#scrapped ttrpg

[buff-borf-bork]

tried to play my first ttrpg like 3 years ago but it never got past the first session and the first part i'd planned still lives in my head rent free so i'm putting it here (and hoping that like most things, once ive put it down somewhere, it will leave me alone and i can move on with my life lol)

i was using the monster of the week system which seems to lend itself better to investigation and role play, plus loved the idea of using character archetypes for character creation.

as any good motw series it was in a small town i named Empierced. the town had the look of an old stone work town being consumed by stale corporate modernism, like how people talk about Ottowa.

the PCs were just passing through and stopped for a fly over view of the area (a tourist attraction). Hours later when the pilot was a no show, one way or another they would get the news of the pilots death, turned out his body was inside the hanger they were waiting outside of the whole time.

at the same time the town had a college hosting a student art exhibition and the towns known to have a strong love of the arts.

one of the students, who is the pilots son, has a love for furbys and sculpture. he would make all these off furbys by constructing skeletons, sewing, ectre.

the monster of the story was going to be a demon which had possessed one of his creations (long furby with lots of metal spider like legs) and needed blood, this one had a taste for human.

one of its attacks was that it could poison targets attacking it with excess blood it was holding.

the way to defeat it would be to have it possess an unborn child because in this world, any human can be possessed by a demon and have no consequences as humans had free will and the demon would simply be trapped. the whole idea of humans being possessed in the way we think of it is a distortion of history. the players would learn this through various avenues and i also left other ways for them to get rid of the demon, but as per motw rules, in that case it would come back later.

so there, missing a lot of details and everything about the town and npcs but this is what the og idea was lol

[thecoppercompendium]

Have you always wanted to become a scientist with a loose grasp on morality? Have you ever looked at Victor Frankenstein and thought "I can do better" (not at being a parent, at stitching together random body parts into something that never asked to be alive)?

Well now you can!

I've just released my entry to the One-Page RPG Jam 2024! It's called What Scraps Are Left, and it solves two problems at once: wanting to become an ethically-challenged "practitioner" of the sciences and getting rid of a load of documents whose existence you despise in an entertaining way!

So, why not grab a few friends, a pair of scissor and a bunch of hated documents and set to work creating an awful facimile of life sure to terrify the townsfolk! Good luck with the torches and pitchforks!

Get the game here:

Enter the jam or check out the other excellent entries here:

[bvannn]

Sherman, one of my main Epithet Erased OCs, finally got his redesign!

[thakiekstahdoesart]

The crew of the Atomless playing Y-Net

[kazylgon]

finally finished colouring my band of idiots (affectionate)

Rin, the reckless sorcerer out for venegeance, Talyn the barbarian just trying to deal with her anxiety, Scraps the artificer on a quest to build a better kobold, and Zedd the amnesiac rogue who's just here to have a good time and figure out who he is

[spotimy]

Been working on this recently, though I’m just about ready to be done with it. I may come back to it sometime later, or make a better rendition later <3

A moment from my wod pbp, Aldonza meets Anna and Dominic to find the spirit of the siblings’ recently deceased father. Who may or may not have been devoured by a child of Tiamat, thus utterly destroyed.

[moookar]

Weird loser

(Rbs > likes!)

[vjonk]

a couple of progress photos of my gabriel cosplay:

[dankovskaya]

SOme kind of hubris beyond the limits of what should even be humanly possible has to have been involved in the making of this i am genuinely baffled and have never missed what little we knew about the original conception of bl2 so bad. Save me mr damp

[amplexadversary]

gah the group is doing WWN and their necromancers are SO COOL but I already had a character concept

I ended up making two characters and asked the GM to kidnap one at the start of the game (the one that synergizes less with the party).

I'm doing the character in distress entrance (which I have wanted to do since before 2017, when I saw Critical Role and my desire to do it sharply increased) with the remaining one, but he's the healer. So. That's great for the rest of the team.

[autumnslance]

The worst part too about the Paladin quests is it's Heavensward that's most egregious. It honestly feels like someone had no idea what was going on, or didn't care, or left, and their colleagues left holding the bag with this mess of a story had no idea what to do with it.

ARR Gladiator quests are fine! They're along the lines of the other Class quests, intro you to the job and a complicated character dynamic, and it's a decent time.

