years prior…….

Huan didn’t like Silvermoon and he liked the elves that called it their home even less. Arrogant. Racist. And most of all…. Obnoxious as fuck all. But his brother had sent for him by using the old communication stone they had been given by their Father before their exile. Maybe it was finally time to return home and take back what was theirs… and gain revenge for their family. The battle rager had come all the way from Northrend and his home among the Sons of Hodir. He respected the giants and their ways and it had been quite the mental back and forth with himself before he finally answered Kai’s call. Either way, here he was in the forests outside of Silvermoon, unsure of what exactly his brother had called him for after nearly a decade. 

“She’s resting for the moment,” he heard his brother speak from behind him.

Huan whirled around, coming face to face with his brother for the first time since their exile. Kai was dressed in the dark leathers of the Shado-Pan, an organization of spies and elite warriors that protected their home of Pandaria. Though they hadn’t come to help when their lands were taken from them, oddly enough. Huan was decked out in the custom plate armor the Sons of Hodir had made for him a few years back. Ornate with runes and etchings, the armor was a work of art along with being a tool of war.

“Who?” Huan asked, glancing over his shoulder to the small, run-down-looking house he had been summoned to.

“An elven noblewoman named Solyriel Embersong,” Kai said, letting out a heavy exhale. “She’s succumbed to this…. Void thing… that many of her kind are struggling with.”

“Dicking around with fel wasn’t enough for them?” Huan asked, turning to face the little shack.

“She’s one of the good ones, Huan. Someone is coming to help deliver her to those that can help but we need to keep her hidden until then,” Kai explained.

“Hidden?”

“Others are hunting them down as heretics.”

“Blood elves… are hunting others…. As… heretics?” Huan asked, the tone of his voice doing little to hide the clear disdain in it.

“Yes well… They’re sure not to care much for the Alliance Death Knight that’s supposed to be here to take her to Stormwind for help,” Kai said with a shrug of his shoulders.

The door to the shack suddenly burst open and an eerie purple glow could be seen from within the doorway. The brothers looked at one another before a slender, disheveled figure appeared in the open door. The small elf’s entire form bubbled and wriggled with purple energy and shadows as a pair of fiercely glowing eyes stared daggers at the two pandarens. At the same time, the sound of mighty wings echoed overhead through the canopy of the forest.

“That’ll be the Death Knight…” Kai said as he heard the wings. “She’s a good woman. Just try to keep her calm.”

“What are you going to do?” Huan asked as Kai turned to leave.

As Huan was about to say something dark tendrils of shadowy energy lashed out, wrapping around one of the warrior’s wrists and bulky neck. Huan’s eyes widened as he braced his feet against the ground and gave a slight tug with the arm the tendrils had grabbed. He glanced at his brother with a bewildered look still on his features.

“I’m gonna get Sir Agthaz….” Kai said as he stepped back, “Just try to keep her calm okay?”

“Yeah… sure…” Huan said before he was yanked bodily off the ground and pulled toward the source of the shadowy tendrils…. The small elfess in the doorway.

“So hi there!” Huan said loudly as another of the tendrils wrapped around his legs, causing him to tip over forward onto the ground. He was dragged to the stair stoop of the shack before he managed to roll onto his back and spit out a mouthful of grass and gravel. “I’m Huan. It’s lovely to meet you.” He added.

“Make it stop…” the elfess whispered in a voice that echoed in the air around them. “Please…” she pleaded as the tendril around the pandaren’s broad neck began to tighten and squeeze, causing Huan to gasp and sputter for air.

“H-harder, Mistress…” the battle rager barely choked out between gasping breaths, causing the tendril to stop squeezing almost immediately.

“What?” the shadowy elven form questioned, clearly confused as to what she had heard.

“What?” Huan repeated quickly, his eyes glancing one way and then the other.

The tendrils released the heavily armored pandaren, allowing him to crash to the ground with a clatter of metal as soft, nearly musical-sounding laughter echoed from the form in the doorway, getting louder with each passing second. Slowly the swirling and bubbling energies around the slender form began to dissipate and fade, leaving a tired-looking dark-haired elven woman leaning against the frame of the doorway to steady herself.

“It’s.. a pleasure to meet you Huan,” the elven woman said, doing her best to smile at the prone warrior.

“Yep. How ya doin’?” Huan asked, lifting his head from where it had been laying to flash a smile at the woman.

“I’m really very sorry about all this,” Solyriel replied, sounding exhausted from her ordeal.

“Oh, no problem. What’s a little light strangulation between friends?” Huan asked before his head thunked back to the ground once more. He heard the elven woman laugh softly once more, the sound bringing a grin to his own features. “Yanno, as far as first meetings this one ain’t so bad.”

“Really?” the priestess asked. 

“Oh, sure! No one’s bleeding and I still have my pants on.”

[wanderingcotabussurgetank]

RPG Character Set 34 by Ernesto Irawan

Sorli "The Bear" Rhelan. Human Ranger / Barbarian.

Amberline, Changeling Divine Soul Sorcerer / Death Domain Cleric.

Aria. A Glasya Tiefling Glamour Bard (ver 2)

Eilonwy, Half-elf Bard.

Gamble. Tiefling Rune Knight.

Korrin, Dragonborn Warlock.

She-wolf AKA Myev Manbane. Half-blood Orc Steelblood Rager.

Caleb Daelryon Anvarith (Darion the Exile). Half-elf Arcane Trickster.

[puckwritesstuff]

89. “How could I ever forget about you?”

Party Thor AU because I wanted something light and fluffy while I'm doing edits to the main fic.

Thank you for the ask!

---

It seemed to Sigyn that Thor’s answer to everything was a party. But to his credit, he had organized something small to celebrate her receiving her healer’s certification. A few friends and some food— it was not the kind of party he’d throw for himself, but it was perfect for her. She smiled at Thor when she saw it.

“Thank you for not throwing one of your meteor-shattering ragers,” she said.

“I mean, would you prefer that?” Thor asked. “We can certainly—”

“This is wonderful,” she said, before he got any ideas. “Thank you, really.”

Thor put an arm around her shoulders.

“You deserve it,” he said. “You’ve worked too hard not to.”

“Brother!”

A young man with pale skin and dark hair came over and hugged Thor. Sigyn pulled back, looking away. Thor, she had finally gotten comfortable around, but she was still deferent to the Crown Prince of Jotunheim.

“You came!” Thor said.

“Of course, I did!” Loki said. “I wouldn’t miss this!”

He looked over at Sigyn and his smile faltered when he saw her looking at the ground. He put a hand under her chin and lifted it. She gasped.

“I won’t have my friends not look up,” he said. “You’ll be forever walking into things.”

“Your highness, I am honored by your presence,” she said.

“You’re too kind,” Loki said.

Thor slipped off before they could realize he was leaving. Loki summoned a wrapped package.

“For you,” he said.

“Oh?” Sigyn asked, taking the package. It was quite heavy, and she stumbled back. Loki reached out to steady her and the froze when he touched her arm. Sigyn gave a stilted laugh and Loki grinned nervously.

“Sorry about that,” Loki said. “I should have, um…”

“No, it’s fine, I’ve got it,” she said.

Sigyn took the wrapping off the top of the package and opened it. Leather-bound books, with thick, Jotun-made paper were inside. She took the first one out and found a mix of Jotun and Asgardian runes on the spine.

“Are these..?”

“The books you almost got frostbite over trying to read? Yes,” Loki said. “I had them translated so you could have an easier time of it.”

“How could you possibly have remembered?” she asked. “No one remembers when I talk about books.”

“It was how we met,” he said. “How could I ever forget about you?”

She blinked, trying to figure some twisted logic the would come back to bite her like it always did, but she could only see a nervous sincerity in his eyes as he looked for her reaction to what he was saying and what he meant by how he was saying it.

Oh.

She paused, putting the book back in the package, putting the package on the ground. She looked at Loki, feeling a twisted tightness in her chest.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Congratulations,” he said. “On doing the thing, I guess.”

She brushed her hair behind her ear. “I suppose we should…”

“Of course,” he said.

He offered his hand to escort her to the rest of the party. She took it, and a jolt of electricity shot through the both of them. The couldn’t even catch their breaths before his arm was around her waist and his hand was in her hair and her lips were on his lips and they were drowning but so very much alive. They only paused when they heard cheering from the others and a bottle being uncorked. Sigyn bit her lip, looking down. Her face felt like it was on fire. Loki lifted her chin.

“Don’t look away from me,” Loki said. “You don’t ever have to look away from me.”

“As you wish, your highness,” she said.

He kissed her again.

[bonniebird]

The Lust Demon Familiar

John x Demon / Familiar!Reader

“Wait. So you’re saying it wasn’t the warlock?” Ava asked Nate and Charlie as they explained what had happened during their recon mission.

“Look, I’m telling you it was the warlock’s magic. But it wasn’t him. Nate was there with him the whole time!” Charlie insisted. Nate agreed and explained when he’d seen happen, which really wasn’t very much.

“So there is something using the warlock’s powers to summon demons and other creatures to this town?” Sara asked slowly, throwing the idea out. She cocked her head before turning to look at Constantine who was looking unnervingly thoughtful.

“There is only one creature I know that can do that.” He said after a while.

“What is it?” Ray asked quickly.

“That’s a difficult question to answer, mate.” Constantine said as he pulled a cigarette from behind his ear and twirled it between his fingers as he turned to face Sara. “I do have a friend I could ask though.”

“When did you get friends?” Sara joked as she walked past him.

“In fairness she isn’t exactly a friend. Haven't seen each other in a while.” John admitted.

“Oh well I’m sure this will go great!” Ava exclaimed.

Constantine raised his eyebrows as if he agreed with Ava and glanced over at Gary. “Think I could borrow you for some magic assistance.” “Oh I would assist you with anything.” Gary said before blushing as the Legends gave him an odd look.

“Grand. I’ll be needing your help too. The beast we’re summoning tends to ignore me till she wants a favour. Poor thing is a sucker for authority.” John said as he looked over at Ava.

“Well I suppose someone should be supervising.” Ava agreed. John led the way, Gary following him out of the room, close at his heels.

“Good luck babe.” Sara said with a light chuckle to her tone. She kissed Ava’s cheek before Ava left the room. “The rest of us can start looking into what's happening more closely.”

***************

“So why are we at your mansion and what are you summoning?” Ava asked as John finished up the magic drawings and runes on the floor. Gary had directed each one and they’d talked for at least twenty minutes about positioning of runes. It had gone over Ava’s head but she appreciated how difficult getting it exactly right must have been.

“There are very few things that can use a warlock's powers in the way our Nate and Ava described. I’d bet my last cigarette that it’s a kind of familier.”

“A familiar! Like black cats and toads!” Gary asked with an excited expression on his face.

“Not always. Any animal will do for a powerful warlock. Sometimes they’re a specific type of demon that you can summon to serve you in exchange for the life of… well a pet that is spoiled rotten.”

“So you’re going to summon this, demon… familiar?” Ava asked reluctantly as she watched John lead Gary into the circle and sit, both holding hands.

“No. We’re going to summon mine.”

“You have a familiar! What’re they like?” Gary asked, cutting off Constantine who had started chanting.

“She was the runt of her family, so to speak, took her in so she wouldn’t die off. Something she doesn’t like to be reminded of. Small sweet little thing in a good mood. But you mark my words mate. You piss her off; she'll have your throat in her teeth before you realise her mood has changed. Had to lock her away the last time she lost it. Might have left her for too long.”

Ava wanted to question if this was a good idea. But she recalled the people being attacked and kept quiet as Gary and Constantine chanted. There was a glowing between the two of them and the smaller circle in the center became so bright she looked away. When they were done there was a loud hiss and something small and black shot out of the room.

“Do excuse me. I need to go and grovel to my cat.” Constantine said when it didn’t come back in.

Ava rolled her eyes as he left and shook her head. “I hope this works.”

“(Y/N)?” Constantine called as he started looking through the rooms of his home. A low hiss drew him to the room you were in. Seeing you perched on the fireplace, glowering at him. “Alright love, no need to be snippy.”

He stepped back when you hopped off the fireplace with a gentle thud and shifted into your human form.

“Wow!” Constantine turned to see Gary and Ava looking into the room, curiously staring at you. “She changed! Did you see that. Incredible.”

“Well finally someone who appreciates me.” You almost purred, smiling at Gary who started sputtering and backing away when he realised you were completly naked.

“Alright now! No need to scare him off.” Constantine scolded.

“Oh! Of course. How could anyone pay me a compliment. I forgot I’m some awful demon monster that needs to be locked up!” You spat out at Constantine, squaring up to him.

“Hey now! You brought that upon yourself when you started attacking people.”

“You blabbed about my being a familiar to a bunch of wanna be warlocks! They didn’t even know about familiers.”

“That doesn’t sound like her fault, if anything it sounds like you started it.” Ava said. She looked alarmingly nervous when you actually purred and stroked a finger up her arm, across her shoulders and down the other as you circled her.

“I like this one.” You muttered smiling when she tried to maintain eye contact and not look as nervous as she felt.

“Alright, enough of this.” Constantine said as he shrugged off his coat and draped it over your shoulders. “I need you to help me find another familiar.”

