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seabirdtxt · 1 year

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Deus Vocat

'Just how close to divinity does the god-machine get?' Pretty darn close, as it turns out. The rest is entirely up to you and Scaramouche. [p1] [p2 - you are here!] [p3]

Notes: Genshin SAGAU, cult au, mostly confusion and miscommunication in this one. mild swearing. still pre-3.2 plotwise!

WC. 1.6k

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Three days and three nights. That’s how long Scaramouche waited to hear Your voice again. The more the hours drew out, his temper became increasingly volatile every time the nervous technicians would open the Shouki no Kami’s cockpit to check up on him.

Each time he would kick them out and slam the cockpit shut, even nearly taking off a mechanic’s arm with the face plates. His patience runs thinner with every passing moment.

Nearing dawn of the fourth day, finally he feels that strange buzzing connecting behind his ears. He stiffens and pulls himself upright, blinking weariness out of his eyes.

“Your Grace?” he mumbles, the sudden drop in pressure in the cockpit makes him dizzy. “Is that you?”

Your voice crackles over the connection, sounding a little farther away. “Hey, yeah, it’s me again. How're you holding up?”

“What took you so long?” is what he replies, the words coming to him despite his head warning him that You are the Divine Creator. “Do you know how much work I could’ve gotten done in the time you took to get back to me?”

“What? It’s been, like, an hour at most.” You reply, sounding skeptical. “Don’t tell me you’re the impatient type.”

“An- an hour?!” Scaramouche runs the math in his head quickly, frowning. “Is there such a time dilation between your realm and mine?”

“What do you mean?”

Scaramouche growls with frustration, rubbing his temples as he feels a headache coming on. “What are you not understanding here? I didn’t think the Creator would be so ignorant of their own creation.”

“... what?”

“Are you being deliberately obtuse? Are you even who you say you are? You wouldn’t be the first to have delusions of grandeur to bring some sort of momentary excitement into their pathetic, insignificant lives.”

“Woah, calm down, buddy,” you say, a warning in your voice. “Let’s just take it from the top, okay? Hello, my name is,” you repeat your name for him. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Scaramouche takes a breath and rolls his eyes, then reluctantly complies with the direction you’re taking.

“Hello, I’m Scaramouche, The Balladeer, Sixth of the Fatui Harbingers, and I’m currently dealing with an idiot problem.”

“I’m gonna let that one slide for now,” you respond curtly. “Now tell me, ‘Scaramouche’, why did you call me today?”

“You say it as if I somehow did it on purpose.”

“Didn’t you?” The raised eyebrow is audible in your tone.

“Of course not!” Scaramouche snaps, patience waning. “Dottore’s stupid god-machine did something to my head, obviously, and now there’s some kind of connection to you that I have no idea how to control.”

“... god-machine?” you ask, sounding genuinely confused. “What are you talking about?”

“The god-machine that the sages commissioned,” Scaramouche explains slowly, smugly, as if he’s talking to a child. “If the gnosis’ connection to divinity is successful, I will be named the new deity of Sumeru and take over the position of that pathetic little god, Buer.”

“You’re going to what to who?” you question again. “Hang on, is this spoilers? I didn’t get that far in the story yet…”

“What do you mean, ‘story’?” It’s Scaramouche’s turn to be confused now.

“Y’know, ‘cause you’re RPing that guy from the game, right? I’m not at that point in the questline yet so, uh, thanks for spoiling the story for me, I guess.”

“This isn’t a game!” His temper flares and he pounds his fist against the face panel of the cockpit, the clang resounding in his ears. “Damn you, is that how you see us, then? As some kind of sick game for your personal amusement?”

“Wow, you’re really taking this personally, huh? It’s not that serious, man, you need to calm down for a sec-”

“I will not be calm!” Scaramouche thrashes about in the cockpit, kicking and punching the interior and creating a hellish metallic sound. Behind him, the tubes slap and rattle around, threatening to disconnect from his sockets if he continues his tantrum. “The Divine Creator just told me that they view our existence as a game!”

Your voice takes on a tone of annoyance, though you appear to be trying to suppress it. “Listen, I looked it up on the wiki, and there's nothing there about this supposed ‘Creator’ character, so I know you’re full of shit. Just cut it out, okay?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Scaramouche shouts into the empty cockpit. And that’s the root of the problem, isn’t it? Clearly he and the Creator aren’t seeing eye to eye on something, here, and it’s causing a terrible miscommunication.

With a great heaving sigh, he tries to reign in his temper.

“What can I do to prove to you that I’m serious, right now?” He asks through gritted teeth.

There's a sound like static that fills his head and he cries out in pain, clutching his ears as if that might stop the noise.

“Hypothetically, let’s say you’re Scaramouche from the game,” Your voice filters in through the static. “Like, the actual NPC or something. The only way I’d believe you is if you do something in-game that’s out of the ordinary. I’m logging in right now, so if there’s something weird happening I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

Scaramouche’s thoughts race through his head, though he has no idea what half of the words you say mean, and he wracks his mind trying to think of something he could do to show his presence.

“Where… where are you right now?”

“I’m doing the quest in Pardis Dhyai,” you answer, and sure enough Scaramouche feels a faint tug that he’s come to associate with the Traveler’s presence coming from the direction of the laboratory. “I’m fighting with some Eremites right now.”

Pardis Dhyai, where he knows Haypasia is being kept. The woman had connected with his consciousness briefly during one of the early god-machine tests Dottore had forced him to do. It very nearly put him out of commission for a week, but sharing his consciousness had been proof irrefutable that he could channel divinity, at the time.

“Okay, stay there, I’m going to try something.” He says, and attempts to concentrate on the location. In his mind, he conjures the feeling of static and ozone and aims, internally cheering when he feels the power connect with bodies. “Did you see that? Did I get them?”

“Get what?”

“The thunderbolts!” He says, incredulous. Surely there was no way to miss that, right?

“That’s part of the quest, I saw the walk through of this part,” you huff. “You’re really not convincing me, here.”

Frustration bubbles up and Scaramouche chews his thumb as he tries to think of something else, and that’s when he feels it.

The Traveler touches Haypasia.

A bolt of energy courses through his head, and in the distorted reflection of the metal cockpit he sees his eyes flash again.

He follows an instinct, reaching out to Haypasia’s consciousness and, by extension, the Traveler. He grabs the tether in his mind and pulls, feeling himself travel across time and space, until he’s in Pardis Dhyai.

He blinks and looks around, the faded scenery looking exactly as it had when Haypasia had contacted him. There, standing beside his follower’s unconscious body, is the Traveler.

“Where are you?” Scaramouche asks through the connection, trying to sense if you've left him once again. “There’s nobody else here.”

“... Huh.” Your voice comes through the connection in his head, but also through vibrations in the air. “That’s definitely not part of the cutscene.”

“What the hell is a cutscene?” He demands, still looking around for the source of your voice.

“Right, that’s creepy. Is this a glitch?”

“If you tell me what your words mean, maybe I can tell you.” Scaramouche growls, then points at the Traveler. “You, where is the Creator? I know they’re around here somewhere, I can feel it.”

“No way.” You say, incredulously.

“Huh?”

“Scaramouche, jump up and down three times.”

He looks around again, before settling his gaze on the Traveler. “Why should I do that?”

“You’re trying to prove that you're in the game, right? I can see you right now, so if it’s really you I want you to jump up and down three times.”

Feeling supremely foolish, but willing to humor you on the off chance you aren’t lying to him, Scaramouche gives three halfhearted hops, and immediately crosses his arms.

“Happy now?” he growls.

To his extreme surprise, and slight horror, the Traveler jumps three times as well.

“Oh my god, you’re actually in the game? Like, you’re the character in the game?” You ask, breathless, a tinge of hysteria creeping in. “No way. This doesn’t happen in real life. Games don’t just become self-aware like this. Am I dreaming?”

“Whatever you’re talking about, you better tell me really quick or else…” Scaramouche trails off for a moment, unsure of what he could really do to you, given the metaphorical distance. “Or else I’ll be really angry with you,” he finishes lamely. In front of him, the Traveler’s eyebrows furrow slightly.

“You’re not supposed to, like, know about me,” you continue, raising in octave slowly. “You’re not real! Is my life just a creepypasta right now?”

“Would you cut that out?!” Scaramouche half-shouts, in an attempt to be heard over your frantic voice. He can feel the connection between the two of you waver with each passing second. “Whatever you’re doing, stop panicking!”

“I think I’d like to panic, actually,” you say, and the connection goes dead.

Empty air fills the space behind Scaramouche’s ears, and he snarls in frustration at having been left hanging once again. For a second, he almost forgets the presence of the third party in the room. He looks up and stops his muttering at the sight of the Traveler’s dumbfounded, and slightly scared expression.

“You can hear them?”

#genshin sagau #self aware genshin #sagau #genshin self aware au #genshin isekai #sagau cult au #genshin scaramouche #sagau scaramouche #sagau x reader #scaramouche x reader #seabird.txt #Voice of God AU

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absolutehomosexuals · 8 days

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Baldur's Gate 3 is known for its variety in romance options, allowing you to romance all six of your companions regardless of the player's sex/gender and including the possibility of a non-monogamous relationship with some of them.

While we do think it's an interesting idea in theory, the way bg3 implemented this feature could use some work, especially character-wise.

Something that could've been fun and unique turns, sadly, into a mildly uncomfortable experience if you stop to think about the implications.

