#Wizard Superman Special

[trnsocial]

WIZARDS The Podcast Guide To Comics | Bonus: Spider-Man Special '98

Mike and Adam swing into action to talk about the AMAZING Wizard Spider-Man Special from 1998 with a SPECTACULAR guest, Mike’s Dad! Joe Schwartz has been reading and collecting Spider-Man comics since the 1960’s and in addition to joining in to discuss Wizard’s choices for the 10 Best Spider-Man Stories of all time, who is the greatest Spider-Man villain and more, Joe also shares the story of how…

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#80s #90&039;s Comics #90s #Amazing Fantasy 15 #Best Spider-Man Stories #Comic Books #Green Goblin #John Byrne #Spider-Man #Spider-Man Cartoons #Spider-Man Clone Saga #Spider-Man Comics #Spider-Man Maximum Carnage #Steve Ditko #Wizard Comics Magazine #Wizard Magazine #Wizard Magazine Spider-Man Special #Wizard Superman Special #Wizards Podcast #Wizards The Podcast Guide to Comics

[balu8]

Jerry Ordway: Superman

#jerry ordway #cover #wizard superman special

[noras-dc-shenanigans]

Mute Billy Batson

Billy (age 6) is with his parents when they die in a plane crash on the way back from a dig, and while he survives, he gets several large cuts from parts of the plane slicing into him. One of them hits his throat, permanently damaging his larynx (vocal cords).

Obviously, Awful Uncle Ebenezer doesn’t want to deal with a weepy mute kid who also has trouble swallowing and breathing properly, so as soon as he gets the inheritance he kicks him out. Billy gets picked up a few days later, is too scared to tell them his name, so he gives them a fake. They investigate, find nothing, see the scars and assume he’s one of those kids that was born outside a hospital and raised on the street.

Put him in the system under the new name, he goes through a lot of homes that also don’t want to deal with a mute kid who has eating/drinking/breathing problems. The last few before he runs away take advantage of him not being able to speak and only knowing a tiny bit of sign language. He runs away, gets caught, next home is the same, runs away and makes sure to stay un-caught this time.

He meets a deaf homeless person, they teach him sign language, he manages to get by with doing odd jobs and getting help from people in the area (other homeless people, prostitutes with soft spots, older people with no grandkids of their own).

Age 10 gets chosen by the Wizard because Black Adam will be arriving sooner than he anticipated, and I figure there are two ways for this to go:

A- Because he can’t speak the word, Billy is now permanently stuck as Captain Marvel, much like Black Adam is. This is the more angsty version cause the Wisdom of Solomon would warn him against being seen close to the people he used to know—it’ll likely get them targeted. So poor Billy is stuck all by his lonesome until hero/es come along.

B- Billy discovers he can use sign language to change by creating a special sign just for SHAZAM and thinking it while doing the sign with both hands. It mostly only works because as Champion of Magic it’ll do a lot of stuff for him that just flat out wouldn’t work for literally any other magic user.

(Later, Zatanna just gets so frustrated watching him do magic and Constantine just stares, drinks, and walks away with a very firm “F*ck that.”)

But either way, eventually, maybe a year later (Billy now 11), the Justice League has noticed this new, mysterious hero that never says anything and pretty much vanishes once the heroing is done.

(I think the League should only be 2/3 years old, and Batman & Superman had been heroing for maybe 5 years before that. Any other Leaguers you decide to include are newer and started up 1-2 years before whatever caused the League to be formed. Diana only just left Themyscira for the Event too. So they’re new enough not everyone immediately goes “Hey it’s you!” but organized enough to be able to find/recruit other heroes now.)

So of course, Batman and Superman decide to come introduce themselves. They find the new hero taking down a massive robot and lifting the man inside of it out by the collar like a misbehaving cat and manage to get close to him while he’s handing the villain off to the police.

They introduce themselves, ask if they can have a bit of the hero’s time, he blinks but nods and then points up at the tallest building in the city. They agree, Supes gives Batman a lift, and a few minutes later the other hero joins them after having moved the giant robot to an empty lot so that the city can deal with it out of the way.

Cue the JLers trying to ask the guy questions, and he automatically starts to answer in sign language but grimaces and stops because Billy has rarely met anyone who knows enough to understand him. But, of course, this is Batman we’re talking about, who even if he doesn’t have Cassandra yet still knows basic ASL. He asks what his name is aloud and in sign, and the other hero just lights up, huge grin, and starts signing away at rapid speed.

They learn his name is Captain Marvel, and he was chosen to be the new Champion of Magic to replace the old one who went evil right before the guy who gave him the powers died of extreme old age. (They really wish they could say they consider this strange, but they’ve met/worked with Constantine. They’ll believe pretty much anything if you put ‘magic’ in front of it.)

They chat for a while, then decide to invite him up to the Watchtower, so that, if he’s interested, he can meet the other Leaguers (they’d only be the originals and a few more they’d recruited so far) and they can have an official interview to join the Justice League. Cap agrees, gives a little wave, then zooms off to finish helping with the clean-up.

A few days later, Superman escorts Marvel to a zeta tube in Metropolis and up they go. They introduce Marvel to the other Leaguers, Batman translating, before Martian Manhunter offers to mind link them all so that they can understand Marvel himself. Cap agrees. Then they get this:

“Uh, hi, can you hear me? Oh, wow, is that how I’d sound out loud? Cool! I haven’t talked to anyone in years! Not many people know sign and most people aren’t willing to stand there waiting for me to write stuff out so I don’t get a whole lotta conversation. Anyway what did you guys wanna know?”

And all the Leaguers just, like, have theirs hearts squeeze in their chest because here’s a young man, can’t be older than 25 at most, just so happy to be able to talk to people. Who doesn’t know the sound of his own voice. Who despite that, still remains so chipper and friendly.

They don’t need a telepathic link to unanimously decide that Marvel is joining them.

Besides, having a magic user that isn’t either a young women who’s busy performing or a middle-aged alcoholic is very much welcome.

#DC #dc prompt #writing prompt #billy batson #Captain Marvel/Shazam #Justice League #Mute #Sign Language

[weepingfishturtledragon]

TW: Me ranting

You know what's the most infuriating thing that Shazam the wizard did? He didn't teach Billy anything about magic!!! Like he's a wizard that chooses someone with no prior knowledge of anything magical to be the protector of the Rock of Eternity, the source of all magic in existence, and doesn't teach him anything! Not even about different types of magic, magical creatures, or special places and as a result Captain Marvel barely does anything with magic, he relies on his other abilities. This is why people compare him to Superman all the time, if they just developed his skills beyond his super strength, durability, and flying people would separate them. "But it would make Captain Marvel too OP ☹️" first off a lot of characters are already over powered in the DC universe and secondly this would mean we could focus more on Billy's life being a child that's homeless/in a big foster family and how that effects his hero life!