“No.” You said and started to leave. Constantine muttered a few words and the next thing you knew you’d walked into a brightly lit metal room. Turning slightly you could see a group staring at you.

“(Y/N) this is Sara Lance, and the Legends.” Constantine said as he, Ava and Gary followed you through.

“Hi!” Ray said as he went to shake your hand. You purred batting your eyes as you used his outstretched hand to pull him close. His eyes went wide and he glanced at Constantine.

“Careful with this one, half lust demon.” Constantine warned Ray who backed away quickly while you giggled at his reaction.

“I’m not helping you.”

“Not right now you’re not. However as you master you’re going to help me because I command it.”

“I thought you were the one that liked to get bossed around.” You said casually as you stepped close enough to Constantine that he leant back and smirked down at you. “At least that's what Lucy told his demons.” Sara spat out a laugh she tried to hold back and turned away from the two of you.

Constantine frowned at you as you spotted Charlie and smiled, swaying your way to her. She grinned at the attention and watched you curiously. “Well hello there. Where’ve you been hiding?”

“Johnny locked me away and I’ve been so bored.” You said with a flirty breathless tone.

“Well that seems just awful.”

“Alright, you can play when you’re done. I need your help.” John said as he snapped his fingers. The Legends, except Charlie, and Ava all hopped back in surprise when you returned to your cat form. You hissed at John as he picked you up, smacking him in the face with your thrashing tail for good measure.

************

“I’m only helping you if you let me go!” You snapped. Constantine had managed to lock you to a spot in the library and convinced you at the very least to wear one of his shirts. Back in your human form, all you needed was to be let go so you could stretch your legs and explore.

“I can let you go if you really want love, but you won't be around long enough to appreciate it.” He warned as he flipped through a book that had the names of all familiars that were sworn to warlocks.

“If you lock me back up in that horrid house again I’ll eat that nervous one. I bet he’d let me go.” You said to yourself, lounging as best you could in the small spot on the floor.

“You harm a hair on Gary’s head I’ll be sending you to hell.”

“Hey, Sara found some more information that might help you.” Nate said as he stepped into the room. He tried handing Constantine the papers he had in his hand but missed when you rolled over, biting your lip and swinging your legs as you batted your eyes.

“Easy there mate. She’ll rock your world but leave you with some pretty nasty scratches.” Constantine said as he held his hand out.

“Oh! No. I wasn’t. I didn’t. I um.” Nate spluttered as he shoved the papers in Constantine’s outstretched hand and almost ran out of the room.

“These people are fun to play with Johnny. Can’t you just let me out for a little while.” You tried pouting and batting your eyes. It would have worked. But he gave you a casual look and shook his head.

“Sorry sweetheart but it’s work before pleasure here.”

“Oh I don’t need your permission to have pleasure.” You purred and ran your hand down your body as you rolled to your back. Constantine snapped his fingers and walked over to you, seeming to have found the spell he was looking for.

“Look sweetheart. This bastard is hurting people. I know deep down you want to help. Besides. Help me and I will be your magical wingman. We can have a rager. Charlie, the shifter can come, whoever you want but you have to help me first.” As he spoke he’d picked you up and scooped you into his arms, you rubbed against his chin, enjoying the feeling of his stubble. He found just the right spot to itch.

“This is… weird. You need a moment?” Sara asked from the doorway.

“Just a little sweet talking.” He said as he set you down on his chair, changing you back. Sara’s eyes went wide and she spun around when you were suddenly, human shaped and naked again.

“It’s this one.” You huffed and pouted at him. Sara slowly glanced back when he snatched up the shirt you’d been using, tossed it your way and Constantine took the book to show it to her.

“You’re sure. She doesn’t seem to like you.”

“Covered myself in catnip. Poor thing can’t resist it. Now, let's get going. I need to get back to my cat before she gets mad at me.”

Sara glanced at you, seeing you curled up in Constantine’s chair, napping under his shirt. “She’ll be ok like that?” She asked and he nodded, fumbling in his pocket for his cigarettes.

“Oh yeah, nap for a couple hours. Although I’ll need to be back before she does wake up. Lust demons get a little frisky when it comes to large doses of catnip. Everyone is her type and I did promise her some fun and unless everyone here wants to get some, we’re probably best dropping her for some time at the peak of the sexual revolution so she can calm herself down.” Constantine winked at Sara as he passed her on the way to the brig.

“Good for her.” Sara muttered, recalling Ava saying how awful she felt for you, being locked up by Constantine for defending yourself.

[mishas-workshop]

Yarok, the Value Engine

Sultai may very well be my favorite color combination in all of Magic: The Gathering. Green’s ability to fix mana, blue’s tempo and card draw combined with the graveyard mechanics and kill spells of black make for a combination that is right up my alley as a player.

One of the best things about Sultai is that a lot of it’s most powerful cards are inexpensive both in mana cost and in real world financial cost. Today, I am going to cover one of the game’s newest and most powerful value engine commanders: Yarok, the Desecrated.i

Since Yarok was spoiled, people have been referring to it as “Panharmonicommander”. Which is fairly accurate, however, I would argue that Yarok is much better than just a Panharmonicon on a stick. Yarok’s ability double the ETB effects of permanents, not just creatures and artifacts. Landfall abilities will happen twice, as will cards like Sire of Stagnation and Tatyova, Benthic Druid. Not to mention hundreds of other options to explore.

Panharmonicon is a card that will supplement our commander’s ability. Creatures with ETB effects are going to be the core of this deck, so Deadeye Navigator and Nephalia Smuggler can help with reusing abilities of creatures already in play. Instants such as Ghostly Flicker and Displace can also be used as ways to trigger abilities in times of desperation. Conjurer’s Closet is also going to be a great way to get repeated value out of our creatures.

As stated before, the cornerstone of this deck is creatures with ETB effects. First I would like to talk about what may be the more important part of the core: ramp. Solemn Simulacrum is one of the more financially expensive cards in the deck (relatively speaking), but it is also, arguably, the best card in the deck. Farhaven Elf is the next best thing, putting land directly into play, but lacking the draw upon death. Wood Elves can snag forests from the deck, which is certainly useful, and if you plan on upgrading the land base, could get shock lands and other fetchable duals. Elvish Pioneer and Sylvan Ranger are also good for fixing and ramp.

After Ramp, drawing cards is the next most important thing our deck needs to do. Mulldrifter is the quintessential ETB draw card engine. Jungle Barrier, Elvish Visionary and Carven Caryatid can all draw you cards. Phyrexian Gargantuan and Rager along with Dusk Legion Zealot can also draw cards, but at the cost of life. For a full on tutor effect, Rune-Scarred Demon is a great option. Woodland Bellower is another effective tutor, though it can only grab green creatures with cmc 3 or less, but that is about a third of our creatures anyways.

Removal is also essential and is something that cannot be overlooked when designing this deck. Plaguecrafter is great at removal, but can also force you to sacrifice your own creatures in the process, so be wary of this. Nekrataal, Ravenous Chupacabra and Shriekmaw are all very good at removing creatures. Artifacts and enchantments can be dealt with by cards like Acidic Slime, Reclamation Sage and Manglehorn.

There are plenty of other exploitable abilities that don’t neatly fit into one of the three categories mentioned above. Here are a few ideas of supplemental effects to abuse with Yarok. Peregrine Drake has combo potential with Deadeye Navigator. Wild Pair is exceptionally strong, though you may have to choose your creatures a bit more carefully, I did find that about 50% of my creatures will at least find one thing. Add in Yarok or Panharmonicon and suddenly you go and grab 2 creatures and use their abilities twice. Six effects for the price of one, twelve if you are lucky enough to have both in play at the same time and can search effectively. Mimic Vat is yet another card that allows you to get value out of your creatures, and sometimes, your opponents’ creatures!

This deck is extremely creature heavy, over 40 of them in my build. Add in the 10 cards that make all of the abilities better and there are only a few more slots to go. For consistency, I added ramp and draw spells for the final slots. These cards are also great with the Mneumonic wall, the only spell recursion card in the deck.

Finally, let’s go over the land base. Becuase this is a budget deck, we are fairly restricted as to what can be played. But, there are many things that can be taken advantage of, even if it is just a small bonus. For example, dismal backwater and the other taplands that ETB and gain life, will now gain you additional life. Nothing too spectacular but it is something. Field of the dead is another land that will help create zombies, which isn’t central to the strategies of the deck, but can be useful in general. Remember, this whole deck is value. To wrap it up, basic lands are also going to be in abundance. Due to the number of basic land ramp and tutor abilities of creatures in the deck, the abundance of basic lands can always be acquired.

So as of right now, TCG player lists the deck at $101, but this is also before the official release of M20, so the prices may fluctuate. This deck also has the capability of being upgraded with cards like: Massacre Wurm and Grave Titan. Honestly, there are so many ETB cards that can be exploited with Yarok. I have already proxied the unreleased cards and have played with this deck and it is extremely fun. The full decklist is available here: https://manastack.com/deck/yarok-etb-budget Happy Brewing!

[firebringeraxels-junk]

Streets of Scáthbhaile #6: Rune Magic

Streets of Scáthbhaile #6: Rune Magic #dnd5e #rpg

DM Options & Subclasses PDF

These rules are something I’ve been meaning to create for a while after I had made the Rune Warrior and Rune Rager subclasses. These replace the rules presented in the Rune Scribe Unearthed Arcana and better fit the flavor and balance I was looking for from the concept of Rune Magic. If you as a DM choose to use these rules, I advise using all 4 subclasses along with…

[chooseywoozy]

It Lives In the Woods, Book One: Chapter 1 - Old Friends

(NOW PLAYING AS DEMON)

Phone: Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

Demon: Nnnnnhhh… what…

Still half-asleep, you grope around on the shelf until you find your phone…

Demon: Ugh, who’s texting me at three in the morning?

Dan - Hey, are you there? It’s Dan. I messed up. I’m so sorry…

Demon - Dan? It’s… been a while. Are you okay? What happened?

Dan - I went back into the woods. I had to be sure, I had to prove to myself that it was all in my head… But it isn’t, Demon, it’s all real. HE’S real.

Demon - Dan… are you drunk or something?

Dan - I heard him whispering, just like when we were kids.

Demon - Stop it, Dan. We made all that stuff up. Mr. Red was just a dumb kid’s game that got out of control. He doesn’t exist. He never did.

Dan - He does. He’s here with me now.

Demon - Wait… where are you?

Dan - I can hear him in the trees. I hear him whispering…

A harsh tap tap tap from the window makes you jump, dropping your phone!

Demon: AAAAHH!

A dark shape looms outside the window… Heart hammering in your chest, you fumble for the light switch. Light floods your bedroom, streaming out the window to reveal…

Demon: Dan?! What are you doing here?

Dan: Demon, can I come in?

Demon: I… I guess so. Hang on.

You move to the window and slide it open enough for Dan to climb inside.

Demon: You’ve got some explaining to do, though. First off… How’d you get up to my window? ‘Cause we’re definitely on the second floor right now.

Dan: I climbed.

Demon: Uh… okay, Spiderman. You sounded really freaked out in your texts…

Dan: It’s nothing. I’m fine. Come on, we need to go get the others.

Demon: What others?

Dan: Our friends! Stacy, Lily, Noah, Lucas, Ava, and Andy. I’ve got something to show you, but we need to bring everyone.

Demon: Dan… I’ve barely spoke to any of that group since we were little kids. After what happened to Jane--

Dan: But they have to come, Demon. Everyone has to be there. That’s the rule.

Your phone buzzes again, rattling against the floorboards. Sighing, you pick it up.

Demon: Dan, I want to help you, but honestly you’re kind of freaking me out right now. We’ve got our first day of school in, like, six hours. We can talk then, okay?

Your phone buzzes again, another notification popping up on the screen. You look down…

3:17am. Dan - Are you still there? I think I’m lost… Demon? My battery’s almost dead, please help me!

Demon: Wait…

Dan: We have to go back to the woods, Demon.

The lights in your bedroom flicker as a chill wind sweeps through your open window. Hands trembling, you slowly look up from your phone screen.

Demon: ...Dan?

A smile spreads across Dan’s shadowed face… stretching wider than it should…

Dan: Demon.

You start to back away… but Dan’s hand clamps around your wrist! You try to pull free, but he clings to you with inhuman strength!

Demon: Hey!

Snatching up a heavy ceramic mug, you smash it against Dan’s head with all your might… but he barely even flinches!

Demon: What the--

Dan throws you to the floor, pinning your back against the rough floorboards!

Dan: We all have to go back. Don’t you remember?

Demon: Get off me!

You claw at Dan… and his flesh crumbles beneath your fingernails! Dan leans in, his cold breath stinking of moldy dirt and blood…

Dan: Everyone plays together, Demon…

The creature’s hands tighten around your throat… Your vision begins to blur, shadows seeming to writhe and bleed in the dark room…

Demon: Hrrnnnnnggg…

You have no breath left to scream. You simply sink, paralyzed by terror, into a cold, black nothingness…

Demon: AAAAAHHH!

You jerk into wakefulness, adrenaline burning in your veins as you thrash against your attacker… until you realise that you’re alone in your room.

Demon: The hell…? What a messed up dream.

