#the lawful evil NPCs have a talk

[hdawg1995]

We didn't play D&D today and life is really twisting my arm so i distracted myself by writing this.

the merchant Fog has a "talk" with the artist Regis.

Artifex had become a hellscape- at least in the eyes and ears of the introverted artist Regis. He was tired of the loud shouting, the panicked merchants and his fellow artists. What were they to do? what were they GOING to do? their Guardian is dead and they decide to act like a elder god was descending onto them. They need to get to the mourning process and skip this constant argument of who saw what and who is to blame. There is someone to blame but what are they going to do to find him? Continue to run around like chickens with their heads cut off. He sighs as the sounds begin to be muffled by the walls of his home. He stands in his kitchen, watching the golden blood of the guardian drift along the river outside his window. its a shame. horrible even. But he can't do anything about it, if he could he would have. But he can't. So he pours himself a cup of coffee and adds some milk to his cup. He'll have to enjoy this moment while it lasts, let his sadness at such a lost wash over him now before-

the door to his home opens and closes. the steps of finely crafted shoes and a cane grow closer as he keeps his back to the doorway. He didn't even get to sip his hot drink.

"Regis, I see your vacation is over." Fog says, his words dripping with joy.

Regis, the defiant man he is, sips his drink. Its warm and soothes a growing ache in his chest.

"You'll meet me at Bastion within two days. I have need of some statues."

Another sip of his drink. He enjoys the aroma of the ground beans and the smoothness of the milk. He might just accept the trade offer to have coffee beans shipped to the forest kingdom.

"Acknowledge me, Regis." Fog's steps grow closer.

"Statues. Bastion in two days. Anything else?" Regis hisses.

"Yes." Fog is behind him now. Regis hates when that man stands behind him. "Might i ask why you and that odd Ignition were meeting about?"

Regis doesn't answer. He takes a sip of coffee and tries not to think about Corvus. tries not to think about their conversation, the offer to model for him for another statue- a actual statue, a actual work of art, sculpted by Regis' hands. Fog drums his fingers on the counter.

"Why does it matter to you?" Regis risks another sip.

"Because he seems to be a distraction. I can't afford to have my biggest money maker distracted."

Fog isn't the kind of man who snoops into other's business unless there is a benefit to his own, so the fact that he is curious about Corvus has Regis on edge. he glances at the man but seeing as he is still behind him, crowding him, his glare is directed no where. He takes another sip of his coffee, unable to enjoy the drink but sensing it annoys Fog is enjoyment enough.

"Well." Fog retracts his hand from the counter. "If you won't tell me, I'll have to speak with him myself. Maybe i could proposition him to join us?" Fog's face is much too close to Regis' ear when he says "And if he declines i can always order another statue."

Regis turns quickly, setting the coffee down and facing his patreon. He opens his mouth to say something- a threat, a defiant comment, anything, but instead he stops as Fog laughs.

"That got your attention. Now, if you would kindly answer me?" Fog smiles.

Regis clenches his fists. He could continue to ignore him, but thats bait now. If ignored, Fog will act on his own and that is dangerous. He sighs and leans back against the counter, folding his arms across his chest defensively. Fog watches him expectantly.

"He isn't going to be a distraction." he says instead. "We talked. We got to know each other-"

"Oh i'm sure he got to know you very well." Fog plays with a curled strand of hair.

"-and if he did that isn't YOUR business." Regis' glare has something to land on this time. Fog chuckles low and levels a glare of his own.

"Certainly not, no. That is between you and your fellow Ignition." Fog stops playing with his hair and reaches out for one of Regis' braids. "But i wonder how much he actually got to know about you." his finger curls around the tip of a braid before Regis snatches his hair away, tucking it behind his head.

You didn't tell him. Why would you? What good would it do if he actually knew you?" Fog retracted his hand and crowded Regis against the counter once more. "I'll take your word that he won't be a distraction. But do remember that no one knows you, Regis. No one but me."

Regis swallows down a hiss as the man leans away and gives him his personal space again. Fog's presence lingers as the man leaves, the cold air sending shivers though him. He takes up the coffee and takes a big gulp of coffee. its no longer hot, but its still warm and it helps fight the chill. the romantic part of his mind lingers on the sensation, on the knowledge that the ground beans came from Corvus' homeland and is now comforting him. and Corvus doesn't even know it. He takes the drink slower and as the sun sets, his house growing dark, he slinks to the floor. He is tired, has to pack a travel bag and write papers, take stock of supplies and review reports. He has a lot to do and no will to do it. he holds the now cool cup in his lap. If he wants to move he'll have to stand but why would he? He feels low and the source of his negative feelings is gone (as is the source of any spark or drive that would motivate him to act) and no one would blame him for sleeping in his kitchen, fully clothed, not having eaten. if anyone comes looking for him they'll assume he was so torn with grief that he could barely function. no one would think he is simply too cold to move now that the sun is gone and his coffee is cold.

So he stays on the floor, closes his eyes, and pretends he is in mourning for the Guardian and that is why he wishes he was in a certain necromancer's arms right now.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Monsters Reimagined: Bandits

As a game of heroic fantasy that centers so primarily on combat, D&D  is more often than not a game about righteous violence, which is why I spend so much time thinking about the targets of that violence. Every piece of media made by humans is a thing created from conscious or unconscious design, it’s saying something whether or not its creators intended it to do so. 

Tolkien made his characters peaceloving and pastoral, and coded his embodiment of evil as powerhungry, warlike, and industrial. When d&d directly cribbed from Tolkien's work it purposely changed those enemies to be primitive tribespeople who were resentful of the riches the “civilized” races possessed. Was this intentional? None can say, but as a text d&d says something decidedly different than Tolkien. 

That's why today I want to talk about bandits, the historical concept of being an “outlaw”, and how media uses crime to “un-person” certain classes of people in order to give heroes a target to beat up. 

Tldr: despite presenting bandits as a generic threat, most d&d scenarios never go into detail about what causes bandits to exist, merely presuming the existence of outlaws up to no good that the heroes should feel no qualms about slaughtering. If your story is going to stand up to the scrutiny of your players however, you need to be aware of WHY these individuals have been driven to banditry, rather than defaulting to “they broke the law so they deserve what’s coming to them.”

I got to thinking about writing this post when playing a modded version of fallout 4, an npc offhndedly mentioned to me that raiders (the postapoc bandit rebrand) were too lazy to do any farming and it was good that I’d offed them by the dozens so that they wouldn’t make trouble for those that did. 

That gave me pause, fallout takes place in an irradiated wasteland where folks struggle to survive but this mod was specifically about rebuilding infrastructure like farms and ensuring people had enough to get by. Lack of resources to go around was a specific justification for why raiders existed in the first place, but as the setting became more arable the mod-author had to create an excuse why the bandit’s didn’t give up their violent ways and start a nice little coop, settling on them being inherently lazy , dumb, and psychopathic.   

This is exactly how d&d has historically painted most of its “monstrous humanoid” enemies. Because the game is ostensibly about combat the authors need to give you reasons why a peaceful solution is impossible, why the orcs, goblins, gnolls (and yes, bandits), can’t just integrate with the local town or find a nice stretch of wilderness to build their own settlement on and manage in accordance with their needs. They go so far in this justification that they end up (accidently or not) recreating a lot of IRL arguments for persecution and genocide.

Bandits are interesting because much like cultists, it’s a descriptor that’s used to unperson groups of characters who would traditionally be inside the “not ontologically evil” bubble that’s applied to d&d’s protagonists.   Break the law or worship the wrong god says d&d and you’re just as worth killing as the mindless minions of darkness, your only purpose to serve as a target of the protagonist’s righteous violence.  

The way we get around this self-justification pitfall and get back to our cool fantasy action game is to relentlessly question authority, not only inside the game but the authors too. We have to interrogate anyone who'd show us evil and direct our outrage a certain way because if we don't we end up with crusades, pogroms, and Qanon.