#billy batson #shazam #dc comcis #captain marvel #dc captain marvel #superman #clark kent #shazam the wizard #tw rant #please ignore any spelling or grammar mistakes

[raeynbowboi]

Translating the Teen Titans to Faerun

A long time ago I did a post translating the Gaang from Avatar: the Last Airbender to the world and lore of DnD, making Katara a Cleric of Selune, Toph a blind-fighting Ranger, etc. While that was a good first foray into the idea, I wanted to explore the idea again with my favorite team of heroes: the Teen Titans. I've built all of them before, Raven more than anyone else. But today, we're not building the Teen Titans based on their powers. We're building them based on how they would fit into DnD lore as if they were natives of Faerun, born and raised in the setting. How would this change their backstories, or would it simply change their powers? Let's find out.

With a well-crafted team like the Teen Titans, we want to be sure each character stays true to their general party role, and the group works well together in a campaign. An all monk party isn't going to fare as well as a party with diverse roles and classes. So, while we won't get too hung up on this, it's worth thinking about. Robin is the leader, and specializes in stealth, infiltration, and investigation. Cyborg is the meat shield, gadgeteer, and primary doctor. Starfire is the flying warrior princess with laser powers and super strength. Raven is the scholarly wizard with powerful psionic powers from a dark origin and minimal healing powers. Lastly, Beast Boy is the goofball comedic wildcard shapeshifter. These basic ideas we want to keep in tack as much as possible, while filtering the team through the lore of Faerun.

ROBIN

DICK GRAYSON

Before moving to Jump City, Robin mentored under Batman, a master detective and vigilante crimefighter in the crime-infested major city of Gotham. In some Teen Titans media, the Titans are firmly located in San Francisco, California, but even in the cartoon, Jump City appears to be located in southern California. Gotham has influences of major American cities like Detroit and Chicago. Meanwhile, Superman's Metropolis is more closely based on New York City. There are three major cities in Faerun: Waterdeep, Baldur's Gate, and Neverwinter. Of the three, Waterdeep seems the most like New York City as the biggest city in Faerun. Baldur's Gate started as a smuggler's den, mapping well onto Gotham. And that leaves Neverwinter to map onto Los Angeles/San Francisco. This would mean that Batman is a Baldurian nobleman, and that Robin moved from Baldur's Gate to Neverwinter to pursue his own career as an adventurer.

Robin is an ordinary human in every definition of the word. There's nothing special about his bloodline and his biology was not altered in any way. Robin is a Standard Human.

While Robin did begin his career as a performer in the Flying Grayson Circus Act, he's not really a performer anymore. Robin's true training came from being mentored by Bruce Wayne in Baldur's Gate, learning the tricks and tools of crime-fighting, investigation, martial arts, and stealth. We'll say his background is an Investigator for Insight and Investigation proficiency.

It really is worth pointing out that Robin became a villain twice while trying to chase Slade. When he lost to Kotaro, Robin disappeared to the other side of the world for weeks, possibly even a month or longer with little notice. When he broke his arm chasing Johnny Rancid, the entire team tackled him back into his chair thinking he was going to insist on hunting down Rancid in spite of his broken arm, and they were all surprised he was just grabbing the remote. Robin is textbook Chaotic Good.

CLASS

Battle Master Fighter: Fighters are trained warriors. They're soldiers, guards, knights, and faith militants. Battle Masters are experts in strategy and tactical combat. Their maneuvers allow them to command their party, crowd control enemies, or gain advantages in a fight. Robin is well-versed with a variety of tools and weapons, and puts tactics at the forefront of his fighting style. Way of Shadow Monk: while Robin is a skilled martial artist trained by the Grand Master and talking animals, monks possess a mystical, not quite magical power. Their ki is beyond human ability. And a major aspect of both Batman and Robin is the complete lack of supernatural powers. Shadow Monk is not a horrible way to build Robin. He is a martial artist who favors stealth and secrecy. But, it's not the most in-character option there is. Inquisitive Rogue: Rogues do not need to be ruthless cutpurses loyal to some lowly den of thieves. They are simply highly specialized experts in the areas of infiltration, stealth, espionage, forgery, and extraction. It just so happens many use these talents for criminal offenses. Inquisitive Rogues are skilled detectives and investigators. They can study an enemy for weaknesses to exploit, gaining advantage even in a 1v1 scenario and dealing extra damage. It's also worth remembering Robin was trained by Batman, a man often called the world's greatest detective.

Looking at Robin's abilities, backstory, and training, I would ultimately declare him to be an Inquisitive Rogue. They excel at sizing up enemies that are bigger and stronger than them, they're designed to be great detectives, and their littany of skills and talents sure sounds like our Boy Wonder. You could reasonably multiclass with Battle Master Fighter for the maneuvers. Or you could go straight Rogue and just take the Martial Adept feat to gain Maneuvers.

STARFIRE KORRIAND'R

Korriand'r is the princess of Tameran, a planet somewhere in the Vega system. Her race are proud warriors with emotion-heightened powers, including superstrength, flight, and starbolts. Tameraneans are similar to Kryptonians, except they aren't weak to Kryptonite, and they get their powers from emotion instead of the Earth's sun.

There are a few Alien species that Starfire could be:

Astral Elf: Space-faring elves that left the Feywild to explore the stars, Astral Elves have starlight in their eyes, and automatically know either Light, Dancing Lights, or Sacred Flame. Astral Elves can also teleport 30 ft as a bonus action a number of times equal to their proficiency bonus. Dragonborn: Contrary to popular belief, Dragonborn are not the result of a dragon and a bard doing the horizontal monster mash. Rather, they are aliens from the planet Abeir that crossed over to Toril during the Spellplague. Once the unpaid servants of Abeir's dragons, they overthrew their masters and made their own culture. They have a strong warrior culture, and value their clansmen and kin above all else, even faith. Dragonborn aren't always religious as the gods could not hear their prayers on Abeir, but Bahamut is a very popular god for worship in Dragonborn society, and other dragon deities do see worship in Dragonborn society. Githyanki: The Githyanki are the psionic warriors of the Gith race. Once the unpaid servants of the Illithid Empire, they freed themselves from servitude. However, in the aftermath, the Gith separated into two factions: the Githzarai and the Githyanki. The Githyanki serve the undying Lich Queen Vlaakith, hunt Mind Flayers, and ride Red Dragons. They also have a very "the strong eat the weak" mentality, and have extremely harsh policies on failture and usefulness.

While the Astral Elf looks the most like Starfire, I'm going with the race that seems the closest to Tameraneans. I'll be making Starfire a Gold Dragonborn. If the setting allows, you could absolutely make her a Crystal Dragonborn for Radiant energy, but not every setting is going to work for gem dragonborns, so I chose to stick to the classic varieties.

As for her background, Starfire is the Princess of Tameran which could make her work as a Noble. She is a highly skilled fighter which could make her a Soldier. She's also an alien from a far-away planet new to this earth and its strange customs, which could make her a Far Traveler. As being a princess is what shocks the Titans the most, it's what defines her more than the other two things. We'll call Starfire a Noble, but we'll swap out her History proficiency for Athletics, and keep her proficiency in Persuasion. She speaks Draconic as a Dragonborn, as well a language of her choice. We'll go with Gith for flavor, as it's another alien language. If you want a more core rulebook language, Deep Speech is the language of Aberrations. If both those languages feel too alien and you want a language she's more likely to encounter in a campaign, then the strong warrior cultures of Goliaths and Orcs could be nice choices for her, having her speak Giant or Orcish respectively. Because Tameraneans learn languages through lip contact, if you wanted to play up this aspect, you could have Starfire take the Linguist Feat once or twice to learn more languages, but this is entirely optional and mostly for flavor and roleplay.