While each of the relationships is consensual in theory, the developers chose the most ambiguous characters to develop these storylines with.

We've got Mr. "Oh, is it because we haven't had sex in a while?" former s*x sl*ve Astarion, who's known to drown his trauma in unhealthy coping mechanisms and probably feels guilty for "depriving" his partner of sex during act 2.

Former sharran Shadowheart, whose cult used to push young members to "experiment [with each other]" while ironically considering masturbation a sin.

Literally untouchable Karlach, who allows you to sleep with others for as long as her engine isn't fixed, because she "doesn't want to lose you" – which is obviously not consent and in a perfect world we wouldn't even need to explain that.

It's also worth specifying that the game never clarifies whether your arrangement is a polyamorous relationship (if you also romance Halsin) or an open relationship, but that's probably up to player discretion.

Why is it relevant, you may wonder?

We could argue the characters might be individually attracted to Halsin, which would be true in Shadowheart's case.

For an ex-sharran, an exclusive polyamorous relationship is definitely less on-the-nose than full blown relationship anarchy ; not that there's anything wrong with the latter, whether irl or in a fictional setting, but the case we're talking about is a delicate (and fictional) one.

She also doesn't bat an eye after she catches the MC with Mizora, which – regardless of whether their relationship was already open or not – is clearly disrespectful to their relationship.

Ethical non monogamy requires communication in order to be, well, ethical: sleeping with a demon (and arguably, an enemy to the party) without warning your partner would count as cheating in any universe.

She just gets mildly mad and lets it slide, which is not how you enforce boundaries in this kind of arrangement, leading us to think the cult's beliefs are unfortunately still rooted in her despite her conversion to Selûne.

And of course they would: undoing religious trauma is hard work, and bleaching your hair won't heal it overnight, regardless of what our dear Shadowheart might think.

^ Astarion has an identical reaction, if you wondering.

Many people take issue with this type of take, claming it paints Halsin as disrespectful of other people's relationships and consent.

We are absolutely not saying that: Halsin asks for explicit consent from both the MC and their partner, in order to honour their pre-existing relationship despite his own feelings, which is exactly how it should be.

People can consent to situations they're not emotionally ready to take on, whether they're not right for them in that specific moment of their life or at all.

Furthermore, we're not even necessarily talking about Halsin: the MC has other occasions to live out a non-monogamous arrangement with their partner, such as with the drow twins.

Oh and, speaking about the drow twins, we hope to god you don't think rolling a DC 25 persuasion check on Gale (who explicitly tells you he's monogamous if you try to involve Halsin in your relationship) to get him to sleep with prostitutes is okay.

I sincerely hope whoever romances Gale, perhaps interpreting his former relationship with Mystra as groom*ng (which is a whole other can of worms we're not going to dive into in this post), understands how fucked up and disgusting it is to roll that check on him.

And, funnily enough, the game doesn't even consider it r*pe by coercion! Which it clearly is, to anyone sane and allowed within three feet of schools.

In conclusion, some of the choices Larian made on the portrayal of ethical non-monogamy are questionable, and anyone who enjoys this kind of relationship irl should probably strive for better representation.

Of course we should appreciate that they tried, but the amount of brownie points they're getting isn't nearly as deserved as you might think.

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imsobadatnicknames2 · 9 months

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top 5 ttrpgs for beginners

Sorry that this one took me a bit longer to answer than all the other Top 5 asks :p i wanted to explain a bit of my reasoning behind it and this gave me q chance to ramble a bit about something that bothers me lol

So, first of all I want to talk about what TO ME makes something a good beginner RPG.

Ramble:

I've talked a bit in the past about how I have sort of a bone to pick with the way so many people, when asked for recs for beginner TTRPGs, immediately decide to recommend extremely rules-light/minimalist/one-page RPGs (Hacks of Lasers&Feelings in particular seem to be somewhat popular on this front), when IMO these types of RPGs are at their best when played by an experienced group (or at the very least with least one very experienced player/GM who can provide some guidance to the others). I think a lot of ppl seem to have the impression that simpler mechanics inherently make a game more beginner-friendly, and that thus the most beginner-friendly games are inherently gonna be the ones with the simplest mechanics. And while this is true to an extent (a 700-page RPG with tons of complicated mechanics to remember is obviously gonna be inaccessible to beginners), when you consider that mechanics exist to DELEGATE decisions about the fiction away from the players and the GM so that they don't have to manually arbitrate them every time, there is point where less mechanics are gonna make harder for new players because it means there's more thing they're gonna have to find a way to arbitrate on and decide by themselves, and that's a skill that takes time to develop. An experienced group can probably get a ton of mileage out of a system that essentially ammounts to "the GM describes the world. The players describe what their characters do, and the GM describes how the world reacrs. When the outcome of a player action is uncertain, then [simple resolution mechanic]" but a beginner group is gonna be a little lost. Especially if the game, like many of these types of games, includes practically nothing in terms of GM tools. So I think recommending beginner RPGs solely on the base of how simple they are is well-intentioned but misguided.

(Ramble over)

So, some of what, to me, makes something a good beginner RPG is

Rules provide enough support that the group won't have to constantly be figuring out how to adjudicate stuff on the fly, but they're simple and flexible enough that they're easy to remember and learning them doesn't feel like a daunting task like it does with a certain game (*cough cough* D&D)

Relatively short and uni timidating. Maybe between like 20 and 100 pages. Players should be able to read through the rules and mechanics in one sitting.

Plenty of examples of play, often a good example of play is what makes a game's rules really *click* for a new player.

Relatively quick and painless to start running for the first time. Character creation should be quick and snappy, and if possible a short pre-written adventure (hopefully with some room to be expanded into something larger) should be included within the same book and ready to run out of the box. Even if your group doesn't like using prewritten adventures, having a *good* prewritten adventure can be a huge help in understanding how to write/design them.

Solid set of GM tools and resources (if it's a game with a GM, of course)

Optionally, plenty of compatible material to either use or take inspo from.

So, I think my recs would for beginner games would be...

Mausritter

If any of you have EVER heard me talk about RPGs you knew Mausritter was gonna be here TBH. I've repeatedly talked about it being one of my favorite RPGs and also that I consider it pretty much an ideal introduction to the hobby. I think the woodland critter theme is extremely charming and attractive for people of any age, while the slightly darker elements that rear their head from time to time keep it from feeling too childish.

The mechanics are simple and flexible but still provide enough structure that even a new GM will rarely if ever be at a loss about how to resolve a particular action. They're familiar to anyone who's played a dungeon game while still being extremely streamlined. 3 stats with the main action resolution being roll-under tests, no classes, characters are defined mostly by their inventory, all attacks auto hit and initiative is extremely streamlined, which keeps combat quick and dynamic, etc. And the mechanics are pretty short and esy to digest too, the players' section of the rulebook only takes 18 pages, including stuff like inventory tables and examples of play, and the website features a handy one.page rules summary (which also comes with the box set)

It's super easy to get running: character creation takes a couple minutes at most, and it features both a simple adventure and hexcrawl that can be used right out of the box with plenty of interesting directions to expand for further adventures.

Now, Mausritter takes most of its mechanics from Into The Odd, so a lot of its virtues come to it, but I think the few changes it made DO make mausritter most beginner-friendly, such as its inventory system which makes inventory management into a genuine challenge without having it devolve into a slog of tedious book-keeping, and the incorporation of a streamlined version of GloG's magic system, which manages to still be simple and easy without being as loose and freeform as the magic system from a lot of OSR games of similar complexity (which can be initially daunting to new players)

But what REALLY makes mausritter shine IMO is the extremely solid set of GM tools. In just a few pages mausritter manages to provide simple rules, procedures, generators and advice for running faction play, making an engaging hexcrawl, making adventure sites, and generating stuff like treasure hoards, NPCs, an adventure seeds and overal just a ton of useful stuff that takes a huge load off of the shoulders of any beginner GM.

Cairn

Lets say you're into Mausritter mechanically but your players aren't into the whole woodland creature theme and want to play something more traditional. Cairn is also built on Into The Odd's system, and takes inspiration from some of the same sources, so it's very similar mechanically. It does feature some significant differences regarding magic, character advancement, and how injury and healing work, but overall it's still mostly the same system under the hood, so a lot of what I said makes Mausritter a great introduction to the hobby mechanically still applies here (quick and flavorful character creation, dynamic and streamlined but dangerous combat, etc). It's also a classless system that features msotly inventory-defined characters, but aside from the option to randomly roll your gear, the game also offers the option of picking a gear package in case you wanna emulate a particular fantasy archetype.

Now, Cairn is a much more barebones document, and doesn't even feature examples of play or an explicit GM section with resources for running the game, which breaks with the things I said I look for in a beginner RPG. However, in this case I'm willing to forgive this because, first, Cairn's website features a plethora of first party and third party stuff that isn't featured in the book itself, including examples of play, GM procedures and tools, modular rules, and a wealh of conversions of creature stat blocks and adventures from D&D and other fantasy adventure ttrpgs.

And Second, something different that specifically distinguishes Cairn as a good example of a beginner RPG is how it explicitly outlines its philosophical and design principles, and the principles of play for both the GM and the players before it even shows you any rules, which is something that I think more games and ESPECIALLY begginer games should do. IMO the whole book is worth it just for that little section.

Troika!