Reaching up to feel your neck… you flinch as your fingers brush the fresh bruises there…

Demon: What the--?! No way… this can’t be happening…

You grab your phone to look at the texts from last night… only to discover that the battery is dead.

Demon: Crap…

Sighing, you toss your phone into your school bag and turn to your closet.

Demon: Guess I’d better get ready for school. Need to look good for my first day of senior year…

Grabbing your school bag, you hurry down the stairs. Outside, you cast a nervous glance towards the woods that border the edge of your yard..

Demon: Mr. Red… Dan couldn’t have seen him… that was all just make-believe.

As you descend the steps, a friendly voice calls out from the yard next door.

Cid: Morning, neighbour!

Demon: Oh hey, Cid. What’s up?

Cid: Just coming back from out walk. Hey, Hilda, look who it is!

A blur of black and white fur crashes out of the bushes, looking around excitedly.

Hilda: Wuff!

Hilda bounds over to you, her bushy tail waving like a flag!

Demon: Hi, girl!

Hilda: Arrroooo!

Demon: Aww! Good to see you too, cutie!

Hilda flops on her back, wriggling happily as you rub her belly.

Cid: Your parents around? I didn’t see ‘em out and about this morning.

Demon: Yeah, they’re still overseas dealing with my great aunt’s estate or whatever. They’ll be back in a couple weeks.

Cid: Hell, that’s a long time for a kid to be by themselves, ‘specially in a big house like that.

Demon: Yeah, well… the nightly ragers keep me occupied. Nothing like kegstands and strip poker to kick off a new school year, am I right?

Cid: You know, as someone who’s been through college, I feel obligated to tell you that kegstands are a lot less fun than they sound. I mean, unless you like the feeling of cheap beer foam all up in your sinuses.

Demon: Gross. No thank you.

Cid suddenly cocks his head, taking a few steps toward your house and crouching down beside a small pile of loose dirt.

Cid: Huh, wonder what this is…

Cid picks something out of the pile and holds it up… a glossy black stone carved with a strange rune.

Cid: This yours?

Demon: Weird…

The stone is surprisingly heavy in your hand. You move your thumb along the deep crack that runs through the centre of the engraved rune.

Demon: I wonder where this came from… and what broke it.

Cid: Beats me. Looks like a paperweight or somethin’.

Brushing away some of the dirt from the stone, you freeze as a familiar smell wafts into your nose… cold earth and a hint of blood…

Demon: It smells just like that thing that--

You stop yourself, glancing nervously at Cid.

Cid: Smells like what?

Demon: Uh… weird. It just smells kinda weird.

Cid nods, dusting off his hands.

Cid: Well, I’ll let you get to school. You just let me know if you need anything, alright? My door’s always open.

Demon: Will do. Thanks, Cid.

Cid whistles, and Hilda jumps up to follow him. Once they’re out of sight, you look down at the stone in your hand.

Demon: (If what I saw last night was real, this could be a clue… Better keep it somewhere safe.)

It take a few tries for you to open the shed door, its rusted hinges screeching with every shove.

Demon: Jeez, when’s the last time someone was in here?

Cobwebs tickle your face as you approach the worktable, setting the cracked stone down on its dusty surface.

Demon: I bet I could fit all kinds of stuff in here…

Flicking off the light, you step back out into the yard, shutting the shed door behind you. A few minutes late, on the asphalt road that runs along the edge of the woods, you hear a car approaching you from behind. Stepping to the side, you glance up, locking eyes with the driver of a black vintage Camaro.

Demon: (That guy looks familiar…)

The car slows to a stop, and the driver leans out through the open window.

???: Hey, do I know you from somewhere?

Demon: I’d sure like to know you better!

The driver laughs, cocking one eyebrow.

???: I wouldn’t say no to that. Though it looks like you’re on your way somewhere at the moment.

He nods at your schoolbag.

???: Westchester High?

Demon: Yeah. I’m a senior.

???: Almost free of that hellhole, huh? Congrats.

Demon: Thanks. I’ll, uh, see you around?

???: Probably will. It’s a small town.

He steps on the gas, and the car starts to pull away.

Demon: Oh! I never got your…

But he’s already too far away to hear, disappearing around a bend in the road.

Demon: ...name.

Shrugging, you continue your long walk toward school. A thing crowd of students trickles across the front yard of your school, waving and calling out to friends as they converge on the front doors. Squeezing through the loud, crowded hall, you find a familiar girl standing at the locker next to yours…

Demon: Oh! Hey, Ava.

Ava: ‘Sup.

Demon: Not much… that hasn’t always been your locker, has it? I’ve never seen you using it before.

Ava: Got reassigned.

Ava kicks the locker shut and shrugs her bag onto her shoulder.

Ava: Oh look, it’s Lily.

Following Ava’s gaze, you see a nervous girl clutching a textbook to her chest.

Lily: Um… hi, guys.

Demon: Hi, Lily. It’s been a while… how was your summer?

Lily: It was good… I just got back from doing a coding camp up in Portland. One of the other girls invited me to collaborate on a game she’s working on!

Demon: That’s awesome! Let me know if you ever need a playtester.

Lily glances around furtively, lowering her voice.

Lily: There’s, um, there’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about…

Demon: Sure, what’s up?

Lily: I got some really weird texts last night. Did you…?

Lily trails off, looking over her shoulder. You turn to see a pretty girl walking by, chatting with two friends.

Britney: Oh my god, look. I’ve been ghosting this guy for like, two solid weeks, and he just asked me out for coffee again.

Ava: Oh boy. Just when you think high school might not be the sucking necrotic chest wound that you remember…

The guy next to Britney laughs, running one hand through his hair.

Cody: Yikes. Desperate is not a good look.

Jocelyn: Maybe he’s just not scared of ghosts? You could try clowns instead. Clowns are gross.

Britney: That’s not… Joss, do you even know what--

Lily: H-hi, Britney!

The group stops in their tracks, and Britney turns to give Lily an appraising look.

Britney: Wow, Lil, great sweater. I didn’t know Baby Barn had a quadruple-XL section.

Lily: I… I just wanted to say hello…

Britney: And I want a red Ferrari for my birthday, but I’ll settle for not having to listen to your whiny voice anymore.

You turn you back on Britney, giving Lily a big smile.

Demon: Lily, I’m super jealous of your sweater. That fox is freakin’ adorable.

Britney: Excuse you, but nobody asked for--

You continue to ignore her, focusing on your conversation with Lily.

Demon: Lily, you wanna take me shopping sometime? I need some sweaters that aren’t from my grandma’s tacky holiday collection.

Lily: I… I’d love to!

Lily looks down at the floor, hiding a small smile.

Jocelyn: Oh yeah? Well--

Ava: Shhhh… witty comebacks aren’t your strong suit, Track and Field Barbie.

Jocelyn: Cross Country.

Ava: I know. I used the wrong one on purpose to piss you off. Try to keep up.

Cody: How about you go haunt some other hallway, freak?

Ava gives Cody a long, ponderous look… then reaches up to pluck a stray hair from his shoulder.

Ava: You know, I keep meaning to try out this new curse I found on the internet. If you feel a burning sensation in your eyeballs, that’s normal.

Cody: The hell....

Waggling her fingers, Ava stalks away down the hallway.

Ava: Later, guys.

Demon: Later…

Lily: Bye, Ava.

Jocelyn: Ewwwwww, Cody! What’s gonna happen to your eyeballs?!

Britney: Chill, Jocelyn. That weirdo just reads too many vampire novels. With any luck she’ll flunk out and go live in a dirty old shack like Pritch the Witch.

Jocelyn: She is just like Pritch the Witch! We should call uh… ‘Ava the Witch’! Hahahahahaha!

Cody: … Wow. Good one, Joss.

You shake your head, turning to grab a notebook from your locker.

Demon: Well, lovely as this has been, we should probably go--

Jocelyn: Oh. My. God. Is that a hickey?!

Jocelyn reaches up, poking the fresh bruises on the side of your neck.

Demon: Ow! Get off!

Cody: Yeah, right, like anyone would want to chew on this social reject.

Demon: For your information, I got it from your mom.

Jocelyn: Huh? I thought Cody’s mom was in Aspen this week.

Cody: You should watch what you say, Demon. That mouth of yours tends to get you in trouble.

Britney: Whatever. Fascinating as this convo is, I need to go get ready for the pep rally.

Britney jerks her head, and the other follow. Jocelyn shoulder-checks you as she walks by, knocking you hard against a locker.

Demon: Ow!

Lily: Hey!

Jocelyn: See you around, Demon.

Wincing, you rub your shoulder where it slammed against the locker, glaring after the bullies.

Demon: This school year’s already off to a great start, huh?

Lily: Should we report them to the office, or…?

Demon: Sure, millionth time’s the charm, right? Maybe this time they’ll actually get in trouble.

Lily smiles ruefully as the two of you join the crowd of students shuffling toward the gym… Music blares over the gym speakers, and a rush of panic hits as you’re jostled by the crowd, your mind flashing back to the night before…

Lily: Demon? Are you okay?

Demon: Y-yeah. Just, uh, kinda crowded in here. You see anywhere to sit?

Lily: Not really… looks like there are a couple seats up there next to… Oh… never mind. That’s Ava’s spot.

In the top row of the bleachers, Ava sits scribbling in a worn sketchbook. As you watch, a couple of freshman move to sit beside her…

Ava: HISSSSSSSSSS…

The freshmen trip over themselves, scrambling to get away from Ava. She glares after them… then notices you watching her. Ava nods to the empty bench.

Demon: Is… she inviting me to sit by her?

Lily: I think she is!

Demon: (Maybe I could talk with Ava about what happened last night. She knows about all kinds of supernatural stuff… It’d be nice to tell someone who’d actually believe me…)

Lily: You go ahead… Ava kinda… um… scares me a little.

Demon: You sure?

Lily: Yeah, I think I see a spot next to Mr. Cooper. Oh… and thanks for your help earlier, Demon.

Demon: Anytime. See you later, Lily.

You climb to the top row of the bleachers and sidle over to Ava’s corner. You point to the empty spot right next to her.

Demon: Hey, Anyone sitting here?

Ava: Just my ghost friend, but he’s incorporeal so it doesn’t really count.

You laugh, until you realise that Ava’s not laughing too.

Ava: What.

Demon: Uh… sorry, I just can’t tell if you’re messing with me.

Ava: It’s all part of my mystique.

You look at the bench, then back at Ava’s expressionless face. Ava smirks as you sit down, leaving a person-sized space between you and her.

Ava: Cool. Good to know I can make you do stuff by saying random spooky nonsense.

The two of you sit together for a few minutes in silence. Ava scribbles in her sketchbook.

Ava: So, you gonna tell me what you’re so freaked out about? Or are you having fun dismembering that poor bench?

Demon: Huh?

You look down, realising that you’ve been picking splinters off the edge of the bleachers.

Demon: I do want to talk about it. It’s just… it’s kind of a weird story.

Ava: Demon. Look at me. Weird is my middle name.

Demon: Really?

Ava: Well, no, it’s Dolores. But if you tell that to anyone I will go to your house and hide eyeballs in your food.

Demon: Where would you even get--

Ava: Next time you go to pour a bowl of cereal? Bloop, eyeballs.

Demon: … Noted. So… what would you say if I told you that last night I saw some kind of… monster?

Ava: Depends. What’d this monster look like?

Demon: Well… he looked like Dan, at least at first.

Ava: Whoa, plot twist. Keep going.

Demon: Once I figured out it wasn’t actually Dan, it attacked me. Then its face kind of melted off, and underneath the skin was just… dirt. Like a… I don’t know.

Ava: A golem.

Demon: A golem? What’s that?

Ava: A humanoid form usually crafted from dirt or clay, animated by a supernatural force. Sounds like it fits the bill.

Demon: I guess. The weirdest thing is that I woke up the next morning and it was gone. Why would it just attack me and leave?

Ava: Full disclosure, my knowledge of golems is, like, sixty percent Wikipedia and forty percent this dude named ‘MagicStan75’ who I met on a warlock forum. Maybe whatever power that animated the golem is temporary. Or maybe it was all a dream.

You shudder, reaching up to feel your neck.

Demon: Definitely not a dream. Dreams don’t leave bruises.

Ava: They can, actually. There are beings who can enter or even affect your dreams. One of those could probably use your dreams to hurt you. You could also be under a curse or something. I’ve read a lot about cursed dreams.

Demon: What, just for fun?

Ava: Sure, let’s go with that.

Demon: Ava, how do you know all this stuff?

Ava: Well, there’s this thing called the internet…

Demon: You know what I mean. It seems like you’ve been studying this for a while.

Ava: The world’s a freaky place, Demon. We learned that the hard way. I just wanna be ready the next time something happens.

Demon: Thanks, Ava. I really needed to talk to someone, but I didn’t think anyone would believe me.

Ava: Hmm. Jury’s still out on me believing you. You could be making all this up to screw with me.

Demon: Do… people do that to you?

Ava: They try, but my kung fu is strong.

Demon: Well… then thanks for listening to me without immediately dismissing me. It helps a lot.

Ava: Cool. Glad to help. Okay, I think I’m done now.

Demon: Uh, done with…

Ava: Being nice. See, I’ve got this whole bitter misanthrope thing going on. If people see us being all friendly, they might think it’s okay to talk to me.