With that ethical pill out of the way, I thought I’d dive into a listing of different historical groups that we might call “Bandits” at one time or another and what worldbuilding conceits their existence necessitates. 

Brigands: By and large the most common sort of “bandit” you’re going to see are former soldiers left over from wars, often with a social gap between them and the people they’re raiding that prevents reintegration ( IE: They’re from a foreign land and can’t speak the local tongue, their side lost and now they’re considered outlaws, they’re mercenaries who have been stiffed on their contract).  Justifying why brigands are out brigading is as easy as asking yourself “What were the most recent conflicts in this region and who was fighting them?”. There’s also something to say about how a life of trauma and violence can be hard to leave even after the battle is over, which is why you historically tend to see lots of gangs and paramilitary groups pop up in the wake of conflict. 

Raiders:  fundamentally the thing that has caused cultures to raid eachother since the dawn of time is sacristy. When the threat of starvation looms it’s far easier to justify potentially throwing your life away if it means securing enough food to last you and those close to you through the next year/season/day. Raider cultures develop in biomes that don’t support steady agriculture, or in times where famine, war, climate change, or disease make the harvests unreliable. They tend to target neighboring cultures that DO have reliable harvests which is why you frequently see raiders emerging from “the barbaric frontier” to raid “civilization” that just so happens to occupy the space of a reliably fertile river valley. When thinking about including raiders in your story, consider what environmental forces have caused this most recent and previous raids, as well as consider how frequent raiding has shaped the targeted society. Frequent attacks by raiders is how we get walled palaces and warrior classes after all, so this shit is important. 

Slavers: Just like raiding, most cultures have engaged in slavery at one point or another, which is a matter I get into here. While raiders taking captives is not uncommon, actively attacking people for slaves is something that starts occurring once you have a built up slave market, necessitating the existence of at least one or more hierarchical societies that need more disposable workers than then their lower class is capable of providing. The roman legion and its constant campaigns was the apparatus by which the imperium fed its insatiable need for cheap slave labor. Subsistence raiders generally don’t take slaves en masse unless they know somewhere to sell them, because if you’re having trouble feeding your own people you’re not going to capture more ( this is what d&d gets wrong about monstrous humanoids most of the time). 

Tax Farmers: special mention to this underused classic, where gangs of toughs would bid to see who could collect money for government officials, and then proceed to ransack the realm looking to squeeze as much money out of the people as possible. This tends to happen in areas where the state apparatus is stretched too thin or is too lighthanded to have established enduring means of funding.  Tax farmers are a great one-two punch for campaigns where you want your party to be set up against a corrupt authority: our heroes defeat the marauding bandits and then oh-no, turns out they were not only sanctioned by the government but backed by an influential political figure who you’ve just punched in the coinpurse.  If tax farming exists it means the government is strong enough to need a yearly budget but not so established (at least in the local region) that it’s developed a reliably peaceful method of maintaining it.  

Robber Baron: Though the term is now synonymous with ruthless industrialists, it originated from the practice of shortmidned petty gentry (barons and knights and counts and the like) going out to extort and even rob THEIR OWN LANDS out of a desire for personal enrichment/boredom. Schemes can range from using their troops to shake down those who pass through their domain to outright murdering their own peasants for sport because you haven’t gotten to fight in a war for a while.  Just as any greed or violence minded noble can be a robber baron so it doesn’t take that much of a storytelling leap but I encourage you to channel all your landlord hate into this one. 

Rebels: More than just simple outlaws, rebels have a particular cause they’re a part of (just or otherwise) that puts them at odds with the reigning authority. They could violently support a disfavoured political faction, be acting out against a law they think is unjust, or hoping to break away from the authority entirely. Though attacks against those figures of authority are to be expected, it’s all too common for rebels to go onto praying on common folk for the sake of the cause.  To make a group of rebels worth having in your campaign pinpoint an issue that two groups of people with their own distinct interests could disagree on, and then ratchet up the tension. Rebels have to be able to beleive in a cause, so they have to have an argument that supports them.

Remnants: Like a hybrid of brigands, rebels, and taxfarmers, Remnants represent a previously legitimate system of authority that has since been replaced but not yet fully disappeared. This can happen either because the local authority has been replaced by something new (feudal nobles left out after a monarchy toppling revolution) or because it has faded entirely ( Colonial forces of an empire left to their own devices after the empire collapses). Remnants often sat at the top of social structures that had endured for generations and so still hold onto the ghost of power ( and the violence it can command) and the traditions that support it.  Think about big changes that have happened in your world of late, are the remnants looking to overturn it? Win new privilege for themselves? Go overlooked by their new overlords?

Art

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to The Incomprehensible's Chapter 332

Brief summary: Cale and Alberu talks about the game. CH thinks about the ancient power he got from Syrem. Cotton invites Cale to the Demon Realm.

===========

Poor Alberu. He was trying to be calm and serious, but Cale kept doing things that drove him crazy. 😂😂😂 He also explained about the Eight Evils in the game, and how players have yet to defeat any of its mid-bosses.

BTW, I'll be calling the game as RPOG now, short for Raising my Precious Omnipotent God. This is to follow EAP's translation of "omnipotent god" rather than my own's "absolute god".

Alberu was hesitant about becoming a hero because he preferred the emperor route. However, On said that it would be to their advantage if Alberu was both the emperor and the hero. She also said some stuff about how this would help them crush their enemies, though Cale and Alberu were disturbed by her vicious-sounding words. 😂😂😂

With Neo gone, Eden Miru would become the next Great Dragon, the final boss of the 7th Evil. But Vicious Dark Bear would be the acting final boss for now, and he would hide Eden's existence, in case the hunters investigate Neo's death.

There was some stuff about the 1st Evil dungeon, and how it was suspected to be made of hunters too. Dark Bear had said that he stole the NPC registration device from there, before creating a copy that the 7th Evil dungeon was using now.

Light Alberu and Shadow Cale. That was the plan the two agreed on for the game world. Alberu would be the light, the hero who walked the royal road. Cale would be the shadow, the mastermind behind the scenes who would control the Eight Evils.

And they also plan to bring in their allies from multiple worlds because New World was their enemy's home turf. They would need all the help they could get. Oooh, so are we going to see HD in the game world too? 😍😍😍

CH seemed to have raised a red flag today. Remember the ancient power he got from Syrem called "Abandoning Your Life"? Because the game world was unaffected by the laws of the worlds and the Oath of Death of GoD, CH could use that ability now. In fact, it even appeared in his status window as a one-of-a-kind unique skill.

But how would the ability work as a skill in the game? Would he lose HP every time he uses the skill? The oath of death CH made to Cale to not use the ability does not work in the game world, so CH would not lose someone precious if he used it in the game.

And finally, CJS and LSH appeared after a few months! CJS was busy with Cotton, and they managed to set a meeting with Cotton's demon boss. LSH and the Past attribute dragon Zopf managed to find some clues in the basement of the God of Chaos's temple.

Thus, Cale's next destination was not Roan, Earth 3, or RPOG, but the Demon Realm... 😂😂😂 Ah yes, Alberu. You told Cale to return quickly just a few paragraphs ago, but Cale seems to be going on a detour... 🤣🤣🤣

Ending Remarks Cale is going to the Demon Realm next? 😂 I guess we'll finally meet the real CJG soon. But what about Cale's talk with the Molans? Is that going to be delayed again? 😑

[bonefall]

I know you don’t rewrite arcs until they’re done, but I love hearing about your early ideas while I brood over how badly this arc has let me down. Do you have any like super vague ideas about Splashtail’s motivations yet? He’s like a way worse Hawkfrost in my mind, because they’re both very young cats who Are Just Evil. But Hawkfrost had a genuinely interesting backstory that the Erin’s simply fumbled, meanwhile Splashtail is a cartoonishly evil atheist. I feel nothing towards him, he’s not intimidating or interesting or even funny. Save me Bonefall save me (if I got something wrong please ignore it, these books are so disappointing my brain is making me forget them to protect itself.)