Starfire always follows her heart. Even when told not to do something, she will do it if she believes it is right, which leans more Chaotic. However, Starfire can also usually be expected to keep her word, dislikes fighting unnecessarily, does not like lying, cheating or stealing. She was even willing to marry Glgrdsklechhh if it meant avoiding war, unaware it was a gambit for Blackfire to gain a powerful artifact in exchange for Starfire's hand in marriage. As such, I would say that Starfire is Neutral Good. She will always do whatever she feels is best in the moment. Whatever course of action she believes will do the most good for the most people.

CLASS

Like with her race, there are a few build options each of which translates Starfire to DnD's world and lore in different ways.

Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer: Being a dragonborn, the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer translates nicely as her race's natural affinity for draconic magic, mirroring how all Tameraneans have starbolts. She gives up her melee warrior aspects to focus on her dragonborn magic, specializing in Fire magic. Light Domain Cleric: Cleric is a surprisingly good choice for what Starfire would be if raised in the world of DnD. Clerics aren't just healers, some join their faith militant, acting as the sword of their god's divine justice. Clerics can cast radiant spells like Guiding Bolt, Sunbeam, and Sunburst, they're decent frontline warriors, and they heal and support their friends. War is a better fit if she wishes to worship Bahamut, but Light lets Starfire make better use of radiant magic, and also gives her a few fire spells as a Cleric as well, letting her keep the heavy light and fire theme. She may worship Tamara, the Draconic Goddess of Light, Mercy, and Forgiveness. Oath of Devotion Paladin: She starts to really lose her Starbolts at this point, but she puts greater emphasis on her warrior spirit, and she still has radiant smites. Whereas the Cleric angle makes Starfire a better support for her friends and Sorcerer puts all the attention on her starbolts, the Paladin focuses on turning Starfire into a heavy-hitting tank that shakes off the hits her friends can't handle. She still gets some healing with her Healing Touch, and a few healing spells. Starfire fits the mold of fighting for beliefs, as her powers manifest through strong convictions such as righteous fury, boundless confidence, and the joy of flight.

While I was tempted to make Starfire a Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer as a good translation of her canon emotion-based powers native to her race, I had to remind myself that we are not just building Starfire. Dragonborn are not Tameraneans. While they have access to draconic magic and blood, draconic sorcery is not a universal thing across their race the way it is with Tameraneans. We are asking what would Starfire be if raised in Faerun? And I don't believe Starfire would be a Sorcerer. However, Cleric and Paladin is a much tighter race. Both gain their powers from convictions and beliefs, which reflects the way Tamaraneans like Starfire draw their power from strong emotions and beliefs. But which one you favor comes down to splitting hairs. Ultimately, I would chalk Starfire up as an Oath of Devotion Paladin. For starters, we are ignoring their canonical powers when picking a class. Paladins are great warriors, and the people of Tameran are a strong and proud warrior race. Dragonborn are not super religious with Dragonborn Clerics being rare, but Paladins are extremely common in Dragonborn society. Finally, their main stats of Strength and Charisma is very fitting and appropriate for Starfire. She is strong and very charming. While I favor Paladin, the divide between Paladins and Clerics is extremely narrow, and being a Light Domain Cleric is not a bad way to build Starfire. She'd have ample access to tons of radiant and fire spells, she'd be able to heal and support her friends, and nothing is stopping her from putting points into Strength as a Cleric and being a decent front-liner. If you want her to draw strength from her convictions, be effective in melee, and be a full spellcaster, then Cleric is an equally great choice. As I said, Paladin only barely squeaks past Cleric in my analysis, and in the first draft, I did originally settle on Cleric. Both work for Starfire, and thus, I'll leave a spell list for both. For her Paladin build, I had Starfire take Magic Initiate: Sorcerer to give her some ranged spell attack options. You could also do a dip into Sorcerer with a Paladin build as opposed to taking the Magic Initiate feat.

PALADIN SPELLS

Bold: Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) Orange: Oath Spells

C Firebolt, Light 1 Burning Hands, Cure Wounds, Protection from Evil & Good, Sanctuary, Searing Smite 2 Branding Smite, Lesser Restoration, Warding Bond, Zone of Truth 3 Blinding Smite, Beacon of Hope, Crusader's Mantle, Daylight, Dispel Magic, Revivify, Spirit Shroud 4 Death Ward, Freedom of Movement, Guardian of Faith, Staggering Smite 5 Banishing Smite, Circle of Power, Commune, Destructive Wave, Flame Strike

CLERIC SPELLS

Orange: Domain Spells

C Guidance, Light, Resistance, Sacred Flame, Spare the Dying, Thaumaturgy 1 Bless, Burning Hands, Guiding Bolt, Healing Word, Faerie Fire, Sanctuary, Shield of Faith 2 Aid, Flaming Sphere, Lesser Restoration, Prayer of Healing, Scorching Ray, Spiritual Weapon 3 Daylight, Fireball, Mass Healing Word, Remove Curse, Spirit Guardians, Spirit Shroud 4 Aura of Life, Banishment, Guardian of Faith, Wall of Fire 5 Commune, Dawn, Flame Strike, Greater Restoration, Holy Weapon, Scrying, Summon Celestial 6 Heal, Sunbeam 7 Divine Word, Fire Storm 8 Sunburst 9 Mass Heal

CYBORG VICTOR STONE

Victor "Vic" Stone is the son of famous cyberneticist Silas Stone that grew up in Detroit. Once a prolific high school athlete, Victor was horribly injured by an explosion at S.T.A.R. Labs caused by an invasion by Darkseid. With his cybernetics expertise, Silas saved Victor's life by infusing his son with the Mother Box.

Because Cyborg was born human but has since been infused with technology, we'll call Cyborg a Variant Human. Why is he not a Warforged? Becaues he was not built the way Grid was. Cyborg is not a robot, so he is not a warforged. He's also shown several times needing to eat and sleep in order to function, two things Warforged do not require. As a Variant Human, we'll give him +1 Strength and +1 Constitution. And we'll add on the Tough feat to increase his durability. Cyborg is the team meat shield, after all.

In terms of background, Cyborg was a high school athlete before the accident, so we'll call him an Athlete for Athletics and Acrobatics.

When Brother Blood steals Cyborg's blue prints, he becomes determined to stop Blood because it's his plans. His technology. He feels it is his responsibility. He similarly gets upset when any of his technology or gadgets is commandeered by villains. He puts his heart and soul into those inventions, and gets very upset when they're hurt or stolen. Cyborg is a lot more laid back than Robin as a leader, but still cares about getting the job done. I find it hard to really say whether he leans more Lawful or Chaotic. He has principles and sticks to them, but he's also left the team multiple times after a heated argument with Robin. I ultimately land on Neutral Good for Cyborg's alignment.