Troika is a game built on the Fighting Fantasy system (which originally was less of a TTRPG system and more of an engine for a series of choose-your-own-adventure books) with a really interesting pseudo-victorian space opera weird gonzo setting which is a load of fun. It has very simple 2d6 mechanics, with characters having three stats (Stamina, Skill, and Luck), and being mostly defined by their inventory and the special skills from their background. Character creation is quick and snappy. The game gives you 36 weird and extremely creative character backgrounds, but creating a custom background is as easy as coming up with a concept and the names of a couple special skills that support that concept. It also has a very unique initiative system which might be a little divisive but which I DO find fun an interesting.

While it lacks many of the GM tools I praised Mausritter for, it makes up a little bit for it with an initial adventure that does a wonderful job at naturally introducing the weirdness of the setting, and which at the end presents a ton of opportunities to segway into a variety of urban adventures.

Now, a lot of beginners come into RPGs specifically looking for a D&D-type fantasy game (which is a problem because D&D is a pretty bad option for a beginner RPG) so for those types of players I would recommend

The Black Hack

The Black Hack is probably my favorite game for doing D&D-style fantasy roleplaying. It's a game that at its core uses the original 1974 white box edition of D&D for inspiration, but modernizes, reimagines, and streamlines every aspect of it to be one of the most simple yet elegant D&D-like experiences out there. For example, TBH uses the six stat array that all D&D players know and love, and with the same 3-18 point range, but does away with the attribute score / attribute modifier dichotomy, instead building its entire system around the attribute scores, with all rolls in the game being roll-under tests for a relevant attribute (including initiative, attack/defense rolls, and saving throws). It also innovated some extremely elegant mechanics that went on to be very influential for other games, such as its Usage Die mechanic as a way to streamline keeping track of consumable resources. Basically, it's like if D&D actually played the way it looks in cartoons and stuff: character creation doesn't take 3 hours, every combat encounter doesn't take five hours, and you can place some emphasis on resource management without the game making you want to tear your hair out with boring bookkeeping.

And one of the coolest things about it is the way it handles compatibility. Despite taking loose at best mechanical inspiration from D&D and playing very differently from it, TBH is intentionally designed to be compatible with a wealth of old-school D&D material. While it very clearly stands as its own distinct game, it's designed in such a way that you can prety much grab any creature stat block or adventure module written for any pre-3e version of D&D and use it in The Black Hack with little to no effort in conversion required.

The first edition of the game is a pretty barebones 20-page booklet that just describes the basic game mechanics, since it was assumed you'd probably be using D&D creature stat blocks and adventures with it anyway, but the second edition was significantly expanded with a bestiary, expanded GM procedures and advice, and tool for creating anything you could want: Hexcrawls, towns, dungeons, quests, treasure hoards, NPCs, dungeon rooms, traps, secrets doors, etc. plus a short premade adventure and even a few premade unkeyed dungeon maps that you can take and key yourself if you're in a pinch for a map, which as you all know, I think GM tools are an important part of a beginner game.

The game only includes the 4 basic classes from old-school D&D (fighter, thief, cleric, magic user) but the community has made several supplements adding back more modern classes.

Now, if you're that type of player that wants a D&D-like experience and you want an alternative that's still beginner-friendly but doesn't deviate as much from D&D's design, I would suggest:

either Basic Fantasy, or Old-School Essentials (or any good retroclone of Basic D&D tbh)

BF and OSE differ a bit from each other but at their core they're both attempts to repackage a relatively faithful but slightly modernized version of the 1981 Basic/Expert D&D set, retaining mostly the same mechanics while ditching a few of the aspects that might seem counterintuitive to a modern audience (such as descending AC, which I personally don't mind but I udnerstand why a lot of people find it confusing). I'm recommending these bc I think if you're gonna play any actual D&D product, the B/X set represents D&D at its most beginner-friendly (character creation is at its quickest and simplest, combat flows faster and remain itneresting due to doing side initiative rather than individual initative, the mechanics forsurprise, stealth, and dungeon exploration actions such as looking for traps are streamlined to simple D6 rolls) while still being recognizably D&D and these retroclones put in a bit of an extra effort to make them even more accessible to modern audiences.

Now, just like The Black Hack, these retroclones are limited in their race/class choice to the classic old-school D&D human/halfling/elf/dwarf and fighter/cleric/thief/magic user, but in the case of Basic Fantasy, the community has made several race and class supplements, some of which are showcased on the official website, and in the case of OSE, the OSE: Advanced addon reintroduces many of the modern classes and races that were originally introduced in the Advanced D&D line.

Have in mind that this list is pretty limited by my own tastes and experiences. I'm very aware that the very specific type of game I tend to play and like and experiences inroducing some of my friends to the hobby completely color the scope of what I can recommend as a good beginner RPG, and that that scope is significantly limited. I also like more narrative storygame type stuff, and I don't doubt that some of them would also make a fantastic introduction to the hobby (some PbTA stuff like Ironsworn, Dungeon World and Monster of the Week comes to mind) but my experience with them is not significant enough for me to feel confident in telling which of them are good beginner RPGs.

Also note that there are several games that I consider to be more MECHANICALLY beginner-friendly than the ones I listed here, but that I avoided mentioning specifically because they offer extremely little to no support in terms of GM tools, which I think is an important and often overlooked aspect of beginner-friendliness for any game that includes a GM! But they still might be worth checking out. These include games like DURF, FLEE, OZR, A Dungeon Game, Bastards, Dungeon Reavers, Knave 1e, and Tunnel Goons.

#ttrpg

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roxykisser · 1 year

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through altercations known only to me rereading my lalonde wizard post has made me think about what class each of the kids would play in dungeons and dragons, so i’m subjecting my 2 followers to it.

john: fighter. i’m sorry but i can’t see him picking anything else besides maybe like… ranger. he mostly sticks to the default subclass but jade probably made him try rune knight at least once for a one-shot. he found it too complicated but relented to branch out into more subclasses afterwards.

dave: i’m torn between rogue and hexblade warlock. mayhaps some sort of cursed multiclass of both. he seems like the type to look up game guides to get the most broken character build possible and make up a backstory on the fly but he ends up actually quite attached to his pcs.

rose: probably a warlock. my first instinct was wizard, but i think she’d enjoy the flavour of warlock more, considering her gothic tendencies. she started out with the great old one patron but then discovered homebrew and became unstoppable. that one player who sends 10 pages of backstory, but it’s actually enjoyable to read

jade: the dungeon master. she’s the one who can most reliably engage all the players in the game without overcomplicating the plot and probably excels in juggling everyone’s game preferences. though when she does get to play she probably has no set character type and just makes a character depending on what strikes her fancy that day

jane: my first instinct was a city ranger build, since that’s probably the closest you get to a detective in dnd, but hear me out.. paladin. the strict code of oath. the angsty backstories. the heroic persona. jane spent a lot of time pre-game playing damsel in distress. i think she’d enjoy playing the knight for once. she probably tries it just to try it at first but ends up liking the mechanics so much she just sticks to it

dirk: right. we have a few options here. the first one is specifically cavalier fighter, because they get a mount. obvious choice. but for some reason he also strikes me as someone who would play sorcerer. it has some of the most fiddly mechanics in the game and it’s one of the closest classes we get to not-newbie-friendly in dnd. he’d like the challenge. then he looks at the set up of the rest of the party, sees they have no healer, and begrudgingly picks cleric/druid

roxy: is there really a question here? she would play wizard. she might branch out into warlock for a one-shot or something when she sees rose play it but she would probably prefer the versatility and sheer volume of wizard spells. i swear opening the wizard spell list is like spinning a wheel of fortune every damn time. also it means she gets to have a familiar and obviously she would make mutini (i mean, excuse me, moutani)

jake: i’m imagining his character creation went a little something like this: “So which class will let me do some pistol action?” “well, technically any of them, if you have the right proficiency!” “Okay but are there any that are like, really good at it?” “i mean… there are gunslingers and technically artificers…” “Great! i’ll play that then” before jade can explain gunslingers are actually sort of really complicated to play, especially for newbies. eventually he switches to bard

bonus: terezi plays barbarian. you can’t convince me otherwise.

#homestuck #john egbert #dave strider #rose lalonde #jade harley #jane crocker #dirk strider #roxy lalonde #jake english #hs #dnd meme #harley posts

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mint-termsandconditions · 8 months

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Kirbtober Day 7: Headcannon

Headcannons about Dream Land’s favorite pass-time:

Avalanche!

without text and with colors

It’s going to be a very long post.

Context:

Originally, this was from the Avalanche arc, which was a part of an overly ambitious project about what if I, local Kirby fan and idiot, retold the entire story of Kirby, and took inspiration from every medium of Kirby, and I mean every.

I scrapped the idea of rewriting the entire Kirby story because, first of all, I'm not a writer and, second of all, I don't have that kind of patience.

But oddly enough, I grew so fond of the Avalanche Arc that it became part of my head-cannon.

The Avalanche Arc would’ve taken place before Bandana Dee had his Bandana

Headcannon #1:

Avalanche makes everyone act terribly to one another

There’s no magic or scientific reason behind this

It’s just like playing board games with your family

Headcannon #2:

There’s a wristwatch version of Avalanche that allows online multiplayer

The buttons to move your piece are the two blobs on the side and the button in the center is to drop.

Players often use these wristwatches to practice for the competition that happens annually, but recently been changed to triennially due to the Avalanche Competition, causing an increase rate in crime and sabotage pre-competition.