If it helps at all, I'm staying sane with the observation that Hawkfrost is a high charisma character making critical failure rolls, while Splashtail is a cringefail loser with no stats rolling nat20s. He becomes 50% more sufferable when you imagine a long, pungent pause after anything he says, broken only by the sound of an offscreen player tossing some dice. When the silence is broken, it's whatever NPC has been charmed speaking in the beleaguered voice of the dungeon master.

SO my early thoughts are shaping up to be that I'd like to do a slightly more serious version of that.

BB!Splashtail is the Clan equivalent of a 19-year-old, desperate for more power and respect in his society. In terms of his stats, he's promising but not outstanding. A decent fighter, a competent leader. Even in terms of lineage; his father is Sneezecloud, a respected trader and negotiator, but his mother is Havenpelt. An ex-rogue who has sworn to live by the ways of RiverClan.

Curlfeather is the one with the plans. She's the one with vision. Daughter of Reedwhisker, grandchild of Mistystar, with grand leaders like Bluestar, Oakheart, and Crookedstar in her past, greatness runs in her blood. Scandal, too-- but for some reason it's acceptable that her great-grandparents were codebreaking traitors.

Splashtail hates Curlfeather, but he can't get anywhere unless he tries to be her. He steals HER plans. He acts like SHE does. Manages to snatch power from her paws, and then has no idea what to do with it.

I'm thinking that I want his reign to be going smoothly at first, actually, going from a bit of a bossy jerk, to trying to enact Curlfeather's ambitions by launching fights and doing it badly, to active tyranny as he tries to keep control over RiverClan. Depending on how Star goes, I might have Berryheart make some kind of move to seize power over him.

At the core of how I see him though, is that Splashtail has no plan. His ideology leans Thistle Law... in a sort of dumbass 4Channer kind of way. He talks a big game about the glory of battle, but folds fast when his enemy can punch back. The only person he could successfully manipulate was a traumatized child. He will bring back pureblooded glory to the Clan, except his personal family of course

As for the Evil Atheism stuff... lol. Lmao, even. Not needed. If I need to make him a more powerful and serious danger, it's not going to come from the fact he's godless. If being an atheist gave you super murder powers, Bill Nye would have used them to obliterate half of the US government by now.

Depending on how the last book of ASC goes,

The Harelight kill is probably going to get changed to Hallowflight. Harelight watches his dad die, and Splashstar is drenched in the blood of one of RiverClan's most famous heroes. No turning back after that.

On that note I'd also make the fight longer and bloodier. A butchery of an execution showcasing Splashtail fighting like a beast and Hallowflight like a trained warrior.

I REAALLY want to make Splashtail's death a drowning. Curlfeather, demon she is now, finishes him off by dragging him under. To protect her daughter. They will have to do something VERY satisfying for me to not do this.

[the-whatcherof-89]

Sir CyberKnife Herald of order.

CR 22 LG Medium Humanoid (Orc, Humanoid)

XP 614,400 (if used as npc for encounter)Advanced Half orc Bard(Negotiator)12 Paladin(Scion of peace)8

Lawful Good Medium humanoid (half orc)

Init +7; Senses Perception +39

AC 36, touch 25, flat-footed 29, (+7Natural, +5Deflect, +6Armor, +5Shield, +7Dexterity, +1Intuition) Hp 225 (12d8+8D10+148)

Fort +33, Ref +33, Will +36

Speed 30 ft. Melee Diplomat3+28/23/18/13 1D6+4, Spells. Ranged Bow of Artaphernes+32/27/22/17 1D8+8, Spells.

Racial Speed 30ft, Darkvision 60ft, Human-raised, sacred tattoo, Orc blood.

Traits Noble Savage.

Class features Hard bargain, Bardic performance(Counter-argument, Fast talk, binding contract, Distraction, Fascinate, Inspire competence, Suggestion, Dirge of doom, Soothing performance), Master of rhetoric 2/day, Well-versed, Jack of all trades, Rogue talents(Finesse rogue, Charmer, Ranged disarm, Slippery mind), Scion’s faith, Egalitarian, Aura of good, Detect evil, Smite evil3/day, Bonded eagle, Lay on hands, Aura of courage, Divine health, Channel positive energy, Mercy(Deceived, Riled), Consensus.

Spellcasting CL12(Bard) Daily 8/8/7/6 CL5th(Paladin) Daily 4/4 DC22.

Known(Bard): 0-Read magic, Mage hand, Prestidigitation, Detect magic, Repair, Message. I-Charm person, Hideous laughter, Grease, Cure light wounds, Animate ropes, Alarm. II-Cure moderate wounds, Calm emotions, Mirror image, Enthrall, Hold person. III-Haste, Good hope, Dispel magic, Charm monster. IV-Hold monster, Summon monster IV-Freedom of movement, Illusory terrain.

Prepared(Paladin): I-Bless, Lesser restoration, Build trust, Detect undead. II-Resist energy, Bull’s strength, Shield other, Zone of truth.

Str 12, Dex 24, Con 24, Int 24, Wis 22, Cha 34

Base Atk +17/12/7/2; CMB +13; CMD +20

Feats Scribe scroll, Combat expertise, Precise shot, Improved disarm, Deadly aim, Adept champion, Outflank, Leadership, Point-blank shot, Spell focus(Enchantment), Greater spell focus(Enchantment).

Skills Acrobatics+30, Appraise+11, Bluff+22, Climb+9, Craft(Calligraphy)+30, Diplomacy+46, Disguise+16, Escape artist+30, Fly+11, Handle animal+16, Heal+12, Intimidate+22, Knowledge (Arcana+29, Dungeon+15, Engineering+15, Geography+15, History+15, Local+21, Nature+15, Nobility+15, The planes+15, Religion+15), Linguistics+4, Perception+29, Perform(Oratory)+35, Profession(Ambassador)+15, Ride+11, Sense motive+45, Sleight of hand+15, Spellcraft+28, Stealth+15, Survival+10, Swim+5, Use magic device+33.

Leadership score (40)Cohort lv17th Followers I-135 II-13 III-7 IV-4 V-2  VI-2 (Special modifications due to the Kingstone)

Languages Common, Orcish, Giant, Abyssal, Draconic, Ignan, Aquan, Necril, Alko, Sylvan, Tongues(via the Kingstone).

Combat gear Diplomat3(Disarming blade+Diplomat’s traveling stick+ Defending rapier+4), Bow of Artaphernes(Adaptive Cunning Allying dispelling Longbow+5), 50+3 Arrows, Clod iron longsword, Uniform of Apollonius(Heavy fortification Iadran dress uniform+3), Ring of protection+5, Ring of tactical precision(Outflank), Amulet of natural armor+5, Quick-block buckler, Staff of bolstering, Headband of mental superiority+6(Escape artist), Belt of physical might+6(Dex, Con), Cloak of Diogenes(Cloak of the diplomat+Cloak of resistance+3), Inquisitor’s monocle, Bracers of steadiness, Bag of holding(Type I), Tome of leadership and influence+3(Used), Ioun stones(Lavender and green ellipsoid, Dusty rose prism), Potions of gaseous form(4), Scrolls: Haste(1), Heroism(1), (Summon monster IV(3), Bard’s kit, 373GP, The Kingstone(Artifact).