Demon: Can’t have that.

Ava: I would literally die.

You pick up your stuff and start edging towards the stairs.

Ava: Hey, Demon.

Demon: Yeah?

Ava: You’re not as big a tool as most people.

Demon: Coming from you, that means a lot.

Ava: Yes it does.

You make your way down the bleachers as they continue to fill, looking for any place you can squeeze in… Finally, you spot one empty seat… right next to a familiar figure slouching in the second row…

Demon: Oh, crap…

You quickly turn around, desperately scanning the crowd for another open seat, any seat but that one… but there aren’t any. You consider trying to sneak back out the gym doors, until someone shouts at you from a few rows up.

Cody: Hey, Demon! Sit your stupid ass down, unless you wanna watch from the garbage can!

Demon: I….

Jocelyn: Hello? You’re blocking our view, and there’s a spot right there.

Wincing, you turn back around to see Noah looking right at you.

Demon: Hey, Noah. Do you mind if…?

Noah: Knock yourself out.

Noah scoots over, and you squeeze in beside him.

Demon: So… what’s been up with you? We haven’t really talked since…

Demon: Yeah… I know.l

You sit, neither of you saying another word. Down on the floor of the gym, a tall, handsome guy with glasses walks up to a podium.

Lucas: How you doing, Westchester High?

The students roar in response! The bleachers rumble and shake as the crowd pounds their feet on the wood.

Demon: Whoa… When did Lucas get so hot?

Noah: Yeah, yeah. Everyone loves the tall guy with cool hair.

Lucas waves to the cheering crowd, flashing a smile.

Lucas: Welcome back, everyone! For anyone who doesn’t know me already, I’m Lucas Thomas, your student body president. I know everyone’s a little salty that summer is over, but trust me… this is going to be one school year you’ll never forget. And on that note, let’s kick this pep rally off, Westchester Wolf style!

At Lucas’ signal, several cheerleaders jump from the bleachers, bouncing and waving their pom poms in the air!

Stacy: You can do better than that! Let’s hear it!

Demon: Looks like Stacy’s doing pretty well too…

One by one, the cheerleaders tumble across the gym. Stacy draws thunderous cheers as she pulls off an effortless roundoff into a backflip!

Demon: Whoa! That’s incredible!

Noah: Yay. Go team.

Beaming, Stacy looks back at the rest of the cheer squad, her smile suddenly fading as she locks eyes with Britney… Stacy turns… and suddenly trips over her own feet, sprawling on her face!

Stacy: Aaahhh!

Demon: Stacy!

You jump to your feet, hurrying to help Stacy up.

Demon: Are you okay? What happened?

Stacy: Nothing… I’m just a klutz, I guess.

Demon: You think you’re a klutz? You did a freaking backflip! Seriously, if that’s what a klutz looks like, then sign me up for klutz lessons.

Stacy: Thanks, Demon, you’re a sweetheart.

Demon: I try.

Jocelyn: Hahahahahahaha! Did you see that? She was all like, WHAM, ‘Aaaaaaaaaahhh!’

Cody: Please tell me the school news nerds got that on camera.

Blushing, Stacy rejoins the rest of the squad. You sit back down as, at the other end of the gym, Britney steps forward with a smug smile.

Britney: Check this out…

Britney takes three running steps, then flies into a no-handed cartwheel! The crowd roars as she sticks the landing!

Demon: Ugh. Why do people like her so much? They’ve got to know how horrible she is.

Noah: And? She’s hot and she can do flips. We can’t compete with that.

Lucas grins from the podium as the cheerleaders return to their seats.

Lucas: Well, now that the cheer squad is done totally blowing our minds… let’s give it up for the Westchester Wolves basketball team!

More applause sounds as the group of guys in basketball jerseys forms up in front of the podium.

Ben: Awwooooooo!

Andy: Yeah! Go Wolves!

Noah: Huh, Andy actually made the team this year.

Demon: Good for him! Looks like he’s been working hard! I can’t wait to see him play!

You flinch as Cody’s voice breaks through the general applause.

Cody: Watch out, it’s the TRIPLE THREEEAAAAAT!

Andy’s head snaps in the direction of Cody’s voice, his face suddenly twisting with anger.

Andy: Hey! Why don’t you come down here and--

He takes one step toward the bleachers, but stops himself as Lucas calls the team captain up to the podium.

Ben: Thanks, Lucas. What up, Westchester High?

The crowd whoops and stomps in response!

Ben: We’ve got our first game coming up in a couple days, so you guys had better be here to watch us crush it. Not gonna lie, we’ve got a couple rookies on the team this year, but I’m not gonna let that stop--

Ben pauses as the gym lights suddenly flicker!

Ben: Huh?

Demon: Oh no…

Lucas’ voice calls out over the speakers, drowning out the nervous chatter of the students.

Lucas: Everyone, stay seated! We don’t want anyone to fall from the--kssssshhhhkkk!

A burst of static cuts him off, and the music stutters, fading in and out. With a loud BANG, the gym doors are blown open by a frigid gust of wind… The lights flicker back on, and your nearly jump out of your seat as Noah suddenly grabs your arm.

Demon: Gah! What are you--

Noah: Shut up! Do you hear that?!

Demon: Hear what?

Noah: Ssssshhhh!

And you do hear it…  Just barely on the edge of your perception, you hear a sound that snatches all the breath from your body and leaves you cold.

Demon: No… Not here…

You look around, picking out the faces of your former friends…

Andy: What the…

Lucas: This can’t be!

Lily: N-no way…

Stacy: Oh my god…

Ava: Oh f--

The music splutters and dies as the lights shut off completely, leaving only the voice. A voice that is at once completely alien… and horribly familiar.

Voice: Everyone… plays… together...

Thoughts on the episode…

I know that ILITW is an incredibly popular series with Choices’ fans which is why it pains me to admit that… it’s not really my thing. Maybe I just haven’t given it enough of a chance, but I played it before up to episode 5 and it wasn’t gripping me the way it seemed to be gripping everyone else. Horror as a genre doesn’t excite me and another story in a high school setting when I haven’t been to school in a few years… well, I’m getting old and I find it hard to relate.

That being said, I’m going to give it another chance. I do like the characters, they have some of the most depth in Pixelberry’s wide array of creations and the premise of the story is actually interesting. And I enjoyed playing this chapter more than I remembered from last time.

I will say that if they haven’t spoken in years, how does Dan have Demon and Lily’s numbers? It’s that classic thing from American shows where they can all call each other despite having never spoken before.

Fave Character of the Chapter: Hilda

Least Fave Character of the Chapter: Cody

[aboleth-eye]

Character Ask! Pick a Number!

Hey everyone!  I’ve been working on 12 characters for a D&D 3.5 campaign for the last few weeks.  They’re for a two-shot module I’m planning on running in the future.  One that, with such a wide cast of available player characters, has tons of replay value.

I’m planning on running the campaign with my friends in March; but afterwards I’d love to play it again with the lovely people of Tabletop Tumblr!  

Here are all my characters!  If you’d like to know about one, send me their number in an ask!

Alrienne, Elf Ranger -- Focused Huntress, Secretive Houndmaster

Chavasti Gibberstep, Rune-Etched (Illumian) Battle Dancer/Sorcerer -- Champion Feminist, Ravishing Wrestler

Orletta Whitebriar, Human Enchanter -- Charming Noble, Overprepared Mage

Brencis Hagkiller, Human Avenging Druid -- Scaled Naturalist, Primal Rager

Reiss Redcrown, Human Transmuter/Barbarian -- Forever Young, Quick Temper

Raimbaud the Steadfast, Aasimar Paladin -- Illuminated Champion, Nightmare-Haunted

Herleva Goldenchain, Halfling Divine Bard -- Fate Singer, Inquisitive Storyteller

Roum, Tiefling Spellthief -- Magic Stealer, Playful Investigator

Dolkia Opalhilt, Dwarf Fighter -- Chivalrous Princess, Unbreakable Warrior

Pagarra Ny’Evasel, Half-Elf Archivist/Fighter -- Deposed Tombkeeper, Naive Mystic

Toko Imabari, Human Hexblade -- Cursed Blade, Dangerous Beauty

Uraennen Fastwhisper, Gnome Ranger -- Leaping Hammer, Jolly Cooperator

[cyberkevvideo]

Throne of Night - Speculated Level Build for Book 5

This is something entirely new for me to try out. When I was going down the list of pictures for Book 5, I came to realize that there’s lots of pictures don’t have much in the way of encounters, or are wide open for speculation. I’ll get into it more when the time comes, but for now I thought it’d be fun to take a blank map and go “what if?” with it. Looking at various pictures, I’m sure I’m way of basis, and there’s a completely different reason for the machine to exist, but for now this is just for fun. As such, there’s no actual builds, just shorthand thoughts and class theories.

As always, for space reasons, I’ll be cropping the entry.

All images shared here were done by the forever fantastic and amazingly talented Michael D. Clarke, aka SpiralMagus

I do not have a Patreon or a Kickstarter, but I do have a Ko-Fi page (linked) for those who wishes to support me monetarily. There is no pressure or obligation to do so.

Finally, before I get to it, I hope everyone’s staying safe right now.

When I learned of the “capture ship”, I started to wonder what exactly that meant. Was it the ship that took people (namely drow) prisoner and transported them to the aboleth city where they’d be changed to skum or similar tainted creatures? It definitely seemed like a possibility. So instead of getting sleep like a normal person, I jotted down some stuff and here we are.

At some point during Book 5, while the PCs are on their boat traversing the rivers, they happen upon a device that’s named a “lure”. Whether it is currently working or not, is unknown, but right behind that, is the capture ship.

The lure seems like a wondrous item that probably mimics rainbow pattern, luring a fascinated creature towards the submarine, causing them to eventually be captured.

For how it’s built, I would estimate that it’s an activation item that goes off with alarm when a living creature is so many feet within it, possibly 40 feet. For the typical creature, the will save is going to be nearly impossible for them to make. Personally, I’d make this a heightened widened rainbow pattern that’s CL 15th for an 8th level spell, making the Will save DC 22. Depending on how well built the party is, that could difficult for your typical fighter, and rainbow pattern isn’t an enchantment, but an illusion.

No matter how the PCs manage to get in, there’s a map for the GM.

While I’m glad such a map exists, as someone who has to draw out the maps for players, I hate when the legend says “1 square = 10 feet.” It’s so annoying. At least all the important areas are squares or rectangles.

This is where I take a bunch of liberties for how things might go. How so? I have no art to back up the hypothesis I’m about to lay out. I think I might have one piece of art that takes place at this location, maybe two???, but there’s no way I can 100% guarantee that’s actually the case.

I said in a previous entry that this sub is likely what gets the PCs to the underwater aboleth city that they’re to finish the module. As such, for them to get there, either then Engineering area section or the Command area might have the coordinates already programmed in it for the PCs to just hit the “Start” button, and away they go. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

A question I was asked was how do you get the Lovecraftian creatures that appear in Book 6, make sense? It’s not like Books 1-4 had a lead up in some way that warned of a star spawn final boss. At some point the PCs will come across a monolith and some fossils of an aboleth, so their existence isn’t that big of a surprise come Book 5. The other things though? They’re harder to accept. So, you do what makes sense. Introduce a gateway encounter. And in this regard, I’m suggesting a deep one with an unholy symbol that the PCs will have never seen before, let along possibly read about in any kind of religious text. At this stage in the game, it’d probably be a DC 30 just to get hints.

Below, are what the party will be facing off against over the course of this level. And no, I didn’t stat them out, but I did give a breakdown, and even tried to find builds that at least started them off. Not all of them have that though. I’m probably way off basis, so I didn’t feel it was necessary, but if a GM liked what’s presented, they could quickly finish what I already started. As for “The Great Destroyer”, it’s Cthulhu. It’s a title I used to describe where the star spawn originated from as well. It’s all about bringing it back around.

Ceratioidi fighter (two-weapon warrior) 9/psychic (faith discipline) 6 - CR 16 --Deity: The Great Destroyer

Deep one cleric of the Great Destroyer 16 - CR 17 --Domains: madness, void (dark tapestry) --is the offspring of the star spawn --PC wealth (inherent bonus to all stats)

Skum sentries x6 (inquisitor [imprisonment inquisition] 8/ranger [guide] 4) - CR 13 each --Combat style: two-handed weapon --Favored terrain: water

Skum engineers x8 (expert 2/fighter 8) - CR 11 each

Skum cleric of the Great Destroyer 13 - CR 14

Chuul sentinel x2 (barbarian [invulnerable rager] 8) - CR 15

Skum sorcerer (aberrant bloodline) 14 (add selective metamagic rod) - CR 15

Water elemental construct (powering vessel) - CR 13

As for prisoners, I thought 10 would be sufficient. Maybe 8 drow and 2 duergar. They would all be fatigued and possibly suffering from a deep corruption. If anyone’s read, the “From Shore to Sea” module, you know that there’s skum and aboleth influence happening all throughout. If you didn’t, I apologize for the spoilers, but purposely kept out the details. At any rate, SPOILERS... as the game progresses, the PCs are slowly transformed, as if they were in an aboleth’s muck. This is called a warping effect, that thankfully can be slowed down by successful Fortitude saves. However, if you fail, you suffer from a minor, moderate, and finally a major taint. Things as minor as one’s skin becomes sweaty and clammy, to it becoming more slimy like mucus (granting a bonus on Escape Artist checks), to it finally cracking painfully unless it’s kept wet or submerged for a day, otherwise they’re staggered until they do so. And that was just their skin. There were still taints for blood, head, limbs, lungs, and organs. Essentially, you slowly are transformed into a creature that looks like a hybrid between a skum and deep one.