The wristwatch has four modes:

Arcade:

See how long you last

Vs:

Play against another player to see who’s better

Competition:

A mode only available during competition (will be explained later)

Time:

Tells the time

Headcannon #3:

There are two types of Avalanche Competition that are usually hosted:

digital and IRL

Digital is basically your average Kirby Avalanche gameplay

IRL has the same mechanics as Avalanche, where you match the same color blobs together and make combos but with a twist, it takes place in an actual stadium.

Players use large hooks to rotate and guide the blobs to their preferred spot.

Player are able to keep reference of where they have placed the blobs by using the Competition mode on their wristwatch as referenced before. Most players bounce on the already stacked blobs to reach the blobs above.

Beginners typically use the ladder.

And some players have the ability to float or fly to reach the blob.

Like in normal sports, there are more ideal Avalanche players, usually ones who are able to fly or float, but others have figured out ways to get around these shortcomings by using their own skills and abilities.

There are two main type of skills:

Delay Skills:

Skills that stops or slows down the falling of blobs for a few seconds

(Only affects falling blobs)

Destroy Skills:

Skills that destroys already placed blobs

(Only affects blobs that have been placed)

Other rules include:

DON’T SABOTAGE THE OTHER PLAYERS!!!!

You can use a skill only after completing a certain amount of combos (amount depends on how powerful the skill is)

Don’t attempt to move blobs that have already been placed

PLEASE DON’T SABOTAGE THE OTHER PLAYERS!

Headcannon #4:

Some Dream Landers aren’t avid Avalanche enjoyers but usually still tune in to see the blob cam

Because as much as everyone loves seeing their favorite player succeed, everyone always prefers seeing the loser get (safely) crushed by the piling up blobs and come out as a blobby mess.

Kirby:

Rising up the ranks rapidly, it’s Kirby! They do not only have the ability to float, which puts them ahead of most players, they also have not one, not two, but three skills to aid them in the competition!

Skill: (L x W)

Copy Ability:

Allows Kirby to switch from these three copy abilities:

Ice:

Allows Kirby to freeze blobs from falling for a few seconds

Fire:

Allows Kirby to burn and destroy blobs (2 x 4)

Fighting:

Allows Kirby to break boulders and the blobs surrounding it (2 x 2)

Trivia:

Kirby would’ve picked mike as one of their abilities but the competition didn’t allow it

Even though most people brush off Kirby as just being the ideal type of person to play Avalanche due to their ability to float and the many skills they can utilize, their ability to think quickly on their feet is the main reason why they quickly became one of the top players

Kirby is the first player in Dream Land to have three skills

Some Avalanche players (in order of worse to best):

Chilly and Tokkori:

This tag team may bicker often, but when working towards a common goal, nothing can stand in their way!

Skill:

Freeze!:

Allows Chilly to freeze blobs from falling for a few seconds

Feather Falling:

Allows Tokkori to slow down blobs from falling by grabbing the blob with his hook and letting it fall gently

Trivia:

The main reason why they usually lose is that they often argue and complain that the other one have placed a blob wrong

They have a strong rivalry with the Sun and Moon for best tag team duo

Tokkorri is better at solo Avalanche than Chilly

Meta Knight:

Even this lone swordsman couldn’t resist the fierce competition of Avalanche! His ability to fly and slash makes him a fearsome foe!

Skill:

Piercing Slash:

Allows Meta Knight to clear an entire row

Down Thrust:

Allows Meta Knight to clear an entire column

Trivia:

Meta Knight quickly became an Avalanche Competition fan favorite due to his mysterious aura and his flashy skills

Meta Knight is extremely bitter about being ranked below King Dedede

Meta Knight’s playing style is heavily inspired by the long reigning Avalanche Champion, only known as ‘The Avalanche King’

King Dedede:

Make way for the King himself! Ranked second best, this King is a force to be reckoned with! With his trusty tool he’ll destroys anyone who threatens his rank!

Skill:

King Dedede’s Hammer:

Allows King Dedede’s hook to change into the hammer and give the blobs a large bonk (4 x 4)

Triple Dedede Hammer:

Allows King Dedede’s hook to change into a hammer and wack the blobs three times destroying them in the process 3 x (2 x 2)

Trivia:

King Dedede was the number one ranked players for years before someone else took that spot

King Dedede created his hook by himself and this design later inspired Masked Dedede’s hammer

There’s a stadium specifically made for him due to his larger size compared to the average Dream Lander

The Avalanche King:

After vanishing for years, the Avalanche King finally returns! This mysterious champion may look like your run-of-a-mill Dream Lander, but his skills are nothing to scoff at! His speed and quick-thinking are unmatched, but why did he return?

Skill:

None to destroy blobs or to delay blobs. Only fan-service babyyyyy!

Trivia:

It’s Bandana Waddle Dee.

In the Avalanche Arc there was a joke about it being very obvious that it was him but somehow no one knows.

He wears a masked because he doesn’t want King Dedede to figure out he’s been slacking off to play Avalanche and that he took King Dedede’s title

The reason why he vanished was because Bandana Dee realized he had a very unhealthy addiction to Avalanche and decided to quit

He returned because Kirby made him relapse

He’s the same waddle dee from the actual Avalanche game (still a head-cannon)

The reason he’s so cracked at Avalanche is because I wanted to foreshadow his ability to to use a spear by paralleling how he uses the hook to play avalanche (This originally was a part of a story like I said before.)

This was also planned to show that even if Bandana Dee isn’t as physically strong as the others, he has the capacity to be smarter and think quicker than his peers, (I know it isn’t cannon (double isn’t cannon because it’s from an alternate universe), but from the Dreamy Gears Light Novel, it was shown that Bandana Dee figured out how to read ancient text faster than Meta Knight, so I like to think he has the ability to work smarter and harder).

#kirby #kirby fanart #kirby headcanons #kirby’s avalanche #bandana waddle dee #meta knight #king dedede #chilly kirby #tokkori kirby #Bandana dee #I don’t know why I worked so hard on how Avalanche works in Dream Land but I guess I did #kirbtober

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circeyoru · 2 months

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I have a question about the reader's powers... How far do your powers as a writer/creator go... How are they being trained now and with that their power? Maybe it's increasing, Maybe the reader has unintentionally brought to life an anime character they're watching at the moment... How can you imagine the reader trying to make a doll or a plush of an anime character, and without wanting to bring the character alive in the in front of you... And what would this character be like, would he be aware of what he is? Would they be another slave to the reader, where he would do everything they asked? And most importantly, who would be the first fictional character that the reader would accidentally bring to life... Like our yandere! Would Alastor react? Many, many questions...

Go to MASTERLIST for the works. This ask is for {Unwanted Souls}.

If you have yet to read Reader's/your demon design, give it a read.

Okay~ This is a talk on your powers. Oh boy.

How far do your powers go? At the moment, you have created objects, as far as the story has mentioned. I remember before someone asking about you creating Cursed Cat Alastor as well and the answer was a 100% no cause you would have needed to dissect it beforehand to understand the mechanism before the conjuration. Else it just ends up zapping a lot of your energy. If it's something like food or drinks, you must know at least the ingredients and what they look, taste, and smell before conjuring it.

Similar to objects, the food you conjure would have the same properties to how you envision it or have experienced before. If happen to have a negative view of it, like it was too sweet when it was just right in reality, the conjured product will be your degree of 'too sweet' instead what it was in the first place.

So your limit is on living creature conjuration and what limited energy you have. Not to mention your creativity and knowledge. (now that you upgraded to no longer needing pen and paper)

Now, if you did read the demon design, you'll notice that some abilities and powers were listed and explained but were never mentioned in the story anywhere. It's cause you don't use it anymore after leaving Lucifer's service. And Lucifer has mentioned before, you are OP (overpowered).

How are you being trained now? The training's done. It only lasted a while, during which Lucifer suggested you do something new since you were back to being lazy again. I wouldn't call it 'training' since Lucifer didn't actually help directly like teaching and stuff because he doesn't know what or how to help, it was all you trial and error repeatedly until something works. All Lucifer did was create a safe space for you to do it all.

There's no more training for you now. You're merely trying out new ways of using your powers cause you are coming out into the opening more and more. Trial and error. Like that.

Maybe unintentionally brought to life an anime character? Yeah, no, yeahhh nooo... As I mentioned in this ask and before in other trivias, you cannot conjure living beings. Especially ones in anime. To conjure a living person, you need a lot of information. Just think of your irl self. From birth to now, can you say that everything was set to a point or that you know everything about yourself? I don't mean consciousness, I also mean the unconscious self. Do you know your deep desires? Not really, if you do then wow!

Back to Pager!you. You can't and don't have that type of information, and if you try to summon a being like that, it will turn against you because it is its own being. There's no 'pre-programmed loyalty' towards you. The first thing they will do, assuming that they are successfully conjured, will be to destroy you, then themselves. They know they aren't meant to exist, and to be 'born' by someone's power is just another level. It's like you're playing god.

Not to mention, you're using your own life to give to that creation. Conjuring objects takes your energy. Conjuring living beings will take your lifeforce and the longer they're here, the weaker you get.

No matter how desperate you are for company, you won't do that for any reason or situation. On purpose or on accident.

(1) You don't have that ability to (knowledge, information, creativity, and power levels)

(2) Doesn't sit right with you to do that

and (3) You have Alastor. Do I need to say more?