The Kingstone(Artifact) Aura(Strong enchantment) CL18th Description: 

This artifact looks like a finely-carved marble sphere with runes of gold inscribed in various languages reciting poems of kings and rulers which changes every day. The stone can be carried by anyone but only those who are worthy can use its powers. Those deemed unworthy will have the stone turned into a cursed artifact known as a Loadstone. However, should one work to find a suitable user, the stone will guide the holder toward the “Ideal King” via prophetic dreams and other means granting the power to use Divine Favor upon itself once per day. Once the stone finds the “Ideal King” it will bestow its powers upon him which includes the following: 1)The user is constantly under the effect of of the following spells: Divine Favor, Tongues and Heroism. 2)All effect of auras, inspiration and Charisma-based skills, abilities and spells double the area which they cover normally, their other effects remain unchanged. 3)Finally, if the user manages to become a ruling figure of a kingdom or to be accepted as a king, the stone allows to the user to project an illusory image of the kingdoms and it will automatically know if there are enemies in the land(such as an invading army). This effect functions as the spell Sand Table. 4)All the authority bonuses increases by +3, furthermore, the user can summon an extra Monstrous Cohort of the appropriate level that serves him once per day for 1 hour which can be divided in 1 minute increments at his request(In this case it’s a Young Silver Dragon). If the cohort is killed, it disappears and can be summoned again after 24h. The more the user becomes famous, the more it becomes closer to turn into the “Ideal King” the ruler of all nations and kingdoms whom will unite all the world under a single banner. It is unknown if this is true or just a myth, but if the holder of the stone wishes to pass the torch of rulership it must find a replacement before giving it away. Common people will come flocking under the holder of the Kingstone seeing him as the true king (Regardless, such situation must be discussed by the DM). Destruction: To destroy the Kingstone it must be buried in the ground of the material plane in a land where no kingdom/nation has been established for at least 100 years and it must stay there for 1000 years untouched. When said time has passed, the stone turns into dust. However, the gods will not stay idle and a new Kingstone is sure to reappear somewhere, somehow to find a new candidate “Ideal King”.

Challenge rating modifiers +1 advanced template, Improved stats, PC equipment.

Background: Very little is known about the one known as Cyberknife(if that is his real name). From what  little snippets of knowledge some attained, he was born in the Nether as all Piglins(Orcs) does. However, as it happens very rarely, the pig inhabitants of the red wastes will give birth to a hybrid: a Hal-feh(half-orc). Even more rarely, these hybrids becomes just better than the more run-of-the-mill gold-obsessed creatures. Of course, the leaders of the various clans will see these as “impure” and/or a danger for their leadership and will most likely try to systematically eliminate the threat before it becomes a real one. Cyberknife was one such case, but as he was about to be sacrificed in a ritual for their god, he succeeded at escaping by causing a Hoglin stampede across the bastion and escaping from an obsidian portal. Although, he did heard that if one of their kin does escape the dimension is turned into a zombie, he knew he was born DIFFERENT. As he left, he felt something change but he was fine; He found a vibrant world completely different from the lava-scarred caves he used to live. He walked the land, and although he had a rocky start(not being accepted by the inhabitants of this land) eventually things took a turn when he was accepted in a traveling circus where he discovered his talent for the bardic arts. He then enrolled into a bardic academy where he was the only one of his kind, not a good thing but he did not care for he had bigger plans in mind: He wanted to change the view the world had on the Nether and reestablish a peaceful relationships with the two dimensions. This was not an easy task but he was DETERMINED. After more years, he left the academy to look for fortune as an adventurer; and one day after a long expedition in an ancient tomb he found that stone: the Kingstone. After that day, it took him little to enroll as an advisor in a battlefield and even less to rise in the ranks and become a commander. With the glory of victory he entered the kingdom a champion, then, with the money that he attained, he founded a political campaign to promote the betterment of the kingdom. The opposition attempted to destroy him, but he was always able to thwart their efforts and won in a landslide. Cyberknife became the ruler of a nation at the young age of 22 and had no intention of stopping. After 10 years of turmoil he succeeded to quell the conflict between 3 more kingdoms and unite them under his banner. Now, from his massive palace he plans for the future… but what future?

First image - made with Heroforge.

Second image - Art by the fantastic Goatfella: https://www.tumblr.com/goatfellaa/693602368642809856/cyberknife-design?source=share

[i-cast-zone-of-truth]

Why To Me The One Thing That Happened In Fangs of Fortune That Didn’t Happen Was When Zhao Yuanzhou Killed That One Guy:

1. He hates himself for killing a bunch of these guys that one time. He didnt know them either. He retreated in horror from his closest person killing a bunch of people he didn’t know. He literally gives up everything that matters to him in the end for people he doesn’t know. They are not, in fact, NPCs to him. He is Specifically a Guy Who Cares About Randos.

2. The whole rest of the episode is setting him up as a confusing entity by having him TALK how an evil guy might talk but ACT in such a way that you look back and go, wait… that was all neutral-to-friendly behavior??? The shit he said was all POSTURING??? — Threatening words, gentle hands! This should be consistent!

3. The thing he cant accept about himself is not having the control to, essentially, revert the laws of nature that dictate that malicious energy harms people through him. He actually does not have to take as much responsibility for this as he does— it’s like an earthquake feeling guilty. That guy wouldn’t kill in cold blood. (For someone this OP, i think “they were about to attack” counts as cold blood).

4. When he wants to show off how powerful he is, it’s through restraint and precision. He does not use a hammer when a needle would do. He uses several different tactics just in ep 1 to get precisely what he wants with no bloodshed, the showier of which could have overwhelmed ZYC and persuaded him that he was unkillable. And he could easily have still made ZYC choose between his men’s lives and his revenge! A puppeteering demonstration is all it would take. He really is not backed into a corner at all here.

5. There is a sharp contrast with his malicious energy self that is developed and supported unambiguously by every other thing he does. If they had gone for ambiguity with him on this point (what is his conscious vs controlled self, does he secretly wish for the freedom of unrestrained killing sprees, etc), or even indicated consistently that they wished they could, i would go along! But they really did not, and the clear separation of his two selves is doing some heavy lifting in the metaphor of it all.

I think maybe, the reason ZYZ kills a guy in this scene is to sell not to ZYC but TO US, in a quick and cinematic way, that he can and will crush humans like ants. But they stepped outside his overall characterization to do so, while ZYC’s hatred and accusations, and ZYZ’s unsympathetic confirmations, go a long way towards making him frightening by themselves. If they wanted to add onto that, well— they made me suspicious of him straightening a sign, they could have made anything he did look bad.

“Selective personal canon” is not how everyone engages with stories, and i respect that. For me, in this case, it is!

[vyladromeave]

04 and 08 for the ask game?

04. what are your favorite episodes/scene?

I've answered this one already here, but why not list another ep i like? I still go back to S1 Ep 68 pretty often!! It's one of the last episodes we're given where Garroth is written well imo, but he REALLY shines in this episode. I really love how Laurance and Garroth's dynamic is handled, + we get our first hints of Shadowknight-hood affecting Laurance more, AND we even get quite a bit of Garte stuff/overall politics things that I find very interesting!

This is honestly the golden era of S1 to me, and some of my favorite bits of how they handled storytelling like, mechanically. (Having the NPCs unpromptedly just start going off at eachother was very cool. Very rarely did NPCs have conversations with eachother that weren't facilitated by Aphmau before that point.) ITS A GOOD EPISODE! The back half is a little boring, it was definitely like that because Jess spent all her energy making the front half cool, but the front half WAS very cool, so I can excuse it.

08. alternatively, what's a dynamic you really want to see in canon?

THIS IS AN EVIL EVIL QUESTION BECAUSE THERE ARE SOOOOO MANY. lets just get Vylad and Literally Everyone down just to start. this is a joke but also not.

Vylad and Emmalyn (their intense irene discussions. Vylad obviously has some sort of academic knowledge of irene judging by the fact that he knows about Irene's Dimension on his own, and brings it up as a thing Zane would do BEFORE Aphmau can explain it. I think it would be cool for Emmalyn to have scholalry discussions around Irene with someone who also has that knowledge)

Vylad and Dante (Oopse Gene Sucks Hope We Dont Bond Over This. It makes sense in canon why Aphmau discouraged their meeting because she didn't want Dante to freak out about more shadowknights and she doesn't know about the dynamic between Vylad and Gene very well, but also I think hearing that validation would be very good for both of them considering Gene is literally gaslight king #1. There aren't a lot of people who can relate to being hurt by him directly who are also able to tell the tale.)