Now, how does his prosthetics come into it? Well, there's an item in DnD called the Prosthetic Limb, a common wondrous item that can replace lost limbs, doesn't require attunement, can be detached, but not against the user's will. But Cyborg's metal body clearly acts like armor, how do we incorporate this? We travel to Theros. Mythic Odysseys of Theros introduced an item called Molten Bronze Skin that comes in Breastplate, Half Plate, and Plate Armor variants. This item molds itself to the wearer's body, allowing them to easily wear clothes over the armor, and making it impossible for someone else to take off. This item does require attunement, but it accomplishes the same effect of giving Cyborg "built-in" armor, the way a Warforged would have.

CLASS

Artillerist Artificer: Artificers are gadgeteers and magical smiths that can defy logic with their inventions. Both Cyborg and his father are experts in cybernetics, metalworking, coding, and engineering. Cyborg built a car, a submarine, and then turned that submarine into a spaceship. The artillerist can make a tiny cannon they can carry with one hand that can fire a force ballista. Just try to say that's not Cyborg's sonic cannon. Champion Fighter: Cyborg is the tank of the party. It's his job to take the hits others wouldn't survive. In a low-tech fantasy world where Artificers don't belong, this version of Cyborg is a blacksmith who forged his own weapons and armor. The Champion is an athlete who prioritized physical strength over other aspects. When Cyborg isn't using his sonic cannon, he's throwing punches and lifting heavy weights, and he was a high school athlete until his accident. This is also a good multiclass option to get both sides of Cyborg: the tech and the muscle.

At minimum, Cyborg needs at least to be level 3 in Artificer to gain his Eldritch Cannon. After that, he can put as many levels into Artificer or Fighter as he wants. If he manages to become a level 11 Fighter, he'll get to make 3 weapon attacks then fire the Force Ballista as a bonus action, giving Cyborg 4 attacks at level 14. If you choose the Unarmed Fighting Style, Cyborg can wreck shop with his fists, making him an effective pugilist. Thanks to Action Surge, he can attack up to 6 times with just his action, and 7 times once you include his Eldritch Cannon. This makes him a pretty effective damage dealer, and the fighter levels would boost his Hit Points to make him a more effective tank. If you choose to take Artificer to level 9, his Force Ballista increases from 2d8 to 3d8. If you're okay with odd numbered levels and losing out on ASI, then Artificer 9/Fighter 11 could work. But for those who like getting ASI, then Artificer 4/Fighter 16 or Artificer 8/Fighter 12 may be more appealing. Just make sure to max out his Strength, and give him good Constitution and Intelligence, while dumping Dexterity. As an Artificer, we'll add Medicine and Perception to his skill list.

SPELLS

Blue: Artillerist Spells

C Light, Mending, Message, Shocking Grasp 1 Alarm, Cure Wounds, Identify, Shield, Thunderwave 2 Heat Metal, Scorching Ray, Shatter, Vortex Warp, Web 3 Fireball, Glyph of Warding, Haste, Tiny Servant, Wind Wall 4 Fabricate, Ice Storm, Mord's Private Sanctum, Summon Construct, Wall of Fire 5 Animate Objects, Cone of Cold, Creation, Greater Restoration, Wall of Force

This spell list was made for those who build Cyborg as a pure Artillerist Artificer, while those who build him as a Fighter multiclass will obviously have fewer spells.

RAVEN RAVEN ROTH

In her youth, Raven's mother Arella was lured into joining a cult that worshipped Trigon. She was chosen to be Trigon's bedmate, and afterwards, was approached by the Monks of Azar. They offered to shelter her and the child from Trigon, agreeing to raise the child in another dimension. A dimension named Azarath.

I believe the best translation of Raven's backstory is that Arella was lured into the cult of a powerful Fiend. Afterward, Arella was approached by Githzerai monks who offered to shelter both her and the unborn child with them in their home: the Chaotic Neutral Plane of Limbo. It would be here in the monasteries among stoic and scholarly Githzerai monks and wizards that Raven would learn to control her emotions, expand her mind, and hone her psionic powers. And one day, she would leave Limbo to return to the Prime Material Plane. This encompasses every part of Raven's backstory: being raised in another dimension, learning to control her emotions, honing her psychic powers.

As a half-demon, Raven translates nicely to Tiefling. Due to her empathy powers to manipulate other people's emotions, we'll go with a Fierna Tiefling. This will give her Friends, Charm Person, and Suggestion.

Having been raised in another plane, I would call Raven a Far Traveler. This grants her proficiency with Insight to get a reading for people's true feelings, and Perception to sense things around her, both of which can be flavored as her empathic powers and her extrasensory abilities. It also grants her proficiency with a Dragonchess Set, and she learns the Abyssal language.

When Robin becomes Slade's apprentice, Raven is the one to remind the team that he's a villain now, and they have to take him down. No matter how much the thought of it upsets her. When Cyborg leaves the team, Raven rationalizes that it's pointless to get upset and to focus on their duty as heroes. When Raven and Starfire switch bodies, Raven explains that she has to remain in control of herself to keep her powers from leaking out of her and destroying everything around her. When Trigon's prophecy comes to pass, Raven reveals that the reason she became a hero was that she wanted to do as much good as she could before the prophecy came to pass, hoping her good deeds would redeem her for the horrible destiny she knew she would one day fulfil. Raven is inarguably a perfect example of Lawful Good.

TRIGON

But what about Raven's father? After all, we're not importing Trigon into the setting, we're picking an existing DnD Fiend to be the stand-in for Trigon. Firstly, we have to settle whether Trigon is a Devil or a Demon, and I believe he is a Demon. He betrays Slade the first chance he gets once it's time to pay up on his side of the deal, and his very presence on Earth changes the entire planet. Demons in DnD are Chaotic Evil, untrustworthy to keep their word. They also have an impact on the world around them that corrupts everything to resemble the Abyss. And prolonged demonic presence only makes these changes worse. But which Demon Lord is her father?

Graz'zt: Graz'zt is an interesting choice because he's actually had a relationship with a human: the witch Tasha. He is the Demon Prince of Lust and Pleasure. Graz'zt will take any opportunity to turn any moment that is sweet, beautiful, and tender into something perverse, degrading, and carnal. If anyone was going to sleep with Arella just to use her to make a kid he can manipulate, it would be Graz'zt. He's not as big as Trigon, but his personality does support that he'd play the waiting game. After all, he used to be a devil before he realized he would never rise high enough to stand beside Asmodeus, and defected to the Demon side. So unlike other Demons, Graz'zt is more clever and patient. It also means Tasha could be a DnD counterpart to Arella, and also gives Raven a grandmother: Baba Yaga. This places Raven in a very prolific magic bloodline of powerful female spellcasters. Before Demogorgon showed up, Graz'zt was contending with Orcus, the Demon Lord of Necromancy for supreme rulership of the Abyss, so he's no slouch in terms of power. He is a Large CR 24 Demon. Baphomet: Baphomet's strongest argument is that he resembles Trigon the most, with his cloven hooves and antlered head. However, Baphomet is more of a king of beasts and brutes, and his general behavior does not support Trigon's plot to conceive Raven. However, Baphomet's sphere of influence is brutality, aggression, rage, and conquest. Red Raven or Dark Raven literally embodies Raven's rage, and anger causes Raven's demonic powers to rise to the surface. Which is on point for Baphomet. The biggest point against Baphomet however is that he favors those with natural weapons such as claws and horns, as his followers should want to rampage and gore with their natural weapons. So a magical daughter like Raven doesn't really fit the bill. This could be her rebelling against his physical aggression mindset, but that's stretching to make it work. Trigon also doesn't care about fighting the Titans, using magic to distract them while he gathers his strength. Baphomet would take glee in the fight, something Trigon does not do. He is a Huge CR 23 Demon. Demogorgon: The Prince of Demons, Demogorgon is the most powerful of all the Demons in the Abyss. He's enormous, and an absolute world-ending level threat. But is he clever enough to plot to conceive Raven? Yes, but only partially. Demogorgon's two heads are basically his left brain and his right brain. One calculating and clever, the other feral and impulsive. The clever head could plan to use Raven as a portal, but the other head might be too impulsive and ruin the plan. He is a Huge CR 26 Demon.