*If you do conjure one and it doesn't kill you first, Alastor will. A perfect creation by you? That just sounds like replacement and he won't stand for it. Yup, time to destroy a worthless doll.

#Circe's Nighty Writings #alastor imagine #alastor x reader #alastor x y/n #alastor x you #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor headcanons #hazbin hotel fanfiction #alastor #hazbin hotel oneshots #yandere alastor #yandere alastor x reader #yandere hazbin hotel #alastor fanfiction #hazbin hotel imagines #Unwanted Soul

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artbyblastweave · 2 years

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Recently I’ve had this sense that the endgame of Worm gets slapped with a sort of displaced antagonism towards other serialized works that also go all in on the serial endgame escalation but don’t integrate it into the themes and cosmology as effectively.

The whole “At the end of Worm, when they fight The Worm,” line of jokes- stripped of context, I realized that to me those feel like the kind of intra-fandom joke you’d see in a series that ran way longer than intended and just kept pulling increasingly absurd antagonists and cosmological details out of a hat. You know the type. Dragon Ball, Supernatural, Riverdale. I see people complaining about Worm’s serial escalation, complaining that the book shouldn’t have moved past street level, complaining that it shouldn’t have explained the cosmology underpinning the powers, and after taking the obligatory slow blinks, I’m always put in mind of the same kind of complaints I’ve seen leveled at series that did things along those line but didn’t plan out where they were going in advance.

Because the endgame is telegraphed! It’s a book about escalation, about how things escalating push people into a destructive spiral that invites more escalation! The mechanics underpinning the powers directly tie into the books themes of agency and trauma AND the book’s project of modelling a “classic” superhero status quo. The presence of a grand design is leaked into the narrative again and again as early as at least arc seven, the entities plan, struggle, and inept response to their situation perfectly mirrors the societal difficulties they create for their host species. The endgame demonstrates the terminal point of every dynamic shown earlier in the book, from Taylor’s self-destructive martyr complex and Lisa’s inability to anchor her, try as she might, to everyone’s inability to coordinate perfectly due to mutual suspicion and self-interest. And then it stops, too, upon reaching this decided-upon-in-advance terminal point. This was thought out!

I don’t think you can view Worm as having “jumped the Shark” or “run out of ideas” or whatever; it’s not useful to view it’s progression through the same lens you’d use to view an ongoing series. But I think that there’s a strong temptation to do so because it’s serialized.

(And in fairness, there are definitely web serials that do deserve to be viewed and judged through that lens; I got burned on one recently that started strong but clearly ran afoul of a lack of pre-planning and petered out in the back half. Something to be said for ten years of preplanning.)

#parahumans #worm #wildbow #thoughts #worm web serial #worm analysis

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glubby-guppiez · 7 months

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*I MADE A TMNT AU [WIP]

*cw: typing quirk

*Oroku family info

*Basic synopsis

*Turtles are from a zoo in Guatemala

*The turtles are Central American Snapping Turtles

*They were stolen and mutated by Baxter Stockman

*Baxter Stockman is the main villain and the turtles work to stop him because he is too far gone and has hurt so many people and creatures in his quest for vast knowledge and is completely apathetic

*)(amato + Foot clan does not affect the story

*The turtles + Splinter lived in Guatemala until they met April and then they moved to New York to go after Stockman

*The turtles start off as regular mutant turtles, but early on during the events of the AU, get mutated further into dragons (friends idea)

*Character Info

*Shared info about the turtles

*Central American Snapping Turtles *All were originally named by the zoo *When they are mutated into dragons, their heights increased *The mutation process was very painful *Wings grew out of their backs and broke their shells at the top where the wings grew *Knows/speaks/writes in Spanish and English *Keeps their original weapons *Learned ninjitsu and self defense similarly to Mutant Mayhem and Bayverse via books and videos but also by watching humans at the dojo that is right above where they live

*Michelangelo

*)(e/)(im Cis male *5'11" (Pre-Dragon) *7'2" (Post-Dragon) *Very muscular build *Lost one of his right toes *Wears cheap gym shorts and an orange sweater around his shoulders that soon turns into his mask after he mutates into a dragon (tears off a sleeve) *Nunchaku on belt *Stickers on shell, including an anime sticker Raphael put on as a joke that won't come off *Old mask had the iconic Mikey short tails *Gay *The Leader *Optimist *Actually good at strategizing *Tries to stay energetic and joyful even when it's inappropriate *A little bit insensitive tbh *Not entirely on purpose he just doesn't understand why everyone isn't happy-go-lucky and constantly optimistic like he is *#1 Cheerleader *Tries to keep good relationships with his family *Very loving and supportive of them *Learning empathy is part of his character development *Mondo Gecko becomes a love interest for him later on

*Madonna (Donatello)

*She/)(er Transfem changed name *6'4" (Pre-Dragon) *7'6" (Post-Dragon) *Largest and most muscular turtle because of her Bo training and mechanical handling *Wears skirts and an apron with lots of storage, including a large tool belt *Steal's Raph's clothes even though they are small on her *Paint splats on shell *Braided mask tails *When everyone's masks broke because of the second mutation, she made everyone but Mikey new ones (Mikey immediately tore up his sweater and made a new mask) *Straight *Group inventor *Not very good at organizing her thoughts and explaining her inventions, and tech is always very messy and hard to follow *Personality is like Rise!Donnie but toned down *Doesn't really get mad but sulky *Very bad grammar *Often butts heads with 'Nardo *)(as a large bo collection and only uses her least favorites and never the ones she really likes unless she has to *Small crush on CJ in the beginning (purely one-sided and goes away after a while)

Leonardo

*)(e/)(im Cis male *5'8" (Pre-Dragon) *6'7" (Post-Dragon) *More scrawny and lanky than the rest of the group *Was effected the most by the second mutation out of the group appearance wise *Wears comfortable loose clothes like hoodies and sweatpants *Plain, long tail mask *Wore glasses before second mutation *)(as a dragon carved onto his lower shell (he begged asked Madonna to do it) *AroAce *Main intel of the group *Very observant *Non verbal and writes everything that comes to mind in these journals called: "Big Book of 'Nardo Thoughts" and hopes to publish them one day. *Thinks he should've been the leader *Geography nerd *Otaku

Raphael

*She/)(er Cis female *5'4" (Pre-Dragon) *7'4" (Post-Dragon) *Muscular but chubby build *Wears feminine clothing mainly jeans and crop tops but also skirts and dresses *Mask tied into a nice bow *Madonna put nail polish drawings on her shell *Paints hers and Mikey's nails *Lesbian *Sassy like 1987 Raphael *Very girly and feminine *Very protective of her family *Does have rage strength *A voice of wisdom/reason *Still kind of childish *)(angs out with Splinter a lot *Gets a girlfriend named Marilyn

Splinter

*)(e/)(im Cis male *5'6" *47 *Bushy-tailed Woodrat *Wears a dirty ass expensive silk bathrobe that he stole from a human that he WILL NOT take off *Raph likes to style his fur *Straight ally *Only knows Spanish *Reads a lot and taught the turtles how to read *Great cook *Mediocre dad *Was taken from his own parents at an early age so he has no clue how to parent outside of instinct and books *He's trying he goes to the PTA meetings he goes to them/ref *Brought home a whole bunch of girl books for Madonna when she came out to him *Praises Mikey for his optimism *Adores 'Nardo's writing *Wants a wife so bad

Baxter Stockman

*TW FOR MENTIONS OF ABUSE *)(e/)(im Cis Male *5'5" (Pre mutation) *6'4" (Post mutation) *56 *Black and Brazilian *Buzz cut (Pre mutation) *Skinny build (Pre mutation) *Becomes a fly mutant *Much more muscular post mutation *)(air grows out *Kind of looks like Super Fly *Wears stereotypical lab gear *Questioning AroAce *Very devoted to his work *Abused and neglected his wife (April's mom) and daughter (April O'Neil) *Made the turtles, Shredder, Splinter, and other mutants *Everyone )(ATES him *Rightfully so *)(e uses mech suits to fight like 2012 him in season 1 *CJ is his pupil early on *Kind of a bitch to CJ *Sadistic *This man gets very uncomfortable to be around after he's mutated *Like bro wanting disect and study every living thing he comes across after the mutation *Throws a fit when he's wrong about something *Has a deep desire to be all knowing

April O'Neil

*She/They/It Demigirl *5'8" *19 *Afro Latina *She has dark brown hair styled in afro puffs *Skinny but athletic build *Sports a black and yellow track suit with a white undershirt *Bisexual *Daughter of Baxter Stockman *Tech whiz *Madonna's best friend *Big sister figure to the turtles *Grew up in Guatemala and moved to New York with the turtles and Splinter shortly after meeting them *)(er dad's #1 hater *Fluent in Spanish *Knows English, but it's rough *Uses a gun *Dating Karai

Casey Jones (CJ)

*They/)(e/It Nonbinary (fine with gender neutral or masculine terms) *5'2" *17 *White *)(as that 2000's mid length emo boy haircut *Wears Jeans + Band tee and a lab coat *Main inspo from 2012 Casey design wise *Omniromantic (pref for men) Asexual *Kind of wimpy and doesn't fight *Mainly uses mousers and other robots *Stockman's pupil until he joins up with the turtles *Works alongside 'Nardo and Madonna *Genuinely scared of Mikey *Grew up in New York *Failed Art Class and will have to repeat highschool they are so salty about this it is not even *Geek loser *Main personality inspo from '87 and 2012 Stockman

*I will write about more characters later and more lore but rn this is all you get. If you wanna see specific characters or if you have any questions, feel free to ask me my ask box is open!