Vylad and Katelyn (HER SEEING JEFFORY IN HIM IS SOOOO INTERESTING AND THEN THE ONLY THING IT EVER EVEN KIND OF GOT USED FOR WAS SHIPPING BAIT WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. theyre some of the two most Emotionally Congested characters there are itd be sooooo interesting to me if they like. they dont even have to talk about it. its fine. they can just hang out silently together. ok. they can vibe together. i think they would enjoy that. please.)

and for some non-vylad options so that I'm not just talking about him for the rest of this post: Dante and Zoey NEEED to have a bigger dynamic with eachother considering they were the big Stayed Behind For 15 Years guys and barely anything ever comes from it im so mad

Zianna and Aphmau is a dynamic that can really only be explored in a post-S2 timeframe. but i think would be very cute :) I can see Zianna being very motherly towards Aphmau (or mother-in-law if thats the kind of thing ur a fan of) when she finds out that Aphmau doesn't have/remember having a figure like that in her life already. + I think Zianna would respect Aphmau a lot as being both a responsible lord and a mother herself. I think the two of them would get along very well :)

Similar to above in regards to timeframe, I think Travis and Garroth would be a fun dynamic to explore. Garroth strikes me very much as a "I Can't Hate Them, They're Family" kind of guy just cuz thats what he was taught growing up, despite having an undeniably negative relationship with people like Zane and Garte. Travis being so openly a #dadhater would help Garroth work out some of his own issues regarding how he feels towards members of his own family. And from Travis' pov, Garroth gets built up a lot over the course of S2, and hearing all these tales and stories only to meet him in person and discover he's kind of just a nervous wet cat of a guy is very funny.

(ask prompts from here!)

[wolfpackmuses]

While Tumblr is breaking into a million tiny pieces, here are some headcanons/verses I've come up with for Gummigoo! Here's hoping this post isn't sent to the shadow realm. The verses I have are being posted first in this list.

Verse: Main Description: Follows closely to the main events that have happened, so far, in The Amazing Digital Circus (TADC). Basically this his most "canon" verse and can go anywhere in the second episode to very closely after the ending of that episode, although a bit of that likely will not be canon-compliant due to not knowing what happened to Gummi afterward. With that said, the main idea for him in this verse is basically just to be the head of a villain gang of gummi alligators trying to steal various things inside the game he's in to try and make a "living", per se.

Verse: I am the law Description: This verse basically follows the idea that Gummigoo actually ended up being a sheriff or lawman in whatever game the main cast from TADC get sucked into. This isn't to say he could still be corrupted or turn to be evil, but he's much more friendly in this type of verse and is doing everything in his power within the game to try and keep the peace in the small towns that he operates in. This verse will likely need to be fleshed out later.

Verse: Circus Gator Description: This plays along with one of the headcanons I have, that will be explained below, in that Gummigoo becomes the newest addition to the Amazing Digital Circus (ADC) despite Caine's objections to the matter. How he is convinced, I'm not sure, but whatever happens, allows for the gator to stay for the time being. That said, he is obviously not entirely comfortable with his new surroundings and is trying to sort a lot of stuff out in his new home, all the while trying to avoid being Thanos Snapped if he gets on Caine's bad side. Because Gummigoo is well aware he could be gone at a moment's notice, even if he has become more sentient and aware of his surroundings, even though he was built originally as an NPC.

Verse: See all, remember all Description: This verse has the idea that, although Gummigoo is sent back to the game, or wherever NPCs are stored by Caine, the gator remembers everything that happens and does not have his memory wiped or anything. Although anyone he talks to thinks he may be going crazy, the gator vows revenge on Caine, somehow, someway, in order to join the rest of the main characters in the ADC however he can. While he doesn't seem like he could do much to actually get back into a section that he was thrown out of, the gator has found some... interesting developments that could provide a link between the game/wherever he is stored and the ADC itself...

Headcanons

Despite the fact that Gummigoo didn't exactly meet any of the people from TADC for long, he felt more connected to them just due to the circumstances he was thrown into.

Gummi still isn't entirely sure what he saw under the map when he was with Pomni. He has his theories, but he can't exactly prove any of them.

Gummi does not trust Caine or anything he says. Although his interaction with the "ringmaster" was incredibly brief, something about the situation threw the gator off and he isn't sure why.

Gummi, despite being thrown out at the end of Episode 2, does end up back in his original game, right by his fellow companion gators. Despite the game itself being part of Caine's "adventures", the world itself seems to continue living on without intervention.

Gummi does actually have multiple appearances. While he was shown as a normal gummy-like gator in the original game, he can be swapped out to resemble an orange/green gator that looks more like his real-life counterparts.

Gummi has started to grow some theories about Caine and the world he's stuck in, despite the fact he is only supposed to be an NPC. He has started devoting some of his time to try and find a link between the game and TADC to determine if the two worlds could move back and forth.

Despite Gummi not remembering his mother during Episode 2, something about being sent back brought memories back of her, despite the fact she never truly "existed" which has confused Gummi even more.

Gummi is fully aware of what happened in Episode 2, although it doesn't seem his companions remember much about it at all.

While not really being a cowboy by any sense of the word, Gummi does actually own two western-esque pistols, jeans, boots, and shirts that could make him fit the part.

This said, if Gummi does join the circus along with the other main characters, he does take on more of that cowboy role and wears the above mentioned articles of clothing along with his cowboy hat.

While Gummi himself isn't too sure if he "liked" Pomni, there is still something about her compassion and her kindness toward him that hooked him. He couldn't say what feelings he has, if any at all for her, but his mission to find a link between the worlds does somewhat come from wanting to talk to her again.

Gummi, despite trying to find his own way to link the two worlds, has found odd things around the game that don't seem to line up with the setting or time period, such as odd buildings and doors. He can't say what they are, or where they lead, as he never got close enough to inspect them, but he thinks that those buildings and doors could possibly be the connection between the game he's in and TADC that he's looking for.

If Gummi ever gets the chance to join the circus, he will not hesitate to curse Caine out, even if most of his curse words are censored, due to what happened at the end of Episode 2.

[gachagen]

I'm enjoying the dynamic that these two NPCs have because they sort of represent what people perceive the Fortress of Meropide to be, and what it actually is. Noaille treats the fortress like a prison, where as Estienne see's it for the community and town that it actually is, and while he understands that as a guard he has rules, the fortress isn't some prison meant to corral "criminals" into.

Everyone in the Fortress doesn't even seem all that sad about being there after they live there for a while as well, and some people even choose to continue to live in the Fortress after their sentencing is up.

Neuvillete even says the Fortress of Meropide is more of an actual exile for criminals than it is a holding cell, a place where criminals can go to form community and work. And that sounds "scary" until you realize a majority of the people who are "criminals" aren't murderers or robbers but just ordinary folks who broke a rule.

I have to say, I was afraid Fontaine would be weirdly pro-cop or Pro-police force, but this is a mature way of talking about prison life and how people perceive those who break the law as inherently evil beings rather than humans. It's not a story that just goes "Cops good, Criminals bad! Criminals deserve to be treated as subhuman! Police do no wrong ever! They're good for treating criminals badly!!" And I think that's refreshing, that hoyoverse decided to actually go this route with this world quest.

[misternohair]

So my favorite part of RPGs is finding the character as you play and making in-character decisions. Owlcat's Rogue Trader is a fantastic example of this.

*Light spoilers ahead, regarding relationships*

It's the 40k universe, everything is awful, and from the beginning of the game you start with a betrayal from the first NPC you ever meet. My Rogue Trader, one Darius Recks, is an ex crime lord, and one who was very successful until being caught up in some trouble and being summoned to the ship of the Rogue Trader Theodora Von Valencius. The story progresses, you are betrayed, and you end up as the sole Rogue Trader as Theodora is killed.

Finding one's voice in Warhammer Land, where evils abound in every level and taking the iconoclast route was pretty hard to reconcile until it clicked for me. Darius is a crime lord with a new empire. He wants things running smoothly. Fuck the Imperium's laws and fuck Chaos gods, Darius is a man of the people. That said, his rule is law. You fuck up? Better be a good reason.

But the rule is, "You get one." Never let it be said that the Rogue Trader is not magnanimous. And that rule truly sunk in when romancing Jae.