Ultimately, I have to go with Graz'zt as Raven's father. He's not as powerful or as huge as Demogorgon, but he's more manipulative and cunning. He has the patience to wait for his plan to come to fruition, he's manipulative enough to use false love and affection to coerce people into obedience, and he's depraved enough to get a sick pleasure out of using, debasing, and defiling any amount of love shown to him. More importantly, half his brain isn't impulsively trying to undermine every single one of his schemes. While Demogoron is more of a world-ending 'we are so f*cked' threat, Graz'zt is still a Demon Lord. Just because he's prettier does not mean he's not still an enemy that even high level adventurers would struggle with. Graz'zt, after all, is a CR 24 Fiend. Certainly nothing to scoff at. That's only 2 CR below Demogorgon.

CLASS

Raven is clearly a practitioner of arcane magic, but the source of her magic is so muddled that she could be any one of the three main arcane casters.

Aberrant Mind Sorcerer: Raised in Limbo amongst the Githzerai, the Aberrant Mind works well for Raven's backstory. For sorcerers, magic is infused into their very being. They don't need to study or make a deal, they just have a well of magical power innately. How they get this well varies. Usually, it passes along bloodlines. But it can also be like a mutation. One could go to the Shadowfell for Spring Break and return as a Shadow Magic Sorcerer. One can be given a spark of magic by a willing benefactor, they could touch an object that imparts magic to them, or awaken the power in a moment of dire circumstances. They could be born during an eclipse, travel to another plane, or be exposed to the weave itself. Their magic is constantly bubbling up inside of them, and leaking out if they don't contain it. Their magic can be explosive and hard to control. All of which sounds remarkably similar to Raven's powers and the constant struggle she undergoes to contain and control these powers. With Revelation in Flesh, Raven can fly for 10 minutes at a time at the cost of a single Sorcery Point. There's also no limit to how often she can reuse this power, other than her sorcery point pool. Granting Raven something akin to limitless flight, though not exactly. Fiend Warlock: While Raven herself did not make a deal with Trigon, Arella did. Arella was in Trigon's cult. According to Xanathar's Guide to Everything, one way a warlock might be joined to a patron is that their patron has been a benefactor to their family for generations, meaning it is possible to inherit one's otherworldly pact from their parents. There's also something I like to call the Sleeping Beauty Rule. The princess didn't choose to have fairy godmothers, but the king and queen did. The Player's Handbook also highlights that it is entirely possible to stumble into a pact without realizing it, or to become a warlock by simply reading an esoteric tome or touching a sentient blade. As such, it is entirely possible for Raven to be an unwilling warlock of her father. In the show, Trigon says that he gave Raven her powers, and Raven herself says in The End Part III that now that Trigon has no need of her, she no longer has her powers. But this is false, as Raven still has her powers, and uses them to fight back against Trigon. However, this is sort of fuzzy on how this works. Did Trigon really give her those powers, but could not take them away from her, or was Trigon mistaken and was never the source of her power to begin with? There's also the issue that in DnD canon lore, while a warlock Patron can bestow powers, they can't necessarily take them away. And Sorcerers can also have their powers bestowed upon them, further blurring the lines on whether Raven's gifts are more of a sorcerous origin or an otherworldly pact. The w Enchantment Wizard: I've built Raven several times, and every time, she's a Wizard. Raven is the brains of the party. She's a utility spellcaster with a vast knowledge of arcane lore and history. She's a polyglot who speaks several ancient languages, and has a library's worth of creepy esoteric books of arcane lore and eldrtich knowledge in her bedroom. Every spell that deals Psychic damage is under the School of Enchantment, and the school is full of spells that manipulate the mind, the senses, and emotions, all things Raven has displayed the ability to control. But we're not building Raven based on how she behaves in the comics or show. We're building Raven based on DnD lore, and Raven's powers were not cultivated through study. Yes, she learned new spells from Malchior. Yes, she is a highly intelligent person. But scholarly study is not the source of her powers. She does not have a connection to the Weave or any other sort of magical energy in the DC Universe. There are metaphysical forces in DC Comics, such as The Green, The Red, The Black, and other such forces, none of which Raven herself is linked to in any way. As such, I cannot confidently label Raven as a Wizard in accordance with DnD's lore.

Ultimately, I have to go with an Aberrant Mind Sorcerer. Her magic is innate. She works to control and maintain it. And a lack of restraint leads to her magic flooding out of her and impacting the world around her if left uncontrolled. Raven is a Sorcerer. However, she is a good candidate for multiclassing if you so choose. The main reason Raven is said to have left Azarath was due to Trigon finding her, forcing Raven to flee. However, in some versions, it is Raven herself --driven by curiosity -- that seeks her father out. In so doing, alerting him to her location, and dooming Azarath in the process. Either way, the moment of Trigon finding her could be the moment her pact is sealed, multiclassing Raven into a Fiend Warlock. Thus, Raven can start out as a Sorcerer, and possibly dip a level or two into Warlock to boot. This is also a large part of why I didn't make Starfire a Sorcerer. The party doesn't need two sorcerers, and Sorcerer works much better for Raven than it does for Starfire. For my spell recommendation, I will be assuming Raven has 2 levels in Warlock, and 18 levels in Sorcerer. For her Sorcerer skills, we'll give Raven Arcana and History.

SPELLS

*Racial Spells Bold: Aberrant Mind Origin Spells Italics: Warlock Spells Purple: Sorcerer Spells

C Blade Ward, Eldritch Blast, Friends*, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Mind Sliver, Mold Earth, Prestidigitation, Toll the Dead 1 Arms of Hadar, Catapult, Cause Fear, Charm Person*, Command, Dissonant Whispers, Hex, Shield 2 Calm Emotions, Detect Thoughts, Mind Spike, Suggestion*, Tasha's Mind Whip 3 Counterspell, Hunger of Hadar, Fly, Sending 4 Dimension Door, Evard's Black Tentacles, Raulothim's Psychic Lance, Summon Aberration 5 Bigby's Hand, Rary's Telepathic Bond, Synaptic Static, Telekinesis 6 Globe of Invulnerability 7 Plane Shift, Teleport 8 Demiplane 9 Time Stop or Psychic Scream