Getting into it, when the PCs first arrive in Area 1, they’ll notice that one exit is locked while the second is twisting open, and letting in their first encounter. This the first set of guards; a chuul sentinel and two skum sentries, for an EL 17 fight. Depending on how things go, back up might be called in, making the fight more difficult. Maybe even impossible. Note that at this point in the story, encounters need to be between CR 16 and 18 for it to be considered a challenge for the party. You could go up to CR 19, but at that point you’re taking a chance of it being lethal.

For the encounters, I’m assuming that everyone is moving around as they please. The exceptions would be the deep one, who’s pretty much guaranteed to be in the Command Level, and the construct which would be strictly located in its area. Everyone else could be anywhere, but I’ll still list where they likely would be.

For the most part, the skum sentries will be moving around the Prison Level and the second chuul sentinel will be chilling in Area 15. At any point they are attacked, they’ll blow a whistle to notify the others, who’ll be there in 2d3 rounds to aid in battle. Because the hallways are only 10 feet wide, they aren’t worried about being overwhelmed, and will use the terrain to their advantage if PCs have the ability to fire into melee. By that, I mean not all of the cells are locked. The empty ones certainly aren’t, and it wouldn’t take much to dip into another room to avoid a shot or two.

While the skum engineers will most likely all be in the Engineering section, once they hear the whistle get blown, they’ll move to the Prison Level and help out their comrades.

The water elemental construct was just added for fun, and not much of a threat, considering most constructs can’t be advanced like other monsters. It’s in Area 7 of the Command Level, and I have it set up that it’s what’s powering the entire sub. It doesn’t have to though. An elder water elemental could do it too. Might be difficult to wrangle one, and summons only last so long.

Not entirely sure why Area 3 of the Engineering Level is blown up to show the details, but that’s where I’d put the skum sorcerer and make that his alchemist lab. If the whistle’s blown, he won’t go right away. He’ll buff himself for a couple of rounds before heading out.

This leaves the ceratioidi, skum cleric, and deep one cleric. All three would start off on the Command Level, with the deep one in Area 8, the skum in Area 5 (turn it into an unholy shrine area), and ceratioidi in Area 1, about to head down to 1st level to check in with the engineers.

If, for whatever reason, the PCs happen to get captured, any magic users would be placed in Area 9 of the Prison Level. It looks like there’s runes of some kind that might block magical casting.

With regards to magic items on board, everyone has to eat, so a cauldron of plenty would make the most sense. It feeds upward of 36 people a day. This would be in addition to any hunting the skum might do, or any fishing that could happen. The clerics can also memorize create food and drink as spells, or have scrolls on hand, on the off chance they begin to run out of food. At the same time, a more powerful version of the sustaining spoon could also exist on board, allowing all 10 prisoners to eat the cardboard gruel for nourishment.

Area 3 of the Command Level would be where I’d place the cauldron, as well as any gear that was removed from prisoners.

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

And that, is the quick breakdown of what I’d do with this map for Book 5. I’m sure I’m barking up the wrong tree though. Still, it’s fun to consider. As for the other rooms, I can’t find a good version of the map to really see what’s all in the rooms, but those prison cells would definitely get some use.

Hope you enjoyed the journey down this rabbit hole.

[rndmtbldrw]

Inked up and ready for color later, think #inktober2019 entry is a orc monk of the Savage Way. Working on some interesting characters and subgroups for a story/setting or something in that ballpark. Anyway, box text for those nerdy enough below. Box Text: Monks of the Savage Way wield no melee weapons, rather, turn themselves into Savage Instruments through piercings, body modifications and grafting wicked, jagged, dark armor to their bodies at shin, forearm, fist and foot...at least. The process of fusing the armor or "soul hardening" is part mystical, part feat of endurance. Other rituals and tests of the monastic order seem extremely painful and sadistic to outsiders but to the monks - it is purification through pain that hardens the will and fuses it to flesh and becomes the wellspring of their power. Legends have it that this monastic school, comprised mainly of orcs, was originally founded by a human (who cast aside his name to become the Vessel of Savagery) who ventured deep into orcish territory "hardening" himself into a living weapon and harnessing the raw power of savagery while perfecting his art; The Savage Way. * The Savage Way requires a CON score of at least 14. Natural armor and natural armor (soul hardened) at lvl 4, 8, 12, 16 & 20) bonuses as well as additional damage (tbd - can be enchanted or rune enhanced depending on path) and melee strikes considered magical weapons at level 5. The Savage Way also fuses part of the barbarian rage and wreckless feats with a specific set if combat and movement ki skills. (Think balanced barbarian/monk...maybe a touch of battle rager.) Two possible paths to take as the player choose but the fuse as a whole by level 20. Can't spill too much here. (at Little Havana) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4LkXCLAE6F/?igshid=b0kvyohwufnu

[dotafirstblood]

“What if Low Prio gets divided into some kind of circles of the hell, one being more deep than other?”

“1st hell: Loud people (Limbo)

There shall be the people who talked on their games with offensive behavior to his mates and enemies, those who fall in this hell will have a sight of the heaven, but cannot quite be in there until their punishment have been completed (1 game low prio for chat abuse and offensive words like racism, sexism and such and muted for 3 days)

2nd hell: The Leavers (Lust)

for those who repeatedly abandon, be it intentionally or not , you will find yourself with the same kind of people who venerated their own pleasure at the cost of other ones, or just fell into the temptation of abandoning a game (2 games of low prio, 1day without ranked after completing the low prio)

3rd Hell: The skill abusers (gluttony)

This hell is designed for people who pick techies who abuses their own skills against the allies, purposely disrupting games as they try to win matches, a hell designed to be selfless, where any selfish action will make you starve more for wins. (each loss resets the counter, max 1 reset, 2 wins to get out of low prio, 3 days without ranked after leaving low prio)

4th hell: The feeders (Greed, kind of reversed)

designed for people who find themselves intentionally feeding their gold to the enemies, abusing mechanics as courier purchasing to give more gold and make the game extremely hard to win for allies due to your necessity of having that min 0 Bounty rune or the carry role on that lane lack of teamwork and incapability of collaborating with people for a good game experience (3 wins to get out of low prio, losing once resets the counter, max 3 resets, 2 weeks without ranked after leaving the hell)

5th hell: The ragers (Wrath)

there you shall find those who destroy their items and go AFK the full game, or feed items intentionally to make the game and unpleasant place for their allies, they should be all together in a river of burning blood trying all the same time to get out of that unpleasant hell (4 wins to get out, each loss resets the counter, max 2 resets, after leaving the hell, 3 weeks without ranked)

6th hell: Smurfers (Heresy)

For those who in life betrayed the belief of their own skill and sell their souls to the devil, or wants to trick people on the existence of magic beyond the reality (consistent show of huge skill on their games), this hell is designed for accounts who were discovered using bots to get a high rank on their mmr. (2 years of punishment, flagged as known cheater, mmr restarted)

7th hell: The bots NOT certified A.I. (violence)

hell designed for those who never showed a sign of love for themselves, letting themselves be killed by the enemy over and over again, for them to gain levels and game count, or those who keep a certain mmr for others to abuse the system and get at higher levels for when the heaven decides to give the mere humans the so infamous seasonal mmr, and of course, for those who abused such system to gain games or in the attempt to leave the hell (8 years of ban).

8th hell: The cheaters or script abusers (fraud)

for those who try to cheat in the game with autoused skills, faking their own skill at the cost of baffling your enemy due to insane reactions(VAC Banned)

9th hell: Match fixers (Treachery)

this final hell is designed for those who attempt to betray the true competitive spirit of Dota by betting against your own team, this hell is designed exclusively for that people who wanted to profit by the loss of their own blood and rtz if he goes to secret once more (banned for every profitable Dota 2 non local tournament for a fixed amount of time depending on the importance of the game)”

-ddlion7 [Link]

This was a good read.

[williamkenedy]

The Legend of the A-Khela, Part II

It took a fortnight until Annariel was fit to travel. While she was recovering, Astred had returned to Ravndal to report what had happened. Arl Thelm had sent another group of warriors to escort Annariel back to Ravndal. Leading them was a young warrior named Marjoner. He had a tall and sturdy build, with short dark hair and an affable personality. He had served with some distinction in battle, and he had been raised to a seat in the court of the Arl as an advisor. When he entered, Annariel stood from the bed, using her spear to support her weight. The two had met on several occasions, and they were friends, if not terribly close. He led Annariel to her horse, and the party set off for Ravndal. While they traveled, Marjoner told her that other villages had been attacked by these wolves, and that Gellena had revealed that they were products of similar blood magic to that which had created the blood ragers. The Arl had ordered that traps be laid throughout the North, and all wolves should be caught and killed so that they could not be used by their enemies. Marjoner continued, telling of how some of the wolves that were captured alive were taken to the arena in Ravndal, where warriors who were bold enough could prove their bravery and skill by facing a starved wolf in single combat. He said it was inspired by her single combat with the alpha. She shook her head, surprised that the Arl would have taken such a drastic action against nature. He had always respected the gods and nature, regardless of what other chieftains had complained about or said. He had always said that all life should be held sacred, as the gods have blessed all those under the sky. It would have taken extremely strong counsel to shift his mind in this fashion.

When they finally arrived at Ravndal, Annariel was asked to ride at the head of the company. As she entered the city, the streets were lined with people. As they saw her, a great cheer erupted from the crowd. She rode down the streets, stunned into silence by the outpouring of adulation from the crowd. As she reached the steps of the palace, with its towering wood and stone rising above her like a mountain, she looked up to see the Arl standing in his finest armor. At his side was Gellena, Astred, and many other nobles. She dismounted, and the Arl beckoned for her to approach. She advanced timidly at first, unsure of what to expect. However, a smile from Astred gave her a sense of security, and her steps became more confident. When she stood before the Arl, he motioned for her to kneel.

“Shieldmaiden Annariel, you have proven your exceptional bravery and strength against unimaginable foes”, the Arl proclaimed, “Your service is worthy of every glory and honor. Therefore, let you henceforth be known as Annariel Wolfslayer. Furthermore, I bestow on you the title of Valkyrie. Accept these tokens of your new station”. An steward came forward and handed the Arl a beautiful cloak. It was made from the hide of the alpha, dyed purple and covered in the runes and symbols of a valkyrie. The fur that lined it was still black, and the alpha’s head had been shrunk so that it could be affixed to the left shoulder of the cape. The Arl draped the cape around her shoulders, fastening it with a silver brooch set with amethyst. The alpha’s head rested on her left shoulder, it’d lifeless eye staring off into the east. The Arl then reached for an ornate spear made of the finest steel. He touched it to each of Annariel’s shoulders, then he bid her rise. He smiled, then handed her the spear and turned her to face the crowd. The newly christened valkyrie thrust her spear into the sky, and the crowd roared their approval.

That evening, a great feast was held to honor Annariel. The food and drink was exceptional, but what Annariel loved most was the dance. From the minstrel’s first note, she grabbed Astred and the two danced with a grace unmatched by any. They inspired others, and soon the hall was filled with dancing. Marjoner cut in to dance with Annariel.  He was somewhat clumsy in his movement, but his effort was genuine. Annariel smiled, but soon returned to dancing with Astred. Marjoner retreated to a corner of the feasting hall, watching Annariel as she spun and leapt in perfect time. The Arl gave many toasts, and all were satisfied. The palace fires burned late into the night, and the feast seemed to all who were gathered like a feast in Valhalla.

The next morning, Annariel was invited by the Arl to observe the Challenge of the Wolf that her exploits had inspired. Several wolves had been captured alive, and each had been claimed by a challenger. Wearing her wolfskin cloak and carrying her spear, she was seated next to the Arl in his box. The arena lay below, a simple dirt pit surrounded by a wooden wall. In the past, this had been home to hunts or contests of skill between warriors. Annariel still had her reservations about the Arl’s order, but she didn’t dare question it in public. She would have to wait until she could secure a private audience. The master of the arena read off the name of the first challenger, who entered the arena carrying a massive greataxe. A cage was positioned on the other side of the arena, which contained  a wolf with a light brown coat. It looked starved and desperate, pacing inside its cage. A horn sounded, and the cage was opened. The wolf darted out, seeking a way to escape the pit. Finding none, it turned towards the warrior. The man charged at the wolf, swinging his axe in a wide arc. The wolf dodged, then lunged at the man’s heels. He struck the wolf with the haft of his axe, knocking it back. The wolf yelped, but quickly regained its footing. The wolf dodged many blows from the warrior’s axe, but eventually its movements slowed with exhaustion. Finally, the warrior brought his axe down in a crushing blow. The axe head split the wolf’s back in two, and the wolf let out a whimper before its breath stopped. The warrior lifted his bloody axe in victory, and the crowd roared its approval. Annariel had turned her head away before the final blow was struck. She felt sickened by the sight she had witnessed, but she said nothing for fear of contradicting the Arl. Several more wolves met their ends in similar ways, with the warriors that challenged them suffering only minor wounds. Finally, the arena master announced the final challenger.