The "smuggler with a heart of gold" appealed to Darius, something of a like minded individual. Flirting turned to expensive gifts, etc, and it seemed rather fortuitous for the both of us. Then it was reported she was stealing from me. In talking to her she downplayed it, we're together, what's mine is ours, etc. And keeping with the rule, I let it slide.

You get One.

Later the game progresses and I approach my Vox Master one day to find her awkwardly staring at me. In fact the whole bridge is staring. I ask what the looks are all about and I find that my most recent, ahem, *romantic escapade,* was broadcast

TO THE ENTIRE SHIP

I ask about sabotage, and find it was done deliberately. By Jae.

Immediately I have her brought before me. I find she did it as a power move, to show everyone how happy the Rogue Trader is and marking me as "hers?" Not on my ship. She shows no remorse, and crossing me has it's limits. Remember:

You

Get

One

The game gave me a choice and I took it. I executed her on the spot. The bridge was shocked and Owlcat did a wonderful job of writing how she never even saw it coming. This game is so cool for finding character moments, and I found a powerful one here. Don't betray me. Don't fuck with me. You get One.

[sevilemar]

As a first-time DM, I am not sure if this is normal, or if I have somehow managed to land myself in more trouble than I need to. I am currently world building at so many fronts, and it's both very creative and rewarding, but also quite stressful. These are the things I'm world building atm (please tell me if that's a normal amount, or if that's just a newby thing because I don't know the ropes and all the tricks yet):

- Fleshing out NPCs for the upcoming session, what they know or don't know, what they are willing to tell or do, and for what price.

- Designing a surprise encounter that is a consequence of one of the players deliberately flashing dangerous knowledge around in an attempt to draw out the bad guy. It has to be threatening, but probably should not result in them being dead or captured. Because if they get captured, there is no reason why they would not either be killed instantly, or used in the bad guy's necromantic experiments. Maybe some kind of mind battle, the important psychic attack with detect thoughts disguised by physical attacks? Or maybe I really do try to capture them, or at least some of them, and split the party? Because that's what my bad guy would go for, if I'm really honest.

- Designing an evil lair under the location the players are currently in, and coming up with a way to let them know it's there without being too obvious about it. Incidentally, coming up with security for the place that would hold up to strong magical government forces and oversight, but can be breached by our heroes if they put their minds to it.

Which is fucking difficult, let me tell you. My current idea is to create a disturbance in the lair, to let them see security rush in there without being able to do anything about it, but also let them see the devices that allow security to teleport there. Maybe there is also a way for them to find an in with the security personnel? Have to think about that. I want to use the players special abilities for this more, make it so that it's only because they combine different skillsets that they can succeed, but I'm not sure how to do that.

But maybe I just actively try to capture them instead, and it becomes a jailbreak story? Ugh, too many possibilities! How do you decide what is the best course of action for the story and to make player choices matter? If I leave it up to how the story goes at the table, what the fuck do I prep for, all of it??

- I am trying to keep the motivations of the different factions in mind, but they are shifting quite a bit. I designed it like a kind of cold war between two powerful factions, both of which operate in the criminal underground and sort of keep each other in check. One of them is looking to make an army of modified warforged who would be loyal only to them, the other is a criminal syndicate that dabbles in necromancy who threatens to raise an army of undead. Both things are illegal, and the law is strong in the country, so they can't just openly fight it out.

Oh, that's giving me ideas. What if they are kind of in the middle of negotiations, and it's the player's task to stop this unholy alliance? I like that, I like that a lot. It's an achievable goal for 2nd level adventurers, I think, and they already have the first part of some critical information that would disturb those talks, they just don't know it yet.

- Coming up with at least a half-way believable economic system that feels coherent and helps players with immersion, or at least doesn't put them out of it, is not really fun for me. I want it, because since they are 2nd level adventurers it should still feel like an important thing that they can't buy certain things yet, but I don't want to design it.

- Coming up with ideas on how to get players to engage with the world, and get deeper into their character. I think I'm gonna do a flashback for one of them, make them actually feel what they have lost when their mentor died, instead of it just being words on paper. I'm gonna give another an NPC rival, since they have given me nothing much in their backstory to hook them in. And I'm gonna design an artificer convention for our artificer, that can also be the place where the final negotiations take place. Of course it's gonna go horribly wrong one way or another, and I feel like it might be the showdown for their first arc. How much time do I give them until the convention? Also, fuck me, that's a lot of work!

- My players are currently investigating the necromantic crime syndicate, but one of my players is also secretly investigating the warforged faction as a part of their warlock pact. And as an added difficulty, is doing so for the necromantic syndicate, but thinks he's doing it for the warforged faction. I have no idea when and how I let him find out, and how it will impact the story. At the moment, I'm just keeping that plate spinning as best I can, tbh.

- One of my players is designing a dungeon and wants to DM it soon. I work with him to find a way to put it into the story, even if only superficially.

Is it normal to have so many fronts to work on? I have never build a story or a world before, so is it normal to leave things kinda vague like this, and basically come up with new story beats, or flesh out old ones, after each session and depending on what the players do? It feels a little dangerous to me, like there's a good possibility that I'm not gonna be able to tie it all together and give them a satisfying conclusion. At the same time, if I define it more in advance, I feel like I'm gonna take away their agency. I don't just want to guide them from beat to beat, I want them to be able to influence what beats there are, and when they hit them.

[michaels-office-hours]

Writing tip, for when you’re stuck hating your work.

Imagine you get isekai-ed into your story, as the author. Who are you?

Are you Dorothy lost in the land of Oz? Finding the characters along the way and helping them? Nurturing them, and guiding them. You may not have all the answers, but you take each step down the path along with them . Working towards a solution for everyone. (Except maybe that one poor tragic guy… and maybe that other tragic one… and maybe that other one… and uhhhhh ok maybe you help them as best you can)

Or do you avoid everyone, even NPCs, and hope that you will soon go back home and get out of this hellscape. And God forbid you come across one of the main cast, good or evil. They must be so badly written that it would be like talking to a child, or worse! An indecisive gelatinous blob in the shape of your last poorly concealed crush.

You are the author. You push the story forwards. So it makes sense that if you step into your word, the story would stagnate without you. Unless you are there doing little things to drive the plot forwards, maybe something as simple as suggesting they all go to the bar, or they go check on this one friend, or maybe dance class. But one character has to move things forwards.

In a normal story it’s good to balance this role out across the whole field. So your characters may also want to go places too! Don’t be too pushy with YOUR narrative. Sometimes one character really won’t want to go that way. It’s ok to split the party.

Speaking on that, once you meet your characters? Don’t think of them as less than you. They are people. Or the stand ins for them.

They have wants and needs

They have dreams and desires

They have lines they can’t cross in both the physical sense and the moral one

Would you ask your neighbor to suddenly leave their house and go climb a mountain with you with no gear and no water, all just for some ancient quest that may or may not just be rumor?

No.

That’s silly.

Would you get mad when they, because that’s silly, turn you down?

I would hope not.

So be patient with your characters. Maybe they don’t want to go along with your plot line, because it doesn’t fit in with their wants or worldview.

The good thing about your characters is that you can tweak the program! So shift the plot to more align, they don’t have to be perfectly happy, it just can’t completely oppose them. Or shift the characters wants! You just have to be consistent through the story so that makes sense.

I hope you don’t try this on your neighbor.

And also, be patient with yourself. This is an entire world with at least one person in it, more than likely? Many more. It takes a lot of brain power to think about.

Just as you wouldn’t push yourself to suddenly climb the mountain along with your characters in this world you’ve been thrown into. (I said you wouldn’t. I’m looking at you, you masochist. The human body can’t do that and I know you just sit at your computer all day, and NO being isekai-ed does NOT give you super human endurance. Stop it.)

Don’t push your brain to know every little thing about this world and these people right away. It will take time.