ELDRTICH INVOCATIONS

Agonizing Blast

Eldritch Sight

BEAST BOY GARFIELD LOGAN

Garfield Logan was born an ordinary human, but when he became sick as a child, his father injected him with a serum using the DnA of a green monkey. The serum saved Beast Boy's life, but he turned completely green as a result, and unlocked his shapeshifting powers. Beast Boy can turn into more than just garden variety zoo animals. He has turned into alien lifeforms, microorganisms, dinosaurs, and dragons. The Werebeast Form he got in the 2003 cartoon episode "The Beast Within" later became Comic Cannon when Beast Boy was captured by Lupus, a minor werewolf villain. Beast Boy's best skill lies in his wild card shenanigans, as he can do things like turn into a whale to make use of how quickly whales think to artificially inflate his intelligence. When the Borneo Rainforest faced extinction, Beast Boy and Swamp Thing worked together to restore the ecosystem. Swamp Thing provided the seeds and flora, and then Beast Boy dispersed himself into a swarm of insects to help pollinate and stimulate the regrowth of the rainforest. Raven even tells Swamp Thing that when Beast Boy does this, he risks losing small parts of himself should anything happen to his many insect forms, but he takes on these risks willingly for the benefit of nature. While Beast Boy's green skin and shapeshifting are a result of the monkey serum he was injected with, Beast Boy's actual ability to shapeshift comes from a metaphysical energy field in the DC Universe called The Red. Think of it like the Force but specifically for all animal life forces in the universe. A similar force called The Green caters to all plant life in the universe, and this power is wielded by characters like Swamp Thing and Poison Ivy.

In terms of his race, because Beast Boy was a normal human until he turned green, I'd have to chalk him up as a Variant Human. Because he's short and green, there is a primal urge to make him a Goblin, and it would be cute, but inaccurate. There's also an urge to make him one of the partially bestial races like Leonin, Hadozee, Satyr, Minotaur, or Yuan-Ti. Even Simic Hybrid has a valid excuse to be in consideration. However, because Beast Boy was born human, I have to go with such. We'll give him +1 Wisdom, +1 Dexterity, and the Charger feat to dash into melee range and get a free attack out of it.

Beast Boy has pretty much always been a hero, first being adopted by the Doom Patrol, and later joining the Teen Titans. Momento ran the Doom Patrol like a military outfit, and Beast Boy grew up respecting rank and following orders. As such, I'd call him a Soldier making him proficient in Athletics, but we'll substitute in Performance to replace Intimidation.

Beast Boy wants to do good, but he's also the Lancer to Robin's stoic serious Leader. Beast Boy is a goofball knucklehead who often shows little regard for the rules. Upon running into the Doom Patrol again, Momento chastises Beast Boy for prioritizing his team's safety over completing the mission. He's usually also the first to suggest bizarre plans or spout off ridiculous theories. As such, I would say Beast Boy is Chaotic Good. He'll do what's right, just in a very unorthodox way.

CLASS

Moon Druid: the most obvious choice, Druid is the only class in the game with access to Wildshape, the ability to shapeshift into animals. Although Beast Boy's powers were originally from genetic experiments gone wrong, his current lore makes Beast Boy connected to The Red, a metaphysical energy that links all animal life in the universe under the Parliament of Limbs. The Red is closely connected to The Green, which characters like Swamp Thing and Poison Ivy are connected to. Due to his connection to the energy of all living animals, Druid is fitting for Beast Boy. The Circle of the Moon is the most fitting option, granting Beast Boy Combat Wildshape. Lycan Blood Hunter: Before he was connected to the Red, Beast Boy's powers were a form of genetic mutation. Blood Hunters are the class that deal with altered DnA. While Beast Boy can't turn into every animal, his Lycan form is suitably animalistic and primal. It can also be a good option if you want to specifically play into the WereBeast form from the episode "The Beast Within". Because Beast Boy lacks supernatural powers beyond his shapeshifting, this version of Beast Boy sacrifices the variety of his wildshaping to keep him a strictly martial character. The Path of the Beast Barbarian also works, but Beast Boy only really has rage issues in "The Beast Within", and it is not otherwise a core aspect of his character, to the point that I didn't feel Barbarian was a good fit for his character. Valour Bard: If we ignore his powers entirely, then Beast Boy's role in the group is comedic relief and unexpected wildcard, which sounds like a Bard. Polymorph is on the Bard spell list, giving Beast Boy a backdoor method of wild shaping without being a druid. Through magical secrets, Bards can also pick up spells from other spell lists, letting Beast Boy pick up Druid spells like Web, Insect Plague, Summon Beast, Conjure Animals, and Guardian of Nature for the Primal Beast form. None of the subclasses jumped out to me for Beast Boy, but Valour Bards are great cheerleaders and sidekicks. Beast Boy has a chronic people pleaser mentality, and uses humor to lift his friends' spirits. Beast Master Ranger: Much like the Bard, this class option doesn't really fit Beast Boy, but it works as a variant build option that rather than being a full caster druid, Beast Boy protects his animal brethren as a mighty hunter. Tigers, Cheetahs, Lions, Gorillas, Elephants, and Rhinos are among his favorite animals to turn into, and would work well as Beasts of the Land. He also favors turning into a Hawk, Falcon, or Pterodactyl for a Beast of the Air. If you want a Beast of the Sea, he tends to favor Crocodiles, Sharks, Octopi, Whales, Swordfish, and Turtles.

While each of these offers interesting character angles, I obviously have to chalk up Beast Boy as a Circle of the Moon Druid. The Lycan Blood Hunter is a very close second choice, but lacks the connection to nature that Beast Boy (especially his Comic counterpart) definitely has. The bard was mostly thrown in to consider his personality, and it wasn't a terrible idea. He is funny, and would absolutely spam Vicious Mockery. A Beast Boy native to Faerun becoming a funny bard feels very organic to his character. But Druid feels just as organic, if not more-so. Finally, the Beast Master was pretty much thrown out as an extra idea, but not one I was taking seriously. Thematically, the idea of Beast Boy as a Lorax but for P.E.T.A. is interesting. Using his bond with animals to protect other animals. But the Druid was the clear winner. For his Druid skills, we'll give Beast Boy Animal Handling and Perception.

SPELLS

Because Beast Boy does not really have magical powers beyond his wildshaping, I put together his spell list by trying to focus on shapeshifting, summoning animal companions, and any other bodily augmentation spell I could find. Spells that change some aspect of a person's body or enhances their senses in some way. I steered clear of any spell that felt too plant-themed or elemental, as Beast Boy is more connected to beasts than he is to storms or the elements.

C Druidcraft, Guidance, Infestation, Primal Savagery 1 Absorb Elements, Animal Friendship, Beast Bond, Speak With Animals 2 Animal Messenger, Beast Sense, Darkvision, Enhance Ability, Enlarge/Reduce, Locate Animals and Plants, Summon Beast 3 Conjure Animals, Protection from Energy, Water Breathing 4 Charm Monster, Dominate Beast, Giant Insect, Guardian of Nature, Polymorph 5 Commune with Nature, Insect Plague 6 Primordial Ward 7 Draconic Transformation 8 Animal Shapes 9 Shapechange

I will say, more than anyone else, his spell list really surprised me. I've always avoided building Beast Boy and hated the idea of him being a druid because it meant giving him spells. But I am surprisingly content with the spell list I have devised for him. It puts all the correct emphasis where it should be: on making Beast Boy the master of body modification, as well as allowing him to channel The Red as well through his animal spells. I used to think Beast Boy didn't work flavor-wise as a Druid, and now I can't believe I ever thought to build him any other way.