The ARR Paladin quests...are just boring. They aren't actually even that bad, they're just...utterly predictable, bog-standard tropes and plot line where you can see everything coming malms away. But they have an internal logic to them that builds on the politics and scheming in Ul'dah. Jenlyns realizes he's an unwitting pawn of the Syndicate, and he was literally chosen for the job cuz he could be easily duped and controlled. He doesn't even get to have imposter syndrome, he's actually unfit for the job (and then strives to do better, leveraging support from Papashan and Mylla to shore up his own weaknesses, which is admirable!).

...Nevermind that traditional Paladins in general are a bad fit for Ul'dah. The heavily armored Sultansworn makes no sense in that desert environment, and looking at a world map we can even see that Southern Thanalan seems to be on the equator. Like it's not even a case of "it's cooler than it seems cuz they're further north." Because they're not. And I know the devs wanted to have Ishgard perhaps be a starter city but that was scrapped due to time and resources, fine but um.

Dragoons are still trained in Coerthas, by Coerthans. Why didn't they just...do that with Paladins? Keep Gladiator in Ul'dah, where it makes sense as presented. But then have to work with Temple Knights to get the Job. Especially since after Ul'dah's intro, the game just forgets the Sultansworn exist and they have no bearing on the MSQ the way the other factions in Ul'dah do. Not even in the finale of ARR's arc where it would make sense. Gladiators are a constant in other side quests and MSQ both.

Stormblood Paladin is also fine--because it goes back to those Gladiators, and we interact with Paladins and Knights across the realm, and deal with those complicated relationships between the Gladiator guild core members. It's internally logical in its drama about finally restoring Aldis's reputation and place in Ul'dah, against the backdrop of the tournament.

Heavensward Paladin straight up makes no sense. Solkzaygl's actions are entirely contradictory to his character and arc from ARR. There's no way for some of the actions to occur without him working with the outlaws in some way. Instead of teaching Constaint, he sends him on a merry chase across Coerthas to learn on his own, and it's only the WoL's aid that sees the boy live, let alone make progress. A random man dies, guilt-ridden, due to Solk's scheming and lies he confided to this poor guy.

And then Highlander-esque "there can be only one" nonsense. Even as a Highlander fangirl in my youth, it was insulting and awful. Papashan, Jenlyns, and Constaint all call out how nonsense, illogical, unlikely, and stupid this whole story is...all to make a sword shine.

Because there's no internal logic to events, let alone the reason for the string of happenstance that leads to the finale.

And we know it's possible; HW Blacksmith gives us a fantastic paladin story! One that fits Ishgard's storyline and HW's themes. HW Dark Knight is also a good paladin story, actually, as they are meant to be another angle on the concept of dedicated knight defenders. Samurai for the Eastern equivalent, and the concepts and tropes present in those quest chains.

But the job actually bearing the name "Paladin" is left in the dirt. As a fan of the concept across various games (video and TTRPGs both), it's quite frustrating how the devs had no idea what to do with this job, despite other members of the writing and scenario team presenting stories that would have fit perfectly well within the framework. Only some of it is misplacing where Paladins originate in the setting; the rest is not taking advantage of the themes and setting of the expansions, and just not caring enough about the characters and story to even try, compared to the rest. Or worse, they did try, and meant for more, but whatever intrigue and complex plot they wanted to create was too much for 5 quests and no guarantee the arc would continue in the future, even if it had landed perfectly.

[txttletale]

the dead speak! (my patreon is active again)

being forced to suddenly move and a month-long visit with my girlfriends mean that for a while, my patreon has been pretty dead. no more! there's a new underside dev diary up and i'll be posting something every week moving forward -- if you want to get exclusive updates on my ttrpg projects, as well as poems, comics, essays, and other writing scraps, or if you just want me to have some walking around money because i Post so Niceys, consider checking it out!

this week's underside dev diary is about home moves, the system by which you can shed your accumulated tension by majestically fucking up your relationships with everyone who loves you.

underside is a cheerful game about superheroes having nice times, by the way, if you're not familiar. it's riffing chiefly on worm but also on the boys and invincible and that whole genre. it's my current big project and i'm hoping to finish it around the end of the year.

[fuckitwebhaal]

the dark urge

please do not come for me these are just my takes and opinions on the durge route, as someone who has run it through a few times and is pretty familiar with the lore in regards to the previous games. also massive spoilers below. like if you do not want any dark urge spoilers stop reading now.

The Dark Urge (henceforth referred to as DU), whether approached narratively as resisting or as succumbing, is more of a solidly fleshed out origin for a customizable player character compared to Tav. The reason for this is because the DU follows the precedent set by the previous Baldur's Gate games where the main player character is a Bhaalspawn. (If I recall correctly, that was also the intention for BG3, but it was scrapped and the origins split to allow for a fully customizable option).