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praxcrown5 · 4 months

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Cars Headcanon Drabbles: Doc Hudson

What follows is a summary of Doc's pre-racing life for a fanfiction I'm working on. I tried my best to work in existing canon where applicable. Enjoy!

Samuel James "Hudson" Longhauler Jr. (factory designation HH19512C308CU11211938: Cycle 9, Rotation 152, Batch 1A)--known as "Doc" Hudson to the denizens of Radiator Springs, or just "Hud" to his friends and loved ones--is a three-time, Piston Cup champion whom raced under the moniker "the Fabulous Hudson Hornet" between 1951 and 1954. He was sired by Diesel O'Twill and Annette Elizabeth Longhauler nee Glenrunner, despite the latter being married to Samuel Joseph Longhauler at the time. He was manufactured at the Hudson Motor Car Company Factory in Detroit, Michigan on 11/21/1938, and is modeled in the likeness of an Old World 1951 Hudson Hornet club coupe.

Hud grew up in Dawsonville, Georgia (a small-town northeast of Atlanta). His mother began teaching him internal combustion at four as he had a natural talent for engines, and a keen eye for catching ailments before they became big problems. His grandfather and his uncles also taught him how to make moonshine, something that he'd take advantage of when he was older.

Hud was highly intelligent…probably one of the smartest kids in town…but restless. He would quickly master any topic that he felt was relevant to him…and then check out. As a student, he skipped classes that didn’t interest him, and he was constantly being sent to the principal’s office for arguing with his teachers. He loved mechanical engineering, and could spend hours tearing apart various types of engines and cadaver parts to figure out how they worked…but the chaotic environment of the garage was too overwhelming, so he began to spend more and more time causing trouble with his friends, and exploring the woods around Dawsonville.

During Hud’s seventh-year growth spurt his adolescent two-cylinder engine grew into an in-line four capable of putting out 120 horsepower. He was in a league of his own, and he began to sneak out at night, racing the logging roads, and wreaking havoc around town. By the time he was nine, Hud had served hundreds of hours of community service as reparations for various offenses including, but not limited to, reckless driving, petty theft, ethanol possession with intent to sell, disturbing the peace, vandalism, and trespassing. His family tried to talk sense into him, but the only person who could seemingly get through was his mother, and even then, she could barely keep him in line.

In October of '47, he stumbled across a group of whiskey trippers hiding out in the woods north of Dawsonville. The trippers mistook Hud for a cop…and almost killed him…but he managed to convince their leader, an Oldsmobile named "Ghost," that he was just a curious kid. They apologized, and invited him to rest at their camp…but unbeknownst to everyone, the local police and the ATF had both been tipped off about the gang's whereabouts…and were closing in. Fortunately for the trippers, Hud knew the farm and logging roads better than he knew his own family, and with his guidance, he and the the gang managed to evade the police, pausing to catch their breath well south of town. Hud knew if he returned to Dawsonville, he’d have to explain himself to the town sheriff--who had been a part of the chase--and his family…and he couldn’t guarantee that his family’s reputation would keep him out of jail…so he decided to follow Ghost to Thomasville where he became a full member of the Still Chasers under the employ of a mechanic, and AARC team owner, named Smokey.

In May of '50, Smokey found himself in a bind when his primary driver was injured before an important race. With all of his alts out for various reasons, Smokey was desperate, going so far as to offer a rare favor if Ghost could help him out. Ghost volunteered Hud. Initially, the twelve-year-old coupe was un-enthused, but Ghost persuaded him to race. Despite finishing fifth, Hud impressed Smokey so much that he offered him a spot on his team, and Hud would leave the Still Chasers so that he could spend the rest of the year training. In 1951, Hud would go on to claim thirteen wins AND the championship title. He would win additional champion titles in 52’ and 53’, and amass an unprecedented 65 victories through the 54’ season…though that one would be cut short by a near fatal wreck during the Fireball Beach 350. It took a full year for Hud to get put back together, and he went back to Thomasville expecting a big welcome…but was shocked to discover that the new team owners (Smokey sold the team in 53’) had replaced Hud with a younger, faster car.

Hud’s world shattered. He felt betrayed by Smokey, thinking that, as team 51's crew chief, he would have been part of the decision to have Hud replaced. In truth, Smokey had never been consulted and would ultimately resign from the team in protest.

Hud tried reaching out to Ghost...but it was like his friend had vanished off the face of the Earth. He assumed that Ghost had written him off after his accident, when in reality, the tripper had been killed by the ATF in 54'.

He called the garage, hoping to talk to his mother…but ended up getting his uncle James…who told him about how the ATF locked down Dawsonville the night he disappeared, tearing apart his home and the family garage trying to find him. But instead of finding him, they found his grandfather's still. His grandfather and his uncles were arrested, and Hud's mother worked herself near to death trying to keep the business afloat with only Sam to help her...and her health never recovered. James angrily blamed Hud for everything, told him to not bother coming home, and hung up on him. What Hud didn’t know was that his grandfather had heard the last part of the conversation and tried to call him back…but Hud was already on his way out of town, heartbroken.

Not knowing what to do or where to go, he drove to Detroit, hoping to either disappear into obscurity, or start over. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t able to do either. No matter where he went, people kept asking for autographs, or challenging him to races… and even hiding behind a contemporary paint job couldn’t save him the pain of having to think about what he lost in Thomasville. He would eventually leave Detroit and head west, taking in the sights of Route 66. He helped out a stranded car in Carburetor County, Arizona, and in so doing stumbled upon a series of oddly ironic billboards. Curious, he followed them to the Mechanical School of Carburetor County and, with no other options available, enrolled in classes to become a Doctor of Internal Combustion. He finished at the top of his class, and with a newfound sense of purpose swelling in is engine, used the money that he'd made racing to open a clinic in the nearby town of Radiator Springs.

Additional factoids:

He resented his father, Sam, for being away from the house so much, and part of his acting out as a kid was in the hopes that it would encourage Sam to take a more active role in raising him.

He never knew that Ghost was his sire until after he mended bridges with Smokey.

He had a half-sister (Sandra Carlton) whom was sired by Ghost and Cassie Carlton (the scout for the Still Chasers). He never met her, nor was he ever made aware of her existence.

Was gay, and was quite the playboy in his early adult years.

When the Still Chasers were in town for some R&R, Hud would don an opulent paint job--usually some shade of blue--with expensive, white-wall tires...and then head on over to the nearest bar to drink and socialize.

He gave himself the nickname "The Fabulous Hudson Hornet" after getting separated from the rest of the Still Chasers outside of Jacksonville, FL and somehow managing to evade an entire ATF task force and police from three, separate counties.

He had a best-friends-with-benefits-esque relationship with Sheriff until his passing in '09.

He had degrees in Clinical Aerodynamics and Internal Hydraulics in addition to his Doctorate in Internal Combustion.

With Lightning's support, he would eventually find, and make amends with, his surviving family members (his grandfather and his uncle James).

Loved 1960’s rock and roll.

Young Hud's theme song:

youtube

#cars 2006 #cars pixar #cars #cars fandom #disney cars #cars movie #pixar cars #doc hudson #hudson hornet #cars headcanons #sherdoc #lightning mcqueen #cars fanfiction #Doc Hudson #fabulous hudson hornet

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jupiter-nwn · 2 months

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what discoveries have you made since the 2021 ghostkin / cloudkin post ? :p

Omg hi! Little warning for a ramble that might sound incoherent and "weird" to people who don't know how to have fun lol /lh (aka: I'm talking about my non-humanness, lol)

Warning! this gets VERY long, VERY specific and personal (not in a vent way, but in a "I'm rambling about myself" kind of way), and, somehow, incredibly scientific. Like, actually talking about a physics phenomenon and chemical reaction. I don't know, but yk how it is lol, I may be cringe but I am free

Well! I am indeed cloudkin and Ghostkin; rather, I've realized that I mostly feel like a cloud-looking spirit of sorts, inhabiting a human body if you will. I know some of my features (antlers, fangs, multiple eyes and dots and markings) but they're slightly shifting since my form isn't stable in itself!