TERRA TARA MARKOV

Terra is yet another princess, this time the illegitimate daughter of King Viktor Markov of Markovia. In the Comics, she made her living as a mercenary and criminal, taking odd jobs to get by, while in the show, Terra is a wandering homeless teen. In the comics, Tara was already working for Deathstroke before she met the Titans, while in the show, Terra met the Titans before she met Slade. This is to say, Terra has two completely different personalities. Comics Tara is a villain through-and-through, while Show Terra is a misguided hero turned villain turned reformed villain. Because the other characters are mostly going by their show counterparts, I'll mostly be looking at the Comics version of Tara only to answer any questions about her backstory we don't have from the show. The most important detail from the comics is that Tara's half-brother, Geo-Force (Prince Brion Markov), also has geokinetic powers. However, these powers are not signs of a magical bloodline, as neither King Viktor nor King Gregor Markov had these same powers. Their powers came about from the experiments of Helga Jace, the royal scientist of Markovia. Later, Brion's wife, Denise Howard, exposed herself to the same energies, turning her into Geode. Both Denise and Tara suffered from mental instability after the experiment, suggesting that the source of their powers had a debilitating effect on their mental states. Tara hated pretty much everyone and everything, while Denise desired to kill her own husband. In the comics, Tara was at one point part of the Black Lantern Corp, which raise their members as zombies to harness the power of death and hatred. This zombie Tara then sought revenge on the Teen Titans. I won't be covering this, but thought it was neat trivia.

We're going to stick mainly to the show's lore, so we'll call Terra a Variant Human since her powers are a result of scientific experimentation. We'll give her +1 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom and the Actor feat so she can pretend to be somebody else.

For her background, Terra is a wandering homeless kid. We'll call her an Outlander for Athletics and Survival. However, if you want to play more into Tara's backstory, then Criminal, Spy, Urban Bounty Hunter, and Haunted One could also work.

Show Terra's alignment seems to me to be True Neutral. She joins the Titans because it's offered. She works with Slade because he's an option. It never feels like her betrayal is personal until after Beast Boy turns his back on her. Up until then, she's hesitant and guilty about it. Terra looks out for Terra. That to me says True Neutral. Terra never seems to care that much about helping people or stopping villains. It was always more about just wanting to belong and to have a home. No strong convictions to be a hero or a villain. Which explains why The Girl Who Might Be Terra in Things Change is just an ordinary school girl. Not some great hero or wicked villain. If you're going by Comics Tara, that's straight up Chaotic Evil. The girl hated everyone and everything, and wanted a horizontal relationship with a middle-aged man. Comics Tara was just really unstable. I mean, she saw a Jerricho-possessed Deathstroke freeing the Titans, and instead of talking to him or trying to figure out what was going on, she just pushed the Big Red Button and brought the building down on herself in an attempt to take everyone with her.

CLASS

Terra's class is tricky because unlike Starfire with her light and fire theme, or Raven's psionics and general magic, there's not really a clean and simple class for Earth-based spells. Druids are connected to nature, and Sorcerers and Wizards have pretty wide elemental coverage, but there's not a clear and clean answer like with the other titans. So, let's look at our options:

Wild Magic Sorcerer: While there was a Stone Sorcerer, this subclass never made it past Unearthed Arcana, so we can't really count it. In the show, Terra has poor control over her powers, often causing side effects accidentally. The possibility that the source of her powers also warped her mind in the comics also fits, as wild magic is the pure chaos of the feywild. Sorcerers sometimes get their powers from being exposed to a source of magical energy, visiting other planes, or being born during cosmic events. And the Wild Magic Sorcerer often causes chaos and problems at the table because of the random side effects of their magic, such that a lot of tables hate playing with the subclass because of just how detrimental it can be to have around. Which seems really fitting for Terra. Swarmkeeper Ranger: Like Toph, Terra in the show is an outdoorsy girl who prefers roughing it in the great outdoors. This rough and tumble lifestyle translates well to being a Ranger. The Swarmkeeper can be aided by a swarm of just about anything, and nowhere does it say it has to be sentient. So, Terra could be a ranger aided by a swarm of rocks or sand fighting alongside her. It's certainly an interesting and flavorful option. Rangers get a few earthy spells, but not a ton of them. However, you could always ask your DM to homebrew a rule that would let Ranger Terra pick up some more earthen-based spells from the Druid spell list. Mutant Blood Hunter: If we ignore Terra's powers completely to focus more on where they come from, Terra makes for an interesting Blood Hunter. Her powers are a result of scientific experimentation. Mutants literally alter themselves to fight, fitting that genetic experiment angle nicely. The only difference is that this version of Terra has learned to do it herself. It's not a bad choice. Assassin Rogue: Like the Blood Hunter, the Rogue is being considered without her geokinetic powers in mind. Rather, I'm looking at the Rogue because of how rogues are often infiltrators, spies, and thieves. I chose the Assassin as they have the ability to create a false identity, which is very fitting for Terra and the Judas Contract. Whispers Bard: This one is being suggested mostly for the worldbuilding implications. Bards from the College of Whispers work as spies and saboteurs, infiltrating parties and guilds disguised as other kinds of bards, then selling their cohort's secrets back to whatever spy network they serve. They literally pull off a Judas Contract as a Subclass. And with their Magical Secrets, a Whispers Bard Terra can pick up the few spells that actually let her throw rocks.

If we were just building Terra based on her powers, Wild Magic could have been a decent fit thematically. However, the purpose of this post is to ask ourselves 'what would the Teen Titans be if they were born and raised in Faerun?' And being exposed to the crazy magic of the Feywild just doesn't feel right for Terra. Whispers Bard creates an interesting angle for roleplay, but it caters more to players wanting to play more into her Comic Book Tara counterpart. The willing traitor. Whispers works great for a villainous version of Terra, but not for Show Terra. Blood Hunter and Assassin Rogue are decent ideas, but Terra isn't much of a scientist, and again, Assassin caters much more to Comics Tara than Show Terra. Ultimately, I have to go with the Swarmkeeper Ranger for Terra. As a girl roughing it in the great outdoors, sleeping in caves, and taking care of herself, becoming a ranger seems like a natural extension of the lifestyle she was already leading by the time she met the Titans. And if we're asking what the characters would become if raised in Faerun, that's a pretty cut and dry answer. Terra would have naturally gravitated toward the life of a roaming Ranger, aided by swarms of rocks and sand. Terra Markov is a Swarmkeeper Ranger. For her Ranger skills, we'll give Terra Perception and Stealth. If you want to give her Deception, swap one of the background skills she gets from Outlander, then pick up the dropped skill from the Ranger skill list.