“Our final challenger, Marjoner, advisor to the Arl. He will face the prize wolf of today’s contest, captured on the border of Valkensvi”. Marjoner strode into the arena confidently, his sword flashing in the sunlight. The cage with his challenger was also carried in, though unlike those that had come before, it was covered by a thick black cloth.

“I dedicate this challenge to my Arl, and to the mighty Wolfslayer!”, Marjoner shouted. He then motioned for the cage to be opened. The horn sounded. The cloth was torn away. The sight that met Annariel struck her like a hammer.

Within the cage was the same wolf that had defended her against the blood ragers. It’s black fur had lost none of its luster, and the thin white stripes and paws and face were now free from the stain of blood. Unlike the previous wolves, it seemed calm, and it did not pace in the cage. When the cage door swung open, it walked slowly out into the arena. The wolf fixed its golden eyes on Marjoner, who readied his sword and shield to attack. The wolf stood its ground silently. Annariel was aghast. She could not let her savior’s fate be the same as that of the others whose blood stained the arena floor. She grabbed her spear and leapt out of the Arl’s box. She raced through the crowd as Marjoner advanced cautiously towards the wolf. By the time she vaulted the wall, the two were within striking distance. As she landed in the arena, Marjoner raised his sword to deliver a blow. The wolf made no indication that it would dodge. She stood and began to run, but she was too late. The blade fell through the air.

It found a sheath in the dirt of the arena floor. The wolf had casually sidestepped the blow at the last minute. It made no move to counterattack. Marjoner pulled his blade free and took a step back, reestablishing his defense. The two circled as Annariel raced towards them, crying for them to stop. They were deaf to her pleas amid the roar of the crowd, and Marjoner attacked a second time. However, this time the wolf did not need to dodge, as Annariel’s spear parried the strike. The crowd let out a series of confused shouts as she forced Marjoner back from the wolf. She pointed her spear at his throat and told him to disarm. Marjoner dropped his weapons and stepped back. The Arl stood and demanded to know what she was thinking. She held her hand up for silence, and the crowd complied. She then turned to face the wolf. Its golden eyes looked to her spear, then her cloak, then met her gaze. Annariel raised her spear, then thrust it into the dirt. She stripped the cloak from her shoulders, letting it fall away as she walked towards the wolf. The wolf did not move or shift its gaze as she approached. She knelt before the wolf and extended her hand. The wolf placed its snow white paw in her hand, and there was a sudden, blinding flash of light.

When the crowd recovered their sight, the wolf was gone. In its place was a man, his hand in Annariel’s. They both stood, and all took him in. He stood naked, revealing a thin, lithe body. His pale skin was covered in tattoos of black intertwining lines that mirrored the white lines of the wolf’s fur. On his left chest was the same rune that had been on the forehead of the wolf. His long black hair bore a streak of pure white. Even Annariel was stunned by what had happened. She blushed at his nakedness, and handed the man her cloak so that he might cover himself. He cocked his head to the side, seeming not to understand what she was doing. Then he spoke. His voice was pleasant and rich, with a slight bark to its cadence. However, his words were not in the common language of the North, nor of any regional dialect or form of speech from the South. They were from the ancient language of the shamans. None present could understand what he said, and he repeated himself, looking around with a perplexed expression. A steward was immediately dispatched to find Gellena and bring her to the arena. Meanwhile guards leapt into the arena and surrounded both the man and Annariel. The man panicked, dropping into a low crouch with his hands touching the ground. His golden eyes continued to scan the guards, as if he expected them to attack. Annariel ordered the men to lower their weapons, but to no avail. The tense standoff lasted several minutes. Finally, Gellena hobbled into the arena, flanked by the Arl and Marjoner. The encircling guards parted to allow the old woman to approach. She spoke to the man in the ancient language, and he responded eagerly. The two went back and forth, and she pointed to the cloak. She must have explained to the man that he was naked, as he nodded and then covered himself appropriately. She then led him from the arena towards the temple, while the crowd stood in stunned silence at what they had just witnessed. The Arl and Marjoner approached Annariel and asked if she was ok, but she ignored them. Instead, she followed Gellena and the man back to the temple.

When they arrived, she sat in the corner as the old woman and the man conversed in the ancient language. Simple clothes of black cloth were brought for the man, and Gellena helped him to dress properly. The man then walked up to Annariel and handed her cloak. She accepted it, continuing to stare as he resumed talking to Gellena. Suddenly, the two fell silent. They walked to the central fire, standing on either side of it. The two began to chant in unison, their voices mixing into a resonant whole. Some of the runes on Gellena’s staff began to glow, as did the tattoos on the man’s skin. The fire danced to the words that they chanted. Suddenly, the shaman struck her staff against the floor, and the man’s hands clapped together. He slowly turned to Annariel. Their eyes met.

“Thank you for your cloak”, the man said. His speech was flawless, and this sudden change caused Annariel to jump back. Both Gellena and the man laughed. Gellena explained that she had used her magic to allow him to speak and understand the language of the north. She went on to explain that neither she nor the man had any idea how he came to be, if he had always been a wolf, or where he was from. He had no memories of any time that he was not a wolf, and therefore he had no name.

“However, I think the whe will call you Khela”. The shaman said to the man. She then explained to Annariel that Khela was the rune inscribed on the man’s chest, and that it meant wolf in the ancient language. The old shaman said that she would keep Khela with her for the night, and teach him some of the basic manners he would need. The newly named Khela suddenly rushed forward and hugged Annariel, and licked her face. Annariel was shocked by such a forward display of affection, that she froze. Khela quickly realised he had done something wrong and released her. Gellena laughed and said that everything would be alright.  She then dismissed Annariel so she could begin tutoring her new student.

Annariel wandered back to where she lived, oblivious to all around her. When she arrived, she was met by Astred, who had just returned from a scouting mission and had heard about the events at the arena. Annariel recounted the true events of how the wolf had saved her when she had witnessed the blood ritual, and how she could not allow her savior to be destroyed. The shield sisters sat for a while in silence, both processing the events. Marjoner arrived later, but Annariel refused to see him. She had too much on her mind to consider. As she slipped into a restless dream, she thought of the prophecy that Gellena had recounted. “You will know him by his mark.”

In the days that followed, Khela was seen wandering the streets of the Ravndal. While Gellena had convinced him to wear pants out of concern for decency, he wore no shirt. His hair was pulled back, the white streak running the length to where it was secured with a leather thong. He took interest in everything he came across, asking curious questions of anyone who would suffer him. He was often accompanied by Gellena. Khela bounded around the wizened shaman, eventually exhausting her with his seemingly boundless energy. Luckily for Gellena, the pair encountered Annariel and Astred as they made their way towards the training fields. Khela raced forward on all fours and tackled Annariel, violently licking her face. Astred laughed at her shield sister’s misfortune as annariel pushed Khela off her. The old shaman admonished Khela, then asked the two if they might take him with them to the training fields to let him expend some excess energy. The two agreed, and the three set off.

The field was full of warriors. Some sparred with blunted weapons, while others wrestled or engaged in other training exercises. The three walked amid the men and women until they found an open space. Khela’s eyes were wide as he took in all the sights of the field. The women decided to test his strength and combat skills now that he was no longer a wolf. After explaining the rules of wrestling, Annariel attacked Khela. He easily sidestepped her, and she tumbled to the ground. Astred laughed, then joined in the fray. The two women launched repeated attacks, but Khela’s canine agility had carried over into his human form. He easily evaded them, and often would trip them up and pin them. He would playfully nip at their ears or nose before letting them up again. After a while, they retrieved blunted swords and shields from the quartermaster. The two women tried to get Khela to use the shield properly, but he kept abandoning it in order to attack with both hands. Finally, Annariel gave up on the shield and decided to try giving him two swords. Khela adapted to this fighting style quickly, using the swords in the same way he had used his claws as a wolf. Even with her spear, Annariel found it difficult to repel his swift slashes and agile footwork. He had natural skill as a warrior, and soon their sparring attracted a crowd. The men and women that gathered placed bets on who would emerge successful, the wolf man or the shield sisters. Amid the crowd was Marjoner, and though he did not bet, he hoped that Khela would lose. The melee was fierce, with Khela using all his wolf-like agility to parry attacks from Annariel’s spear and Astred’s sword. Finally, Khela found his opening. Annariel had retreated to prepare for another strike, so he boldly tackled Astred. He placed his teeth on her throat, and she was called dead. He then rolled to his feet to face Annariel. The valkyrie lunged with her spear. Khela barely ducked under the spear, pushing the point skyward with one of his swords while he slid into her ankles. She staggered but did not fall. Annariel swung her shield down at Khela, but he rolled between her legs and placed his blade at the back of her neck. The few who had bet on Khela gave out loud cheers, while the rest groaned at having to pay out. Khela reacted to the cheers, giving a vibrant howl. The winners of their bets echoed his howl, as did others who were impressed by the wolf man. Both Annariel and Astred wondered privately whether Khela might be the one chosen by the prophecy. He certainly had great skill, and even on his second day he was drawing others to follow him in little ways. With the mark on his chest, he seemed like he could be the champion. However, Gellena had said he would also be heralded by omens, and none of great significance had been seen. The two women could only look on as the smiling man before them led another round of howls.

Weeks passed, and Khela became a facet of life around Ravndal. He lived in the temple with Gellena, and it was common to see the two of them conversing in the ancient language at any hour. He had adjusted fairly well to life in society, but he still possessed a number of quirks that reminded everyone of his canine past. He refused to sleep in a bed, preferring to curl up in front of the temple’s central fire or on one of the balconies in the open air. He would often cock his head to the side when conversing with others. When he would see Annariel or Astred, he would often break from whatever he was doing and race over to greet them. His loyalty to them was akin to that of a hound raised from birth. In melees on the training fields, he would guard the two zealously, even getting hurt once or twice in the process. At feasts or other gatherings, he could be found sitting on the floor in front of them or seated awkwardly on a bench next to them. Once, he even curled up in Annariel’s lap when they were gathered around a campfire telling stories. Many thought that something would begin between Khela and Annariel, and the two were often seen walking together or playing games by the firelight. Khela showed similar affection to Astred, but anyone who followed his golden eyes knew that his deepest feeling were for Annariel. Whispers among some of the arl’s advisors who had been told of the prophecy said that the union of a Valkyrie with the wolf man would be a clear omen that would name him the chosen champion.

However, other forces were at work while Khela adapted to human life. Attacks continued to plague the borders of the North. Blood ragers and Drakul wolves struck without mercy, but the Arl’s patrols kept them from the heartland of his land. Much of this success was attributed to strategies of Marjoner, the young captain who had risen to be one of the Arl’s most important advisor in the current crisis. His rise had garnered some whispers that he could be the chosen one for his skill and the crest of new lordship being his mark. However, any attention he might have gained was overshadowed by the arrival of Khela. He also had begun seeking to court Annariel, but her time with Khela was making that seem less viable.  He had not been informed of the prophecy due to his junior rank, but he knew that the Arl was looking to elevate Khela, possible above him. This did not sit well with Marjoner, and he began to brood on the dimming of his newborn star.

One day while he was riding home alone from a village that had been attacked, Marjoner was approached by a hooded woman. He could see nothing of her face except her sharp chin, blood red lips, and pale skin. She whispered in his ear all his desires, and claimed to be able to bring them about. She did not reveal her identity, but the detail with which she spoke of Marjoner’s life made him feel assured that she had some place in Ravndal. She provided him with several maps and a small charm bag. The maps bore the Blaghvold clan seal and supposedly detailed routes that their blood ragers and wolves would take to try and make inroads into the Arl’s lands. The woman claimed to have found them abandoned by a freshly extinguished campfire near the tundra. The charm bag, she claimed, would reveal when her promises would come to fruition, and when Marjoner’s ambition would be realized. She would at that time appear, and make a single request of him that he must grant.  He thanked the woman, then sped home in order to take action on his newly gathered intelligence.

When he arrived, he immediately briefed the Arl on his newly discovered intelligence. The Arl gave him full leave to direct forces as he saw fit to counter the threat. As he deployed his men and women, He took care to assign Annariel to serve with him, while sending Khela to one of the most isolated targets. Within a fortnight, Marjoner stood before the Arl to report a complete success of his attacks. The Arl promoted him to the rank of Jarl, which granted him both a title of nobility and a permanent position in the court. His dimming star had brightened again, and he became the focus of the rumors concerning who the champion would be. However, the charm bag never glowed. Marjoner thought nothing of it. He was enjoying the adoring gaze of the people, and the attention of Annariel in particular. The two began spending more time alone, leaving Khela to walk the streets alone.

It was almost a year until the charm bag finally began to glow. Its deep red light lit Marjoner’s bedchambers like a darkened, bloodstained slaughterhouse. He jumped when he saw the woman at the foot of his bed.