And reference is a good thing too! So go out and see the world! (Or at least look at pictures… travel is EXPENSIVE)

And friends are good for rambling about this cool new thing you made, AND getting reference for how some types of people react. (Just change it enough so Steve doesn’t spot himself in there. Use them as color pallets… not one for one notes. Ex. If Steve thinks bank robbery is awful but shoplifting is fine? Could be fun for a rouge character. And if Stacy thinks Steve is an idiot for that and should also stop cheating off her in math? You have a wizard who is lawful good and probably has their spells pinched by an overly active thief. Yes I think too much dnd)

Oh yeah, and even if you have that character based off your poorly disguised crush? That’s fine. Genuinely. I’ve been there. Literally no one cares. I would suggest adding more reference tho. If they are a mix of like 5 crushes? No one can tell at ALL who you picked from. They just go “oh it’s the obvious crush character. Lol yeah I have one of those” you may also throw in a few things counter to what you like, to throw people off your type. Lol.

Ok I’ve rambled enough I bet this will get no notes I’m gonna go hide now, goodbye.

[je-suis-problematique]

Chris' Void powers explained

We used to have an Outsider NPC based on the actual canon Outsider from Dishonored. We have a Void but we don't have a Heaven or a Hell (or we do and we just aren't aware of them or something) so the souls of the dead end up in the Void and such. Anyway, after Jerome's hostile takeover where he killed the NPC Outsider, Jerome himself became the new Outsider and now he's the one fueling all of our Marked people's powers, including Chris'. The mark itself changed too, like, visually. There's no real point in me talking about Chris' powers since it's a system thing and not a writing thing but I felt like it so now you have this post.

Shadow/Darkness Manipulation — In the past, with the previous Outsider, Chris had smoke mimicry as his mobility spell similarly to how Corvo has blink and Daud has his transversal. After Jerome dethroned the previous Outsider, this power changed to be an affinity with darkness and shadows instead. Think.... Zed from League of Legends? Clone/portal creation, teleportation, darkness attacks, shadow erasure/generation, shadow camouflage/cloaking, shadow marionette (like Shikamaru from Naruto), and other such powers. Chris became one with the dark and honestly he's having more fun with it than with the smoke mimicry.

Mediumship — The ability to perceive and communicate with spirits. Chris already had this power before and it stayed despite changing patrons. It's funny that he has this power at all because after growing up on horror movies and games as well as personally going through the entirety of the Resident Evil canon as a semi-fictive Chris developed a rather avoidant attitude when it comes to ghosts in a "don't interact with me and I won't interact with you" kind of way because they give him the heebie-jeebies and yet! He can still passively perceive paranormal activity that's happening around him AND have said paranormal activity perceive him back. He does NOT vibe with this power AT ALL.

Spectral Sight — Not only can Chris see ghosts of dead humans but he can also see angels, demons, the true form of shapeshifters, the invisible, auras/souls, and other such entities/spiritual qualities of living (and non-living) beings. He retained this power as well which is like an extension of his mediumship.

Vehicular Mastery — Chris is a master of operating a variety of different vehicles innately, from cars and motorcycles to aircrafts and even locomotives. It's a power he gained after Jerome's takeover and he likes it very much because it meant he could get the car (and bike) he always wanted and just skip all the studying and tests completely. This does not mean that he drives safely however, or that he abides traffic laws. Unless he's got passengers with him he drives like a psychopath.

Enhanced Archery — Chris possesses superhuman proficiency and skill with the bow and arrow, being able to launch multiple arrows with one shot, use the bow as a melee weapon, reload the bow rapidly and efficiently, and other such skills, even with heavy mechanisms like the crossbow. Chris' personal favorite is the compound bow and it's another power he retained.

Enhanced Agility — Chris possesses agility beyond that of peak human potential. He can go from one motion to another effortlessly, effectively dodge attacks, swing from things easily, sprint, do backflips, leap across rooftops, and numerous other gymnastic, athletic, and martial implements with little to no effort. His close quarters fighting style has been compared to Jill's (from RE) while she is under the effects of the P30 drug. Another power he retained.

Melting Touch — Chris is able to melt matter through touch but the thing about this power is that he cannot always control it. There have been times when he completely liquified objects which were in his grasp without meaning to (like his phone for example) simply because he got pissed, and even times when he burned people accidentally because he got too emotional while having his hands on them. Think Karlach from Baldur's Gate 3 but not as a default state. It's another power he retained but there have been speculations voiced by the rest of the system about whether or not this power could be developed into proper firebending. No attempts have been made as of yet.

Omnilingualism — Chris can speak any and all languages, even dead/nonhuman ones. He can basically understand and communicate with anything and everything that exists or once existed. This is technically another power he retained but in the past it was granted to him through a ring he had to wear in order to possess it. With the previous Outsider's death the ring lost its power and Jerome made it so Chris will be able to stay omnilingual without it.

Contaminant Immunity — You know how Daud is immune to poisons? So Chris is immune to poisons/toxins/venoms AND viruses/bacteria/parasites/pathogens/allergens/etc. which is extremely appropriate for him as a RE semi-fictive. This is a power we think he didn't have before but we aren't entirely sure.

Arcane Bond — Finally a power that actually comes from the Dishonored universe, huh? Basically Chris can choose to share some level of his own supernatural powers with other people who become bonded with him through arcane means. It's a power he certainly did not have before and is now coming in handy for him as the leader of the Nightshade unit. As far as we know people who are bonded with Chris possess some degree of his shadow/darkness affinity, some degree of his spectral sight, better agility, and the immunity to some contaminants but not all.

Chris completely lost his ability to cast a time bubble and the rest of his physical prowess (like his enhanced strength and senses) comes from the fact that he is a wolf.

[1-50thofabuck]

My Role Aids collection continues to grow! Role Aids are my favorite old-school supplement series. Some of my most memorable adventures have been Role Aids. I used to own "Witches" long ago. It was very controversial in its day for researching/referencing "real" witchcraft, and it details classical "Dianic" witches, "fairie" witches, ceremonial magic "Golden Dawn" style witches and so on. I dislike that they're all "NPC classes," and I will admit I've always found those to be completely pointless. But the Deryni, the only class writeup in the book based on a fictional series, are really cool, and I think they can work as a PC class. I have to state I greatly dislike their classification of "voodoo" as inherently evil, and it flies in the face of the legitimate research they seem to have done with other types of "witchcraft," but what can I say? They can't all be zingers. "Crystal Barrier" may be the greatest thing I've ever run(after my own little tweaks, and tying parts into one of the PC's secret backstories!). Way too much to get into now, but maybe I'll tell you all more about it another time! That adventure did use their version of dragons, described more fully in the above left supplement. I really like their take on dragons. All dragons get fire breath. A lot get another special type. And many have random abilities and gifts, making every dragon unique. They're all also very arrogant and self-superior, so even the lawful good ones will expect you to literally hand them over anything they see you with that they want - so smart adventurers hide their good stuff and take out some things they don't mind parting with for when the dragon inevitably demands them! The "Gilgamesh" adventure in "Wizards" was also great. Not only was a journey to a version of ancient Babylon really cool, the climax was a dungeon hack with Gilgamesh through a step pyramid with Gilgamesh furiously kicking down doors, triggering encounters, and moving on in his desperate search for Enkidu's necklace. The players enjoyed the opportunity to rush around recklessly slaying monsters! Many monsters were very unique, and the finale is both touching and awe-inspiring, as the PCs discover Enkidu's necklace is just a string with pine cones and twigs and leaves - but to Gilgamesh it is worth more than all the jewelry on his body, and so he strips it all off and gifts it in handfuls to the heroes. And "Old Durnick Ruins" in "A Portal to Adventure" also deserves a mention. Expanding the church and adding some underground areas and some hidden threats kicked the whole thing up a bit. I liked how the ogre magi weren't described as blue, but utilized the other color schemes with which they're described. Often, a monster will be described with two or three different color schemes or looks, and only one will ever be used or depicted(and sometimes one at variance with the description, a problem sometimes consistent through editions, I'm looking at you, norkers!), so I always give a nod to the ones that depict the grey trolls and the purple ogres. Finally I have to say "Dark Folk" is a supplement I've been using since my teen years. It does a wonderful job of giving the different races cultures and laws and histories and traditions, and the sample adventures are pretty neat, too. The kobold adventure is kinda grueling as it's wave after wave of little guys, but they really use them well, with lots of simple but annoying traps and so on. Also, I play kobolds with the idea that the older they are, the more important they are, and thus the biggest groups of foes are the smallest, beginning with hatchlings! I have a lot of fun playing up the "Gremlins" factor with them as they use tripwires, cut down chandeliers(while hanging from them!), throw containers of slippery oil or even worse substances, nets and so on. I'll talk more about some of these supplements another time, along with a play report for "The Hamlet of Volage," which I converted and ran for an upcoming system from Penny Thought Exchange...!