Also, I know I'm fictionkin to some degree... Except I'm... not? See, I'm part of a system. I keep referring to myself as otherkin instead of just being a non-human sysmate because, despite this not being everyone's experience (completely valid), I technically "am" "the one that was here before the others""", rather, I was just here pre syscovery even if I know I've been plural for longer than that; but I felt so at home with kin terms that they felt right to use even when I don't see many systems referring to their individual members as X-kin. However, I did eventually realize that my connection to a certain character (I'd hide who it is... But I post about Dream sans on an almost daily basis and they've been the mental representation of myself for about five years now, like. They're me) but it didn't feel like being fictionkin to me; I AM some sort of introject, a semi-fictive I'd say. Plus Dream is a little ball of golden energy inhabiting a skeleton body... And so am I, a golden-looking spirit inside a body! So I'm ghost/cloudkin, galaxykin (simply because of the shifting nature and because my mind always feels so -vast-, like my body's too small to contain it, and it felt right to think of myself as a galaxy, and it was a good metaphor until it was just... intrinsically tied to who I am) and starkin for similar reasons (glowing mass of continuous chemical reactions... Me relating myself to chemistry doesn't end here, keep reading and you'll notice lol)

Stupidly enough, because this is so specific and no one ever seems to talk about stuff like this, one of the things I've realized about myself is what I'm made of; as in, which chemical-

It's something I've known for a while, before I went by Júpiter I went by Jay because I knew I wanted a name that started with J bc J and Q are the only letters not in the periodic table and I was like "oh, my name starts with J because I'm the missing element"; and then way before I had my gender figured out, the easiest way to explain my feelings was to talk about myself in pokemon types... I'd be a ghost/poison type, something about poison types always made me relate in a way? fitting lol

I think I had a huge species euphoria moment when we did the gold rain experiment (link leads to page explaining how to do the experiment) in my lab class. To put it simply, it is a mix of lead nitrate and potassium iodide that crystalizes, and then forms this snowball kind of effect, it looks like THIS:

I don't know, the mix of something looking so glittery, yet being so toxic (8g of lead nitrate are enough to kill you lol) made me go OMG ME

I want to also add that as a physics student + chemistry enthusiast, me feeling species euphoria from physics/chemistry concepts extends to more; for example I learnt about the De Broglie wave length and I haven't been normal ever since... idk how to properly explain it, so here's the wikipedia definition lol, shorter than what I was gonna write: "Matter waves are a central part of the theory of quantum mechanics, being half of wave–particle duality. At all scales where measurements have been practical, matter exhibits wave-like behavior. For example, a beam of electrons can be diffracted just like a beam of light or a water wave." And I don't know how to explain the inherent non-human euphoria I got being "related" to waves like light; like, yes!! I feel more incorporeal and more wave-like! I'm a ghost! Of course my specific properties aren't really "realistic" but come on, no one's trying to (dis)prove my existence.

I think I've just become very comfy in being non-human since 2021, maybe it's because my partner is also non-human and we've related a lot to each other in that regard; I just do the things that make me happy about it. I hide in bed with my prized possessions, makes me incredibly happy in an animalistic kind of way!

Other people find where they came from, who they were at some point. Personally, I do not have a spiritual past related to my non-humanity, I am a creature inhabiting a human body, so I don't have hearthomes or kin memories... I have weirdly specific attachments to physics concepts (part of the reason I must study physics, I need to understand the world on a deeper, non-human level) and feel euphoria over the weirdest shit lmfao

#otherkin #non human #alterhuman #cloudkin #ghostkin

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tearsinthemist · 4 months

Text

Want to learn something new

Want to learn something new in 2022??

Absolute beginner adult ballet series (fabulous beginning teacher)

40 piano lessons for beginners (some of the best explanations for piano I’ve ever seen)

Excellent basic crochet video series

Basic knitting (probably the best how to knit video out there)

Pre-Free Figure Skate Levels A-D guides and practice activities (each video builds up with exercises to the actual moves!)

How to draw character faces video (very funny, surprisingly instructive?)

Another drawing character faces video

Literally my favorite art pose hack

Tutorial of how to make a whole ass Stardew Valley esque farming game in Gamemaker Studios 2??

Introduction to flying small aircrafts

French/Dutch/Fishtail braiding

Playing the guitar for beginners (well paced and excellent instructor)

Playing the violin for beginners (really good practical tips mixed in)

Color theory in digital art (not of the children’s hospital variety)

Retake classes you hated but now there’s zero stakes:

Calculus 1 (full semester class)

Learn basic statistics (free textbook)

Introduction to college physics (free textbook)

Introduction to accounting (free textbook)

Learn a language:

Ancient Greek

Latin

Spanish

German

Japanese (grammar guide) (for dummies)

French

Russian (pretty good cyrillic guide!)

Jan 2, 2023

Want to learn something new in 2023??

Cooking with flavor bootcamp (used what I learned in this a LOT this year)

Beekeeping 101

Learn Interior Design from the British Academy of Interior Design (free to audit course - just choose the free option when you register)

Video on learning to read music that actually helped me??

How to use and sew with a sewing machine

How to ride a bike (listen. some of us never learned, and that's okay.)

How to cornrow-braid hair (I have it on good authority that this video is a godsend for doing your baby niece's black hair)

Making mead at home (I actually did this last summer and it was SO good)

How to garden

Basics of snowboarding (proceed with caution)

How to draw for people who (think they) suck at art (I know this website looks like a 2003 monstrosity, but the tutorials are excellent)

Pixel art for beginners so you can make the next great indie game

Go (back) to school

Introduction to Astronomy (high school course - free textbook w/ practice problems)

Principals of Economics (high school course - free textbook w/ practice problems)

Introduction to philosophy (free college course)

Computer science basics (full-semester Harvard course free online)

Learn a language

Japanese for Dummies (link fix from 2022)

Ukrainian

Portuguese (Brazil)

American Sign Language (as somebody who works with Deaf people professionally, I also strongly advise you to read up on Deaf/HoH culture and history!)

Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified)

Quenya (LOTR fantasy elf language)

Dec 26, 2023

Want to learn something new in 2024??

Beginner-oriented video on how to sail

This guy has so many videos on baking different types of bread. SO very many.

Coding in Python - one of the most flexible and adaptable high-level programming languages out there - explained through projects making video games

Learn to swim! (for adult learners. I don’t care if you live in Kansas or Mali or wherever. LEARN TO SWIM.)

Learn how quantum mechanics works. Then read some more about it

[Learn about quantum mechanics again, but in a more advanced engineering/mathematics class. Then read more about the math and physics of it]

Poetry Handbook, by Mary Oliver

Something I learned this year: how to sew a quilt (Here’s a very easy beginning pattern that looks amazing and can be done with pre-cut fabric!)

How to hit the ball in softball

Tutorial video on what is under the hood of most (gas) cars + weird engine sounds and what they mean

Full beginner mechanics technical training, if you want to go more in depth

Playlist on how car engine physics work if you want to go ultra in depth

Lecture series on architecture design through study of buildings

How (American income) taxes & tax law work (choose “audit course” at checkout for free class)

Pickleball for beginners (so you can finally join your neighbor/friend/distant cousin who is always insisting you join their team)

+ Para-Pickleball for beginners (for mobility aid users!)

School is so much more fun when there’s no tests:

American Law - Contracts

Shakespeare’s Life and Plays

Fairy Tales: Meanings, Messages, and Morals

Modern Poetry

World History [Part 1, Part 2]

Learn a language:

Arabic + Resource Guide compiled from Reddit (includes info on different dialects)

Chinese (Cantonese) (audio)

Urdu (frequently recommended course on Reddit) + Resource Guide

Yucatec Maya

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fatuismooches · 9 months

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I'm been so active with my scenarios that i surprise myself. Here is yet another!

Have you finished the current event storyline? I skipped all dialogue BUT stopped at the very end and i must admit those couple of lines were all that matters.

They. Are making. Harbingers-inspired. Toys.

Okay. I'm going crazy just at a thought of Reader buying these. This Ask would become far too long if i put all Harbingers here, so imma do my favs!

~~~

Dottore walked to Reader's room to make sure they took their daily medicine. The first thing he sees is you sneakily stuffing something underneath the pillows. He gets suspicious and demands to show whatever that is immediately.

... Why do you have a plushie of him?

Zandik has more questions than answers when he picks up the toy. Reader explains that they bought it from the local market which just received an import of Fontainian toys. Upon closer inspection, Dottie realizes that the toy craftsmanship is exquisite and it's not exactly a plushie, but rather a clockwork meka mechanism with only a couple of parts covered by soft fabric. All sharp points were polished, metal is durable and high-quality. His curiosity is piqued and he'd love to tear it apart and find out how it was made, but Reader protests immediately, snatching the toy from him protectively. Welps. Fine, you get to keep it. You can play with it when he is away on a mission or all of his Segments are busy. His heart always melts when he finds Reader taking a nap, their arm clutching the toy close to their chest. Zandik can't help but feel a bit envious - why would you cuddle a piece of metal when you have him? >:(

~~~

Childe returned home and the first thing that caught his attention was a loud noise of arguing upstairs. When he arrives to the scene, he is both confused, curious and amused. Reader and Teucer are having a tug of war over a toy? That's a first - you two usually get along perfectly.

Upon taking a closer look, he notices that they are fighting over a toy that looks just like him. Childe quickly separates them by taking the toy away and while they say their "sorry" to one another, he takes a good look at the cause of commotion. For his surprise, that IS a toy representing him. Reader explains that they took Teucer shopping and came across this store that sold toys based on....... Snezhnaya's best toy salesmen and saleswomen. Unfortunately, there was only one Childe left in stock. After returning home, the two got into an argument who it belongs to.

Childe cannot help but laugh at the situation and makes a deal that the two of them make a schedule: Teucer gets to play with it for one hour, then passes it for the Reader to play with for another hour, and so on.