“The time has come to grant my request”, she whispered. Marjenor listened with increasing horror and interest as she related the prophecy to him. She went on to claim to know that he would be the one to reveal the betrayer, and that he would come to find out soon after her visit. The woman handed him another map. This one showed Ravndal. Sections of the wall were marked as if to indicate points of attack. He spent the remainder of the night studying the map, and by morning he was before the Arl, presenting him with his plans to fortify Ravndal. The Arl gave his consent with few questions, allowing Marjoner to build defences against incursions at the points shown in the map. He kept the map secret in his quarters, not wanting to reveal the source of his information.

It was nearing the end of the month when the attack finally came. The cold winds of winter were still a ways off, but the air bore a chilling sense of foreboding that night as guards patrolled the ramparts. The first to fall did so silently, as blood ragers that had scalede the walls cut them down from behind. This section of the city’s defences were lighter than normal, as it had not been marked on the map. Majoner had diverted their resources to reinforce other areas. No one in Ravndal knew anything was wrong until the entire city was awoken by the sound of stones being crushed and mortar giving way as some great force pounded into the wall. Guards ran from their heavily fortified positions to see what was happening. When the arrived, they didn’t notice the bodies of their fallen comrades or the obvious traces of the blood ragers. Instead, they looked down at the base of the wall. Preparing to ram the wall was a massive boar. It stood the size of a longship, with six stout legs supporting its massive girth. Its tusks had been capped in massive steel prongs to help it batter down the wall. It launched itself forward. The guards on the ramparts held on for dear life as the wall shook. One tumbled over the crenelations and fell screaming to his death. There was no way the wall could hold back the attack for long.The guards struggled to maintain their balance as they raced along the rampart to warn their comrades.

The sound of the the assault roused Marjoner. He quickly donned his armor and grabbed his weapon. He raced out into the street and looked up to the section of wall where the noise was coming from. He cursed the woman and her map. There was not supposed to be ay assault in that area. He raced to the barracks to rally the rest of the city’s defenders. When he arrived, Annariel and Astred were already directing warriors to arm themselves. Marjoner took the men who were ready towards the wall, while the two women remained to organize the rest of the city’s forces. Marjoner was only halfway to the wall before it collapsed. Majoner pushed his men forward, praying that the guards on the wall would hold the breach until reinforcements could reach them.

Nothing could have prepared either Marjoner or his men for what they saw trying to push their way through the gap in the wall. It seemed as though the gates of the underworld had been opened on the other side of the wall. Horned demons covered with armored scales and claws like swords clambered over the rubble. Creeping along the upper sections of the walls were humanoid creatures with masses of sucker coated tentacles in the place of her arms. Drakul wolves being ridden by blood ragers dashed amid the more otherworldly attackers. It would seem impossible for anyone to stand against such a damned army.

However, there were a small number of warriors engaged in a desperate struggle to hold back the enemy. These were not guards from the walls. None of them carried a shield. Instead, each of them carried a second sword or axe. Each of the warriors had a helmet shaped into the form of a wolf’s head.  Their fur lined armor added to their lupine appearance. These men were Khela’s devoted followers. They lived with him in the temple complex, training alongside him and following him in every aspect of their lives. He was their alpha, and they were his pack. They showed no fear, moving in unspoken coordination to take down one threat after another. In the center of the breach was Khela himself. He single handedly faced off against one of the horned demons. The claws of the beast raked through the air, but Khela’s wolflike agility allowed him to slip past the beasts defences and plunged his swords into the beast’s unarmored belly. Khela mercilessly eviscerated the beast, then leapt to bring down one of the tentacled aberrations on the wall. He and his pack, despite their small size, were actually holding the breach.

Marjoner recovered his bearing and lead his forces to help relieve Khela’s forces. The two fought together against the onslaught, until suddenly Khela snapped his head towards another section of the wall. He gave a howl, and the other lupine warriors echoed the call. They all then raced away from the breach. Marjoner cried out for them to return, calling them all manner of names. Khela’s force ignored him, continuing to disappear through the streets. Marjoner returned his focus to the invading enemies. While his men did not fight with as much coordination as Khela’s pack, they continued to hold the line. He cursed the wolf man as his sword cleaved through a blood rager’s neck.

Across the city, Annariel led her forces towards another section of the wall where there were reports of enemy attacks. When she arrived on the wall, she was greeted by a gruesome sight. Several of the tentacled aberrations had killed the guards on that section. From their mouths extended a twisting tongue that ended in a sharp barb. They stabbed their tongues into the corpses, and began to suck the fluids from the bodies. Annariel and her focres overcame their disgust and horror through their anger and desire to avenge their comrades. She charged, leading her forces against the distorted beings before her. The aberrations withdrew their tongues, then lashed out with their tentacles at the warriors. The tentacles wrapped themselves around the bodies of the warriors, then thorns burst from the suckers to pierce the men’s armor. As the tentacles released the bodies, they were torn apart, spewing blood and entrails across the battlements. Annariel used her spear and shield to keep the tentacles at bay. Her forces were unprepared to deal with this threat, and, they were quickly pushed back. Soon, she stood alone before three of the abominations. As their tentacles reached out to tear her apart, she braced to enter Valhalla as a true Valkyrie. She threw her spear through the bulbous head of the nearest creature, then drew her sword. The remaining two closed in, their suckers pulsating as they attacked. Annariel began to back up, but she suddenly slipped on the gore. The tentacles reached out to end her life.

Blades sliced through the tentacles. The creatures cried out in pain and surprise as Khela’s pack attacked from behind. They tore the aberrations to shreds. Khela raced over to Annariel. He looked her over, then helped her to her feet. He hugged her tightly, glad to see her alive. However, their reunion was cut short by the arrival of Marjoner. He stormed his way onto the battlements, demanding to know why Khela and his warriors had abandoned the breach. Annariel tried to defend Khela, but Marjoner would hear none of it. Khela seemed to ignore Marjoner, looking out from the wall and sniffing the air. Marjoner tried to get in his face, but Khela maintained his focus. Suddenly, Khela let loose a short burst of barks. His pack responded silently, lining up on the walls. Both Marjoner and Annariel were puzzled by their actions. However, their reason soon became apparent. The great boar the had broke through the wall the wall had returned to create another breach. It charged the wall, slamming its iron clad tusks into the wall. Everyone held on for dear life. Then, Khela and his pack let loose a fearsome howl. Then they leapt from the wall. Annariel tried to grab Khela’s cape as he jumped to hold him back, but she was left with just a handful of fur. The pack plummeted down the wall. Suddenly, a chant rose up in the ancient tongue. The warriors did not slow in their descent, but their armor glowed faintly as they fell. The pack hit the giant beast with the force of their fall, staggering it. The boar roared, turning to face its new attackers. The pack attacked the legs, darting in and out while avoiding being crushed underfoot or gored by the boar’s tusks. Marjoner and Annariel could do nothing but watch as Khela and his pack danced around their prey. Finally, the beast fled from the wall. The pack chased the boar for a distance before returning to the wall. They raced to the breach on the ground, while Annariel and Marjoner raced along the top of the wall. When the pack arrived at the breach, they quickly cut a path back into Ravdal. They then joined the forces gathered in pushing back the enemy. When the enemy lines broke and they retreated, Khela and his pack let loose a howl of victory, which was echoed by cries and shouts from the other warriors. Victory had been achieved.

However, the costs of the battle were higher than many had first thought. Many had died. A few enemies that had broken through into the city, and they had killed several women and children. There were funerals for the dead over the following days, and healers worked around the clock to save those who were wounded. Meanwhile, a new battle had begun in the throne room of the Arl. Thelm was furious over how flawed Ravndal’s defences had been. Marjoner bore the brunt of the Arl’s anger, as he had been responsible for planning the city’s protection. Marjoner defended himself, claiming that his defences were based on reliable information. Therefore, Marjoner argued, someone must have informed the enemy of their plans. However, he was not able to offer any proof of this, and so the Arl’s trust in him faded. Marjoner was stripped of his command. Anger surged in him at this disgrace. However, he took solace in his growing relationship with Annariel. Their growing closeness caused a slight rift between him and Khela. The wolf man was never outright hostile, but Marjoner’s actions were always watched closely by his golden eyes.

Khela and his pack were honored by the Arl for their courageous actions during the battle, and the pack grew in size. The Arl tasked Khela and his warriors with patrolling the border, which meant that he was often absent from Ravndal for long periods of time. They served the Arl well, and there was a period of relative peace on the frontier. The pack even struck out into the Valkensvi, trying to find the headquarters of their enemies. They failed to find any sign or indication of a stronghold, but the did find evidence of who was leading the renegade clans against the Arl. The information gathered by the pack showed that the elder shaman of the Blaghvold clan. She held knowledge of ancient blood magic which she had used to create the terrifying forces that had attacked the Arl’s lands. Rumors suggested that she also could use her powers to change her form or bend the will of others to hers. One scrap of information indicated that she might already have someone under her sway. Khela took this information personally to Ravndal to inform the Arl.

However, in Khela’s absence, many things had come to pass. Marjoner and Annariel had announced their betrothal, with the blessing of the Arl. This union brought Marjoner back into the favor of the Arl, and he was restored to the court as an advisor, though he held very little sway. Marjoner still harbored some resentment in his heart over his lost honor, but he knew what he was promised, and his betrothal seemed evidence that all would come to pass as the woman had promised. Even as Marjoner awaited his good fortune, life in Ravndal was stuck by a second assault. It did not come from any army, but from within the walls. Those who had been wounded in the battle had seemed to recover without any serious complications. However, they eventually came down with an inexplicable fever. They could not keep any food down, and they began to develop long, thin welts the color of clotted blood on their skin. Eventually, these welts would grow and burst, violently spewing blood and puss. After this event, the patient would die by the end of the day, the whole time suffering excruciating pain. The disease spread rapidly, and none had yet survived its ravages. The healers and shamans did their best to ease the pain of the afflicted, while Gellena used her knowledge to chant a spell to protect them from contracting the disease. However, even she was powerless to stop the spread of the disease beyond the temple. Each day more infected were brought into the temple to be quarantined. Marjoner was asked by the Arl to be his liaison to Gellena, and he was often seen in the temple with his face covered, searching for any pattern to the illness that might explain its origin. He found one striking commonality, a mark born by each of the dead in some form. He raced to the Arl’s throne room to deliver his report.

Marjoner and Khela entered the throne room at the same time. Khela immediately tensed on seeing Marjoner, though he could not explain why. The Arl called Khela forward first. Khela told Thelm of his pack’s many victories, and that he had uncovered the leader of the forces against the Arl. The wolf man went on to say that he had reason to believe that there was a traitor in the city. Those advisors who knew of the prophecy gasped at this pronouncement, each privately fearing that the champion might already have been thwarted without them even knowing it.

“You know it because you are the traitor!”, Marjoner shouted at Khela. He strode forward and revealed that the only common factor in the infected was that the welts formed the same rune on Khela’s chest right before they burst.  Marjoner went on to say how Khela had known about Ravndal’s defences, and he had been on many missions where he had disappeared for extended periods while claiming to be scouting. He had seemed to be able to predict the enemy’s actions during the attack on Ravndal. Combined with his unexplained origins, Marjoner concluded that there was no other explanation. Khela must be the betrayer. The Arl immediately called for his guards to arrest Khela, but the wolf man was far too quick. He had sensed the danger from the moment Marjoner had opened his mouth. He raced from the room, knocking over the two guards who tried to block his path. As Khela raced out of the palace, he passed Annariel and Astred. The two women had heard that he had returned, and they were excited to see their friend again. As he ran past them, his golden eyes met Annariel’s crystal blue gaze. The pain of regret was obvious in his eyes, and he knew this might be the last time they would see each other. He only paused a moment before racing on, quickly followed by Marjoner and the Arl’s guards. He and the few members of the pack remaining escaped through the breach, which had not yet been fully repaired. The warriors disappeared among the trees, and none had the courage to pursue them.

To be continued...

[zecafeine]

Comme annoncé il y a environ un mois, Honor of Kings a débarqué dans l’hexagone, finalement sous le nom “Arena of Valor”. On va enfin pouvoir goûter du bout de la langue cette soi-disante drogue chinoise, qui semble hypnotiser les joueurs par millions, siphonnant au passage leurs revenus via une mécanique de Free2Play bien huilée.

Vous trouverez une galerie d’images en fin d’article.

Disponible sous iOS et Android, ce MOBA débarque dans un marché bien encombré. On trouve en effet une tonne de clones de LoL, souvent simplifiés à l’extrême, sur les différents stores d’Apple ou Google. Dans la masse, le seul titre original, qui fait même l’effort d’organiser des compétitions internationales, c’est Vainglory, qui malheureusement descend de plus en plus bas sur la pente savonneuse du Pay2Win. La frontière entre Free to play et Pay to win est bien mince, on ne le dira jamais assez… Arena of Valor flirte avec cette frontière de manière plutôt intelligente, mais ne vous méprenez pas : ce genre de jeu a en point de mire votre numéro de carte bleue !