[randomkposts]

Im probably going to finish watch SMT imagine tonight. A seven hour movie.

For Law. Snakeman raising probably reincarnated Azura to be a better devil buster then protag is kind of cute. Snakeman just wants to be dad, let him be dad.

Im probably missing a lot of the fine details of this game, but given searching the internet has not given me the details of a neutral ending, I can live with watching this as my main interaction with it.

If you feel I need more info though, feel free to info dump to me about it in notes or reblogs.

Chaos so far seems to be a bunch of NPCs not Gaian aligned telling you that you fucked the future and brought strife and despair? Regardless of dead or alive status. As protag stares off into the bleading sky?

Is protag Lucifiers other half of the soul, or is something else going on? Reincarnation is def mentioned. No wait, egyptain gids. So set?

"It will not be long before we meet again" guess protag is going to die soon?

Time for side A land of the begining, which kicks off with Snakeman giving some useful advice, that he probably should have done sooner.

So far its a missing persons case with no solid name.

I have to wonder, what is the vending machine incident this DB owes snakeman for? Translation or misinfromation? I thpought the missing DB used male pronouns?

Sorcerers can bind demons without comps.

Is that a diffrent direction for magic, or does Raidou count as one?

Oh contained them in the human body. Like a pact? Like Rei Reiho and Hitomi/ Nemissa?

Nope, I should read the whole thing before speculating. Apparantly the sorcerer manipulated the demons with the bodies.

Like puppets?

Is this lore that will come into effect, or just rumor bait?

Anyway, so three COMPS are collected in varried state of useable, and the DB is assumed Dead. Now to get into home ii, protag talks to, and then teams up with white haired feline (?) ears suit guy

Who is being tormented by a old, possibly reincarnated family friend? Whatever, hes not responsible for protags possible drowning. He'll just play with the goat. Yah you do that budda

Ok. Was not sure what to expect, but it was not zombie tutorial devil buster lady. Er, DB. Kuroe.

"Have to protect. Don't forget"

The mind numbing terror of losing your mind to becoming an abomination.

To hold her hand? Or ease her suffering?

Well this is a zombie scenario, but she is lucid . . .

Oh. Human exparaments. Joy. Looks like the sorcerer is relevent, reincarnating, and nammed Douman. Since Heian times apparantly.

Who teamed up with Ogami

He wants timo reseruct seth. Oh yah, the law ending was kill the demon baby? I think?

Ok, suit ears is called Hiruki. Who has a family legacy of prison breaking methods. Surely he can destory Doumons barriers.

Wards. Whatevs.

But first he needs the catalyst. Gems. Sounding like the OG. Mitsudama?

No situation is too urgent for a fetch quest I guess.

But by the time its done the cosmic egg is broken. Whateves lets go

"After a thousand years the evil battle will be settled"

"The future of my descendents are in your hands." Odd proposal, but sure whynot, ill ship it. Its 1am.

"The great power will eat my soul, and be reborn and I will be reborn as the messiah" you sure you did your research there Doumon?

Yah, dragon Set destroyed the fool.

Hey combat! I've missed combat in this movie, its usually pretty short in this one, but combat music is always great and now I get to listen. And wipe the stove off.

Its nice to move around and take a break from the movie eith the sound of combat music.

So hetrochromic lady I forgot to mention comes in and grabs Sets orband says hes just a copy of the blade of god. Oh ok. Its Louise Cypher, dressed like a secratary. I thought you looked familar. Guess it was you doing the battle comentary as well as giving the code.

The power of satans other half? I thought. Oh whatever. Lucifer is always looking to hire. Funny how I finished Nocturne before 2.

Any other pre SMT 2 games I should know about?

And so Louise Cypher exits stage down, through the pentagram

Time to report, and wonder what possible good Seth would be as a military resource? Guess equivalent to a nuke.

Time to talk to Dilagent Judah, who has apparantly been stalking Protag.

And is talking about soul quality.

And here the idea of creating a savior is born. Doumon was the original intended messiah???

What?

And now Judah wants protag to repent and convert. Buffie is chaos this urn, so nope.

And it seems it will end with reporting to snakeman. Fitting. Kuroe has been avenged.

Snakeman takes a diffrent vibe from earlier. And says his (maybe) catchphrase .

"Show me your guts"

Thats a wrap, unless more is translated and posted, I guess.

It is 1:55 am. I should crash

[randomhatthief]

Fuck it I’m being mad about my character in public because doing it privately isn’t doing it for me.

I’ve got this oath of devotion paladin, right? born and raised in a temple, from a militaristic society, who found and resurrected an ancient sun deity. He is/was fully meant to be a Jesian figure for this reawakened god and the derivative cults that have popped up in the intervening centuries and THAT is going well, actually. We’re play curse of strahd, so we’re stuck in Barovia and it’s miserable and sad but there are plenty of opportunities for MY sunboi to bond with the local priests sunbois and reawaken faith in the public as we work forward through the Actual Module Stuff. I am genuinely having a great time with that, it’s fantastic to be so included in the Plot. (thank you for my life, miss dm, ily) But the ISSUE I’m having is with my plan for Character Conflict. I wasn’t THINKING when I made him that my actual friendships dissolving and that other pc’s might have full alignment-flipping mental breakdowns (v cool tho, I am loving watching her lose herself to the mounting trauma) beCAUSE I intended for his personal growth to be about Doubting Himself and Finding Himself As He Was Always Meant To Be (with heavy religious overtones) but!!!! Those elements don’t WORK if he’s in the corner crying other having to kill innocent people and mercy killing an ANGEL with only the NPCs to comfort him, y’know?  It doesn’t work because the dm can’t be the only person to interact with me, but if the party isn’t going to actually comment or comfort him or even Take Note of the Breakdown, then I’m just babbling to myself and he can have these revelations silently. Like it’s wonderful to talk to all the NPCs and have emotional moments with them, playing across from my bestie, but it’s not Going Well with the rest of us.  Lemme lay the scene: Imrath (Dragonborn, Paladin, my PC) is closest with Wixen (Dusk Elf, Barbarian/Cleric, Shifter, Glen’s PC) but Wixen has an active curse on her soul that switched her from Good to Evil, so she is being appropriately cagey and chaotic about who and what she cares about. It’s sad, but in character, and they talk about it often enough to stay friends.

Now, we have a new player, who I do like very much but don’t know well. Rest assured none of these comments are about them.  BUT ASH (Fire Genasi, Rogue, F’s PC) man I’m so disappointed. Not in the character. The CHARACTER is delightful and has depth and drama and would make such a FUN foil for Imrath to learn from and bounce off of as he moves from Lawful Good to Lawful Neutral but my FRIEND. My friend is not INTERESTED in the game anymore. They don’t talk, don’t get to know any NPCs, don’t even really bullshit with us anymore and it’s fuckin affecting me man. 

I just. I’m really disappointed. And maybe I need to modify my own characters goals to be more independent but I already chose my class last, chose paladin to balance our party (and to fight the Fucking Vampires), keep the notes for the game, do a LOT of the chatting, and make efforts not to derail the game too badly and I’m TIRED of my beloved character being pigeon-holed into the role of a charismatic diplomatic public speaker when he is MEANT to be niave, affectionate city boy fresh out of a military tin can.