Little did you know, Childe went to the same store the very same day and made a pre-order. Less than a week later, Reader, all three young siblings and even Childe himself had a clockwork meka toy of the best salesman in Snezhnaya!

~~~

I wish i could write Columbina, Arlecchino and Pantalone as well (heck, i'd love to do all of the Harbingers HMPH) but yeah 😅 I managed to zone-out midway writing this and now i don't remember what i wanted to write for these three so... Maybe next time!

Hope you have a pleasant day/evening/night~

- 🐺

Harbinger stans are so funny, we see a random NPC mention the mere word of them and all of a sudden we're going crazy (it's me, i'm Harbinger stans)

LMAO DOTTORE 😭 You've never been good at hiding things from him unfortunately... and of course you have to give in eventually, embarrassingly enough showing him a toy you blew your Mora on (well spent though!) Dot shares your enthusiasm for the toy... just not the same type. You do not want him to open it up like a Ruin Guard and then get bored with it and leave it disassembled like his countless other projects! 😒 He lets it go... but he also can't help but wonder out of all Harbingers, why he was chosen for a toy. It must be that damn banker's scheme...

He does find your affection for the toy a bit cute... at first. Though he was interested in it at first, he's growing to resent it a bit... is it really all that fun to play with. Not to mention... he could totally make a better toy if he tried, the one you have would pale in comparison to his masterpiece! ... He doesn't say that out loud, though. Though you might find a better mechanism on your desk later down the line in hopes you discard that one to the side.

I don't think i could ever argue with baby Teucer he's far too precious 😭 He can have all the toys he wants I'll just ask my rich bf (Childe 🤭) to buy it later with his no doubt plentiful connections lmao. No doubt he's the kind of guy to buy out the whole stock and then give it to everyone in his family, and the neighborhood kids who adore him too 🥺 Bina would be ALL over this toy lmao she'd love it! But she'd also want a toy made of you so she can put them together in her room and make them hold hands <3 Arlecchino wouldn't care much... until she finds out you brought a few for the children to play with as well. For Pantalone... you know that man already knew it was being developed he's all in the market for it and everything, he's getting that Mora I'm telling you 😭 He'd get one for you too of course ❤️ Capitano is the kinda guy who would play with it in private... (just don't show it more attention than any of them)

#smooches talks #🐺 anon #BEGGING for more mentions of the harbingers even one sentence #fontaine better deliver smh #dottore love notes <3 #childe love notes <3 #columbina love notes <3 #arlecchino love notes <3 #pantalone love notes <3 #capitano love notes <3

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adobe-outdesign · 1 year

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Thoughts on Varoom and Revavroom's designs?

This entire line is pretty neat, in my opinion. We haven't really had anything resembling a car Pokemon, let alone something as specific as an engine, so the concept alone immediately stands out.

The idea could've easily gone too far in the mechanical direction and ended up not feeling like a living creature, but thankfully, the line avoids this. It's established that some kind of poison-type Pokemon (Muk, maybe?) inspirited an engine, making it a semi man-made modern Pokemon. This explains why it's an engine in the first place. It's also established that they use the rocks they cling to as food/fuel, which both ties back into the engine thing but also provides a reason for them having wheels.

In addition, Varoom makes sense as a pre-evo. I don't claim to know anything about engines, but Bulbapedia claims it's a "single-cylinder internal combustion engine; specifically, those found in small engine applications". This makes both stages work conceptually, as it's basically going from a small-size application engine to a revved-up larger engine.

It's also pretty solid in terms of design. I don't know anything about cars, but the striped areas on the head protrusion gives it a unique visual pattern. The smooth body is contrasted with the rough rock base, and the bit of purple on the exhaust pipe indicates its poison-typing. The face is also very interesting; I can't think of any other Pokemon off the top of my head that has a protruding mouth and side-facing eyes like this. It's not too complex, but not too simple either, and I quite like it overall.

Revaroom is supposedly a "multi-cylinder internal combustion engine", i.e., the kind of thing you'd find on a hotrod car, more or less; this makes sense in terms of progression, but allows for a good amount of design differences compared to its pre-evo.

It has all of the same good things going for it that Revaroom does visually—the various poison-tipped exhaust pipes, the contrast between rocks and body, and a unique face—but also adds some things. Namely, the part up top that resembles the scoop(?) of many engines, but also is its mouth, complete with a tongue:

I love this addition; it feels almost like a cleaner version of a an Ed Roth illustration, which is an energy I can't really say any other Pokemon sports.

My only real issue with this line—which isn't all that important overall—is that I find it weird that the line floats, because A) it doesn't really need to, and B) it seems like it self-defeats the whole "rock wheels" thing it has going on. I also wish we got to see these attached to more vehicles; it would be fun if you could just stumble upon the odd one attached to a car, with a 'dex entry about how they tend to take over abandoned vehicles in junk yards or something like that.

Regardless, this is an incredibly solid line with distinct designs and and a unique concept. Definitely a welcome addition to the Paldean 'dex.

#varoom #revavroom #pokemon #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon reviews

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actionsurges · 2 years

Text

A FURTHER EXPLANATION OF MY DMING PHILOSOPHY

I made a post earlier that was titled something like "anyways here's how to be a good DM" and I never really fully explained the points I made and what that looks like for me when planning and prepping a game. Now that my current short game is mostly through and most of the big reveals have dropped, I'm happy to use it as an explanation for this because I think it's a good example of it on a small scale.

"Give your players a clear idea of the game you want to run and make sure people are on the same page."

What I mean by this is it all comes down to how you present your game. I'm going to be using my three-part heist game. What I did to make sure my group were on the same page was I gave them the following information:

I wanted the game to be split into three parts, the set up to the heist, the heist itself, and the complication / resolution.

I asked them what sort of heist theme they wanted to do, if their characters had pre-established relationships? What type of item did they want to steal? What atmosphere did they wanted to heist in? And my party settled on stealing a significant item from a semi-public function and that their characters loosely knew of each other.

I told them about our setting, a floral, horticultural themed city inspired by Italian and Spanish architecture (which also means partially inspired by Al-Andalusian architecture bc nothing in the world is in a vacuum lmao) and with a huge theater/opera scene that is largely only available to the upper class.

I gave them my house rules for character creation to get them started on the mechanical side

This last one came halfway through me figuring out the plot / partway through they had figured out the character concepts they wanted to pursue but I gave them a more detailed premise of what the heist would be from an in-world perspective and how their character was going to be connected to it. (Imgur Link Here)

Then I set them loose and let them start coming up with character concepts and figuring out how to tie them to the setting and how they influence what the plot will be. Which leads us to-

"Create a situation and put your players in that situation, watch what they do to resolve it, and repeat the process based on what they do."

This doesn't speak to how you build things gradually leading up to a larger plot, but this is how I approach short games, one shots, or the arcs in my long game. I would also say you want to make the situation you're creating connect to the characters in some way whether it's in a plot way or an emotional stakes way.

My players for the heist game settled on:

A) a down on his luck mafia goon who was being blackmailed by his mafia don using the pc's niece, who he couldn't raise on his own and has no clue she's a bargaining chip because she's grown up in that situation. she's also goth but that's irrelevant.

B) an accomplished but now retired thief who has become an art restorer and still mingles within high society, but worries about his adopted sibling who is still plotting and scheming even after a terrible injury that took her out of the game temporarily.

C) a graduate of an arcane university whose student loans are the reason they've turned to crime, with an unusual connection to a quori adrift in space that is the literal embodiment of the dream of recognition.

D) a courtesan by 'day' / assassin by 'night, who has fallen in love with the governor's wife, who is both her patron and her patron.

These concepts are what helped me flesh out the heist premise that I ended up giving to them (its in that imgur link above) and helped me start to realize how I wanted to thread things together. As soon as I knew that B had a storied history, I wanted to make that NPC important and ended up making them the plot device and person who got the party together for the heist. When I knew D wanted to have an important archmage patron and was determining what sort of event I wanted them to steal from, something just clicked into place for political race and having her NPC be the governor's wife. I wanted to connect C and the governor's wife via the type of magic they use so they're both connected to the lost planet of aberrations. And then of course, the mafia's going to be involved and have some hand in trying to rig the election for A.

What this led to was a gala where the following things are going to happen which the party cannot control and could change the course of their plan and how they do the heist:

the governor is going to be assassinated by someone hired by the mafia (revealed to be. a courtesan/assassin bc somehow one of my players sniped an NPC concept I came up with 4 years ago when i first went, huh i want to do a heist game in fantasy italy someday.)

the mafia don and A's niece will be there

news flash, the special object is holding someone inside it and the party has no clue who or what yet

the ticking pressure of if they'll even be able to make it out with the catastrophic complications, and where their ally, B's sibling is...

So yeah, that's how I set up a game and a situation. I like to build ways for my players to be connected to the scenario and have a personal stake in it even if it isn't explicitly About Them. They all still get to have great beats that are important to their characters and things to pursue within the structure of the plot and I find that it works well and I recommend the "put these guys in a situation" strategy for any DM that wants to feel like you're giving your players good boundaries to work within and also give them agency to propel the plot.

I have no clue if my players will make it out of this situation with the rose or with all of their allies or how their interpersonal relationships will be affected, but that's okay. I'm reacting to their strategy and the dice rolls to bring them towards a resolution, whatever that resolution may be and they have the power to affect where they end up because I haven't decided an ending. I haven't assumed that they'll successfully get away with everything they want and everything perfectly resolved but I also haven't assumed they'll end up in jail or dead. It will be what it will be and I'm optimistic and excited to see what they do with the scenario!

Anyway, that's all. Put your guys in problems.

#liza.txt #d&d advice #d&d commentary #that's all babey #idk if this makes sense but i hope it does and i'm always changing the way i prep based on this concept and how to impliment it for each #thing i run #my d&d posts

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