I'm not going to get into the history of the Bhaalspawn, save to say this much: The protagonist of BG1 & 2, Gorion's Ward, is referenced on rare occasion throughout a DU playthrough and is implied to be dead. (Though they are never named as Abdel Adrian from the TTRPG canon, it is implied that it seems to be following a blend of canon from BG2 and the TTRPG canon). Bhaal, who had split his divine essence into his many children, relied on their deaths and a ritual so that he could return--in a physical sense--to the planes and reclaim his godhood as the Lord of Murder.

You, BG3 DU protag, are crafted purely from Bhaal's divine essence. This was confusing to me at first, because I had believed Bhaal incapable of having any more mortal children (due to not having a physical presence), but it is implied that Bhaal's spiritual and divine essence is strong enough to form you from himself, he is merely lacking the ritual that would return him to physicality. Which is where you come in. And, Orin, I guess.

Because you were crafted from Bhaal, it is implied that any cultural or genetic claim (such as half-elf, dragonborn, or whatever race you choose) is but Bhaal's mimicry of what those stereotypes should be. You're a killer, a Bhaalyn through and through, and you'll be the one to slay the world and slit your own throat on the carcasses left behind to bring about Bhaal's return. The only thing is, you got cocky. Confident. Comfortable. Careless. You got comfortable in your alliance with Gortash and Ketheric. Orin was jealous and wanted your blessing--your place as Bhaal's chosen--, so she struck you down, muddled your mind, and infected you with a mindflayer parasite. That's why you have no memory, and why you ended up on that ship.

So, here you are. You have no memories, but you have a rage and a disgrace and a vengeance you can't quite place. You've got an urge telling you to kill, kill, kill.

Pause. In previous games, the Bhaalspawn protagonist didn't have a "dark urge" that caused you to want to commit violence or murders outside of your control. (Not including Siege of Dragonspear (2016), which does include one uncontrollable murder. This DLC was released as a bridge between BG1 & 2 and came out after the pitches for BG3 had begun). It's implied that this is because of your pure divine creation--think Jesus. Think godspawn. God and mortal. That's what you are, murder incarnate.

The main crux of the DU run, then, becomes this: what do you want to do with this? There are a few paths laid out before you, but the narrative is pretty clear: you are a killer, and you'll always be a killer. This is where I first ran into my concerns with the DU; I was afraid it was going to be an edgelord-y, murderhobo-y playthrough that sacrificed story and companion mechanics for the sake of a bloody kill and edgy narration. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't the case, because the story unfurls really well no matter which way you go.

A friend of mine played the DU run totally evil; every bad option, every urge indulged, so I asked them what they thought of it. They said it "It definitely involved a lot more violence and death than [their Tav] run, but it's not like [they] murdered everyone [they] came across", and "It did feel a lot like someone very confused with themselves becoming very drunk with the power that comes with the urge".

I played my two DU playthroughs in two parallel ways. The first being Kyr; a DU who wanted to resist his urges and talked a good talk, had a good heart, but at every major moment, he failed to resist and ultimately succumbed back to Bhaal's embrace and became his Chosen.

My other playthrough is Nyris; a cynical, mistrustful bastard, he started out a little rocky, but growing with his companions caused him to reject the evil in his blood despite his other moral shortcomings; in the critical moments, he rejected Bhaal's influence and overcame.

How the DU presents to me, then, is this: nature v nurture. Which will win, which will overcome? By playing Kyr, it felt as though the nature was his driving force. It didn't matter how removed he was or how hard he tried to convince others that he could do better--how hard he could try to convince himself he could do better--he was already doomed by the narrative. Bhaal's manipulations drove him back home, and he didn't even realize that he'd been sucked back into the cult until it was far too late.

But, then, what about Nyris? To him, it felt like nurture. If you remove the cult from him, the indoctrination, what was left? A man struggling to make his own identity, but among those who reaffirmed it every chance that they could. He relied on his own strength and that of those around him to overcome, even if he was unsure, afraid, doubted. It feels like the nurture, or lack thereof, of Bhaal and the Bhaalist cult meant that he was free to grow and learn away from it.

It's something I find further supported in conversations with Jaheira and Minsc, who both talk about "their Bhaalspawn companion", otherwise known as Gorion's Ward from the first two games.

[ID: Minsc: "If Minsc did not inherit the flaming red hair of his mother, or the bushy red beard of his father, why would the spawn of Bhaal inherit his wickedness?"