Une découverte en douceur

Dès les premières parties, on voit la différence entre Arena of Valor et les clones moins évolués. La prise en main du joueur est parfaite, avec une découverte progressive des différents menus et aspects du jeu. Tout est fait pour éviter une courbe d’apprentissage trop violente. On comprend rapidement comment le titre fonctionne, ses différents modes de jeu, les options disponibles, etc. Du reste, la liste des modes de jeu est une bonne surprise, vu sa richesse. Ça va du 5v5 classique en passant par du ARAM bête et méchant, mais aussi du 1v1 et du 3v3 simpliste qui permettent de faire des parties de 5 minutes. Sans oublier un mode temporaire : “la Folie des crochets”, qui n’est ouvert que le week-end.

Un poil familier non ?

Vu la tête de la page d’accueil quand tout est déverrouillé, heureusement que Tencent, l’éditeur d’Arena of Valor, ne balance pas les joueurs dans le grand bain dès le départ ! Évidemment, en haut des menus, on trouve l’inévitable shop. Il sert principalement à acheter des héros et des skins. Il faut noter que les héros sont, comme dans LoL, récupérables avec une monnaie virtuelle gagnée pendant vos parties (l’Or). On en trouve des pas trop chers (moins de 8 000 pièces d’or) mais les nouveautés vont de 13 888 à 18 888 piécettes, ce qui se traduit par des dizaines d’heures de jeu…

Théoriquement, on peut donc débloquer ces éléments de gameplay gratuitement, si on y passe sa vie. OUI, MAIS. Parce qu’évidemment il y a un “mais”, ça serait trop simple sinon…

Il existe en fait 2 autres types de monnaie dans AoV : les gemmes et les coupons. Les gemmes se gagnent en terminant des “quêtes” (finir le tuto par exemple) et permettent d’acheter tout un tas de trucs, comme des tickets pour doubler l’Or que vous amassez en fin de match ou booster les gains d’XP de votre compte. Monter en niveaux permet de débloquer des emplacements d’Arcana, qui sont une copie des runes de LoL. Il est donc possible de devenir de plus en plus fort via ce système, qui devient rapidement important pour les gros joueurs qui veulent optimiser l’efficacité de leurs héros.

En revanche, les coupons s’achètent uniquement avec vos brouzoufs durement gagnés dans la vraie vie… Disponibles en packs de 100 à 14 000, les prix vont de 1 à 110 euros ! Et le “mais” dont je parlais plus haut est lié au fait que certains héros ne sont disponibles que contre des coupons ! De 699 à 1 199, voire 1 799 pour un Batman… Soit environ 18 euros le perso. Ouch.

La première dose est gratuite

Arena of Valor semble plutôt généreux en héros “gratuits”… Enfin tout dépend du prix que vous donner à votre temps libre !

Comme tout bon dealer, Tencent connait les ficelles pour rendre accroc ses clients… Tout un système est en place pour fidéliser le joueur et lui offrir relativement rapidement un pack de héros qui vont couvrir les principaux rôles d’un MOBA (tank, dommages, soin, etc.). Pour ça il suffit de jouer, et si possible tous les jours. Sur les 44 héros actuellement disponibles, Tencent va ainsi en “offrir” une petite vingtaine. Attention, il est possible que cette générosité soit liée au lancement du jeu ! Les informations à ce sujet ne sont pas très claires. En tout cas, vu le nombre de Batman que j’ai croisé, il semblerait que la vente de personnages ne soit pas un problème pour tout le monde ! Comme pour les autres MOBAs dont les persos sont payants, AoV propose en plus de tout ça une rotation de héros “gratuits” qui change toutes les semaines.

Les skins suivent le même modèle économique que les héros, il faut bien manger ma bonne dame. Un système des plus classiques donc, que l’on retrouve de Dota2 à Heroes of the Storm. A priori, AoV offre plus de choses gratuites et “débloquables” que bon nombre de ténors du genre. De quoi fidéliser les joueurs les plus patients.

Mais c’est de la bonne au moins ?

La carte 3v3 a une jungle que je vous conseille d’ignorer pour rouler le plus vite possible sur l’équipe adverse.

Côté gameplay, AoV diffère largement de Vainglory : on déplace son héros avec un joystick virtuel, et les sorts, au nombre de 3, sont du côté du pouce droit. Il faut ajouter à ça des “skills” supplémentaires, toujours comme dans LoL : rappel à la base, un talent au choix (à choisir parmi 10, calqués sur les talents d’invocateur de LoL) et un sort de soin qui reboost au passage votre mana. En tout cas pour les persos qui en utilisent, c’est à dire une grande majorité d’après ce que j’ai pu voir.

En mode “débutant”, on peut automatiser un maximum de chose : vos skills viseront directement les héros adverses à votre portée par exemple. Il est possible de customiser les règles d’action de vos sorts, mais je vous conseille de rapidement passer en mode manuel pour gérer les combats plus finement. C’est même indispensable avec certains persos ! Ceux avec des sorts de charge par exemple… À moins que vous vouliez continuer à foncer vers vos adversaires alors qu’il serait possible de vous enfuir avec ce même sort en cas de pépin.

Non, tous les persos féminins n’ont pas des armures avec protection sélective. Mais les designers savent quoi faire pour vendre certaines skins…

En 5v5, on se retrouve devant un MOBA taillé pour mobile : plus simple sans être trop simpliste, on a bien un LoL-Like qui permet la mise en place de plans de jeu classiques. La carte est également plus légère en bâtiments à détruire, pour permettre des parties plus rapides. La diversité des héros permet de varier les plaisirs, mais stratégiquement parlant, on est évidemment très loin d’un Dota2.

Choisir son arme de guerre

Comme sur PC, le monde iOS et surtout Android est injuste. Ça se voit dès le chargement d’une partie : sans avoir les derniers produits Apple, mon iPad Air 2 et mon iPhone 6s Plus sont à 100% rapidement, mais il faudra souvent attendre ceux qui jouent sur des trucs plus anciens ou bas de gamme. Si un équipier joue sur un vieux téléphone Android, il risque d’avoir également du mal à vous suivre sur certaines actions s’il n’a pas réglé ses options graphiques correctement. Amusant de voir que l’on retombe dans des problématiques de jeu PC avec ce genre de titre iOS / Android…

Yep, sur mobile aussi il va bientôt savoir régler ses paramètres !

AoV donne logiquement sa pleine mesure sur des téléphones XXL puissants ou iPad (je passe pudiquement sur le monde désolant de la tablette Android). Il faut du reste saluer le boulot de Tencent pour garder le jeu lisible sur les écrans les plus réduits. Ils ont également fait l’effort d’indiquer à tout moment la qualité de votre réception et votre ping. De quoi vous prévenir que non, une partie chez Mamie au fond de la creuse, avec une connexion vaguement Edge ne sera pas possible, n’essayez même pas !

Alors on se fait une ligne ?

Si j’ai pris le temps de faire ce test, c’est qu’évidemment j’ai suffisamment accroché au jeu pour en tartiner quelques pages. Sachant que je déteste LoL et que j’adore Dota2, ça peut surprendre, mais enchainer les parties vautré au fond de son canapé a un certain charme. On trouve vite ses marques tant AoV n’invente rien, mais tout est suffisamment bien ficelé pour qu’on s’en moque. Si vos équipiers font n’importe quoi, les parties seront si courtes que vous n’aurez pas le temps de trop rager, et AoV permet de se rendre si la situation devient ridicule.

Si on sait résister à l’appel des skins et autres héros payants, on se trouve donc face à un MOBA efficace et suffisamment généreux pour en profiter sans sortir la CB. Est-ce réellement une drogue ? Non, évidemment. Mais je comprends sans mal pourquoi les joueurs les plus jeunes risquent de scotcher sur leur téléphone avec un titre de ce calibre, qui en plus a été assez malin pour intégrer les indispensables de notre époque : gestion de guildes, liste d’amis et chat texte en temps réel. Sans oublier un truc que personne n’utilise en Europe faute de parler la même langue : un système de communication vocal intégré ! Qu’on accroche ou pas, difficile d’ignorer le boulot effectué sur ce titre par Tencent.

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  Note : cet article est l’équivalent de plusieurs pages de magazine. Il n’est possible de rédiger (ou plutôt écrire / réécrire / corriger / intégrer) des papiers de cette taille que grâce à nos soutiens Paypal, et surtout à nos patrons. Oui, on sait, ce n’est pas le bon terme. Mais nous, ça nous fait rire. Et quand on reçoit des sous aussi, d’ailleurs. Du coup, merci à vous, qui mettez la main à la poche pour nous inciter à bien bosser ! Et si vous n’avez pas encore franchi le pas, pensez à soutenir Geekzone pour que nous puissions augmenter la cadence !

Arena of Valor : que vaut vraiment le clone mobile de League of Legends ? Comme annoncé il y a environ un mois, Honor of Kings a débarqué dans l’hexagone, finalement sous le nom “

[rgnews-blog]

How To: A Guide to Support

This is just my personal opinion however support really one of if not the most vital role in the game. As a support it's pretty easy to feel like you're not making a difference, or that you can't carry, but really you are and you can.

With the changes to the league ranked system by implementing auto-fill, there is always going to be a time when you have to support. I don't know how many times I've seen this spammed into chat "I don't know how to support" "support sucks" or any other variation of those.  This quick guide is here to help you become a better support, or at least give you some tips so you're not stuck feeling overwhelmed by not knowing what to do.

While it's great to see brand, Malzahar, Annie, Lux and every other traditionally mid APC in the bot lane, there's a real advantage to having *actual supports in your lane. (* Champions that are traditionally meant to be played support like Leona, Janna, Sona) The next time you're auto-filled support, no matter who you're playing. These tips will help you survive and maybe even begin to enjoy playing support!

Tip #1 -  Ward, Ward, Ward! As obvious as this one seems, you HAVE to ward. Vision is the #1 key to success in league. Also, it's not about just putting wards down... It's about where you place them too. As the support, it is your job to always have the river warded especially if your carry is pushing. If your lane is being pushed there is no real chance of a river gank. That being said, Dragon should still be warded and if their support is poking you from the lane bush, maybe you should pop a ward in there too.

You should keep vision on dragon with pinks. Take out their wards. Dragon is a strong objective, especially early on in the game. The last thing you want to do is give the enemy team a free drake because it wasn't warded. If you can't afford pinks because you're losing lane really badly, at least keep it warded with your trinket or a regular ward.

Of course once you get to the point where you have your sight stone and you switch to a sweeper trinket, try to keep tabs on where the enemy has been warding and clear it out as soon as you can (as long as it's safe). Do not risk your life to clear a ward that you can take more safely in 30 seconds from now.

For an in-depth look on where to put your wards or look out for my upcoming article (Should be posted by the end of March, 2017) How To: A Guide to Warding

Tip #2 -  A Great Defense Is the Best Offence!

You've heard the phrase before, right? (I hope so or else that means i'm getting old) The stronger your defense, the greater your offence! This doesn't mean you have to play naturally tanky champions all day, this just means you need to take the proper precautions. As much as the AP and magic pen runes really come in handy for damage, you should try to leave that to your carry. Your job isn't to get kills, it's to support your carry by keeping them alive! You can't keep someone alive if you're dead. That being said, I always recommend running Armor, Magic Resist, Health, or Movement Speed runes in some sort of combination. If you're squishy, and a lot of supports are, you're typically the focus. You need to stay alive to keep everyone else alive. So run those defense masteries while you're at it!

Another part of defense is knowing when to trade. Don't go commando unless you're duoing with your ADC. Think of yourself like a guardian angel. You're not there to start the fight, you should protect your carry and when he decides it's a good time to initiate, that's when you follow suit. (When playing a champion who's meant to engage, there are exceptions to this rule obviously but try your best to not go too ham)

Stop taking free damage in lane. Watch where you are, you shouldn't be putting yourself in a position to take hits without returning them. Even while playing melee champs like Leona and Alistar, i get it's hard to not take damage against ranged champions, but just try your best to be in a position to protect your carry rather than let the enemy hit you with free poke all lane.

Tip #3 - Don't Play a Champ because they're "OP"

Obviously there are some champs that don't take very much skill *cough yi cough* but a lot of them do. Try out a few support champs in a blind match or a custom match before you take it into ranked. If you've been auto-filled then i get being under pressure. But it is always 100% better to play a champ you know and know you can help with than to be pressured into playing a champ because your team wants you to or because they're ridiculously good at the moment. (Take this one seriously cause I let myself be duped into playing ziggs and i'm butts at him).

Tip #4 - My Last Little Pieces of Advice

Most of these are going to be common sense, but some of us (me) don't have any so let's go down the list:

Don't take the CS. Just don't. That's not for you. How is your carry going to get fed and you know, carry, if you take all of the creeps.

Don't chase if it means leaving your carry alone. Always protect your carry. If you don't they're going to die. Of course the enemy needs to die but let your team take care of that. Your number one priority is to make sure that your carry's make it out of that team fight alive. Don't put your team at a disadvantage because you want a better KDA.

Stop raging. People tend to just stop caring when there's a rager. That or they will start trolling because it's funny. If you want to rage, don't say anything. Mute people and keep playing. Criticizing Jinx because she's behind 10 cs or freaking out because your jungler has been top more than he's been bot is not going to help. You catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar. (In this case, you catch more wins)

Have fun. If you don't like support, that's fine. You don't have to, but if you spend the entire game moping about how you got filled then you're not going to enjoy it and neither is your team. Believe it or not, league is a game and they are meant to be fun!

[deseandolo]

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