Kyrran: "We should talk about nature versus nurture some day."

Minsc: "It is simple. As with all battles, the winner will be the one that carries the bigger sword."]

So, in my opinion, the personal arc of the DU and one that the player must engage with is the idea of nature versus nurture, and how your DU will cope with the revelations of their paths in light of the new memories and friendships that they have forged. That's not to say you can't always swing to one extreme; never indulge or always indulge, it's still digging into that nature versus nurture idea.

There is, also, the more overarching theme of BG3 in regards to breaking cycles of abuse, power, and control. If you lean into the idea of nature v nurture, and you realize that there were originally foster families involved in the upbringing of the DU (before said families were murdered, or the DU stolen away by the Bhaalist cult), you have to consider two things:

1.) Bhaal is comparable to both Shar and Vlaakith as gods that indoctrinate their religious followers, and

2.) Bhaal is comparable to Mystra and Cazador as those who take control of a severe power imbalance to inflict their will.

The narrative informs you, if you accept Bhaal's gift as Chosen, exactly the consequences that will fall upon you. It is the same as the consequences that are so heavily explained to you in regards to Shadowheart, Lae'zel, Gale, and Astarion.

[ID: *A gift from your god, your Father. An offering of his affection for you, or confirmation that he owns you.*]

[ID: *For a moment, the brine-pool of your brain clears. To die: to rest, to save the world from yourself. To accept, to become his prophet - in any disobedience, subject to his lash.*]

A lot of people say that the DU run is the "evil" playthrough, and it truly isn't. Just like any of the other decisions you make in this game in regards to your companion quest, it is a question of power and control. Power you give up by rejecting Bhaal is also control that he loses over you. Power you gain in accepting him, to exert over others, is also the control he will take. It's up to you how you will approach the DU, but I think it is shortsighted to say it is the "evil" playthrough if you are not fully engaging with the themes. You can make all of the good options that you can make with Tav--but you are fighting the narrative. The narrative has a plan for you. If you want to resist, you will have to fight for it.

[dungeonmalcontent]

In d&d, goblinoids are in this weird place.

They're crafty and cunning, but most lack intelligence (representatively, at least). They're in tune with nature in a weird way, and they're technically fey, but they're almost never portrayed as fey. They're capable of industry and wickedly clever designs but are not masters of craft or artisans.

They are the creatures originally intended for cannon fodder that players of ttrpgs kinda fell in love with. They represented a lot of bad tropes, and so we tried to change them but we were not fully capable of washing away the complicated history on them.

When I run goblins as a society. They aren't lesser. They aren't stupid. They aren't bad. They just haven't been given opportunity as a culture. They're outcast as a race of beings, never welcomed in to communities where they'd learn things and have resources due to how different they are. They also tend to be what happens when you get a very diverse heritage (in a sort of roundabout description way). Elves and orcs and dwarves and gnomes and everything. You get fey pointed ears, you get darker green and brown skin tones, you get this thin figure that's surprisingly durable and hardy, they're short, they're nimble, they're good with they're hands, they can work iron. The list goes on. Heck. Sometimes I give them horns.

I also like to rule that they do the best with what they're given. They can't get access to raw materials, so they scavenge what they can. They get metal from slag dumps and pan out the useful bits. Thier cloth is a mixture of scrap hide and recycled trash. Goblin alchemy is slightly more refined because they can gather most of what they need from nature, but glassware is almost always unavailable and so they are limited in what they can make.

And this whole thing makes goblins frustrated. Why are they the ones left out? Are they just monsters to the rest of the world? They have aspects of every other type of humanoid to them, but they just don't have enough of any one thing to be welcome among the other cultures. But when given the chance to shine, goblins can really show that they're diamonds in the rough. And not really all that rough to begin with. Not rough at all. Just a diamond cut another way.

[kazylgon]

Hewwo, you can call me kaz, or kings

i am an approximately person shaped construct of meat and bone piloted by an army of tiny goblins frantically pulling levers and turning cranks to simulate a vague semblance of humanity. the goblins and myself are doing our best

they/them, ttrpgs, art i find inspirational, occasional unhinged feral-posting, just generally having a chill fun time

if you check the original tags on this post you can find links to the art i make (#myart), the ttrpgs i run (#chewing dice), ttrpgs in general, and various OCs whom i think about constantly

sometimes i’ll reblog gore, body horror, etc, but it’ll always be tagged as such

(the drow and lizardfolk above belong to @incoherentmuses and @rollinwiththepunches)