SPELLS

While we decided to make Terra a Swarmkeeper Ranger, it does sacrifice a lot of her Earth-based abilties. However, if you have an open-minded DM, Terra does get a few spells from both Primal Awareness and the Swarmkeeper Subclass that don't quite fit the theme, and a cool DM might be okay with letting you make a few substitutions for Terra's spell list, pulling more Earth-based spells from the Druid and Wizard spell list as an exchange for the excess spells than the base Ranger class gives her. But even without homebrewing in more Earth magic, Terra still gets a few stone-based spells, and Wrath of Nature can let Terra chuck rocks at enemies every turn as a bonus action so long as she maintains concentration on the spell. So even a pure Swarmkeeper Ranger will still get some earthen flavor as Terra. And you could also reflavor spells, such as treating Web like quicksand to keep Terra's earthen flavor.

Italics: Primal Awareness Spells Bold: Swarmkeeper Spells Pink: DM Approved Earth Spells (Homebrew)

C Mage Hand (Mold Earth) 1 Ensnaring Strike, Faerie Fire, Hunter's Mark, Speak With Animals (Catapult, Earth Tremor) 2 Barkskin, Beast Sense, Pass Without Trace, Web (Earthbind, Max's Earthen Grasp) 3 Conjure Barrage, Gaseous Form, Meld Into Stone, Speak With Plants (Erupting Earth, Wall of Sand) 4 Arcane Eye, Locate Creature, Stoneskin, Summon Elemental (Stone Shape) 5 Commune With Nature, Conjure Volley, Insect Plague, Swift Quiver, Wrath of Nature (Transmute Rock, Wall of Stone)

Conclusion

I felt this was an interesting thought experiment. Some characters like Robin and Cyborg changed very little from the last time I built them, while Raven and Beast Boy stayed what I expected but offered new insights into how they fit into the lore of the world. Starfire and Terra had the biggest changes, but those changes I feel are for the better, at least for this post. At least now, you could play a campaign with the Teen Titans while also being completely faithful to DnD lore.

#dungeons and dragons #dungeons & dragons #dnd #dnd 5e #teen titans #robin #dc robin #dick grayson #starfire #koriandr #cyborg #victor stone #beast boy #garfield logan #raven #raven roth #dc raven #azarath metrion zinthos #faerun #forgotten realms #dnd fifth edition #dnd 5th edition #terra #tara markov #teen titans terra #teen titans robin #teen titans raven #teen titans starfire #teen titans beast boy #teen titans cyborg

[zahri-melitor]

Newish Comics:

Ape-ril Special #1: okay this was just wholesome silly fun and I enjoy multiple of the simian characters in this story (and enjoyed getting to know several more). Apparently Mallah and the Brain broke up in Doom Patrol? I might need to read Doom Patrol.

Also the Bobo story is really, really good, but that's not unusual for Bobo stories.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #25: IT'S THE SHAZAM WIZARD'S TRAIN! Sorry, I've read this origin for Billy in at least half a dozen separate retellings PLUS flashbacks. I enjoyed Waid and Mora dropping in a panel of their alien dinosaur auditors (though these ones were dinosaur police!)

The Warlord #44: this week in Skartaris Travis Morgan is sent on a quest to acquire the jewel hidden within a tower.

This is the tower.

If you get my drift? I do, all too well.

Here our noble heroes discuss how they'll scale the tower.

They encounter venereal disease!

Travis Morgan can't fire off his shot (as he's once again out of bullets)!

And inevitably the tower ends up on fire!

(also there's a bit more than just dick jokes to the actual plot, but the most interesting aspect is that Shakira apparently remembers and misses the Ancient Atlantean cities? Shakira, I know cats have 9 lives, but those cities have been gone for FAR MORE than 9 lifetimes!)

#z canon read throughs #newish comics

[doctorstrangeaskblog]

Could Doctor Strange be Agamotto's reincarnation? (I would love that, Marvel PLEASE DO THIS!!!)

Avengers #62 came out and the similarities between Stephen and Agamotto are HUGE. There are so many superficial and deep things they have in common, plus the red clothing Agamotto uses to fly that resembles a different form of the Cloak of Levitation.

If you read the Avengers #62 that came out recently, you can notice some details like:

-Agamotto doesn't know how he came to be, so were his memories erased? Or did he die as a human and ascended as a god (but that made him lose his memories?) -He's constantly called Wizard, so he WAS sorcerer, like Stephen. -The Eye of Agamotto, specially in the MCU, only works properly when Doctor Strange uses it. Others can just open it apparently, and Mordo and Wong were shocked when Stephen used the book to open the Eye, since most sorcerers had tried for years and failed, while the Eye simply opened and worked for Stephen the first time he tried. -Agamotto has some issues/existential crisis things very similar to what Stephen does- apparently he's unable to be happy, always thinking and wondering about the future (like Stephen in DS2, who even after saving the would couldn't be happy while wondering about what if this what if that and future issues) -Agamotto seems to understand medicine. In the chapter, he teachers villagers how to use herbs and natural medicines- Stephen Strange is a doctor. -Agamotto seems unable to recognize all the love and appreciation he receives from people he saves and villagers (Stephen seems to have the same issue in the MCU and in the comics) -His magic is pink, and in the comics, Doctor Strange's magic was pink for MANY issues/sagas. Of course it depends of the spell, but what I mean is his MAIN magic (in the comic book covers and such) also is pink. -There are some "puns" in this comic, lines Agamotto says like "this was strange" "it were strange times" AND THE WORD STRANGE IS ALWAYS BOLD. On purpose. In the comic. Read the chapter and you will see, I mean it.

-Agamotto looks like Stephen Strange SO much. Face, cheeks, facial hair, hair, white hair streaks. -He is SO kind. And he has SO MUCH hope. So many Stephen vibes, who in the MCU went against Dormammu despite the chances of winning being so low, and he also keeps fighting until the end. -Agamotto has the third eye (that Stephen does in the comics AND in the MCU) -Agamotto has Memory Spell skills and suggests in the comics using it to erase suffering, so he could have used it on himself- in the MCU Stephen knows memory spells and has already used it a few times. Also, memory spells was one of the first and most important Doctor Strange powers in the comics. (Since 1963). -Agamotto flies in the same position Stephen flies, which is "levitating while standing" and not "flying Superman style" or "Captain Marvel Style" (he levitates). -The poses he uses to conjure his spells are very similar to Stephen's, and other sorcerers have used different poses, it's not something every sorcerer does in the comics, it IS very similar to Doctor Strange's poses.

-Mephisto and him have been fighting for EONS, again and again, and in the comics, Mephisto is one of the most recurring enemies of Doctor Strange- and in the ages Doctor Strange fights Mephisto, there is no Agamotto to fight Mephisto. -Agamotto has been illustrated in the "future timeline" of the Marvel Comics (since this comic happens in the past) as a soul tiger/beast, and in some flashbacks of Thor's comics, very similar to what he is shown in this comic, but older. So could it be that he was a sorcerer who ascended to a god (a Vishanti), but his "human" part (soul, spirit, essence) died in the process- but since he never quit defending the Earth, he reincarnated as Stephen to continue doing the same things he did when he was alive?? Like, it would justify that there is the entity Agamotto and Doctor Strange at the same timeline, because Stephen would be the human part of Agamotto, while the tiger soul we see is the part of his soul that ascended and became a Vishanti?? -In older comics, there's an issue Agamotto tries to take over Stephen's body- however, according to a great ton of Marvel comics lore, a god would need a specific human vessel to be able to possess it fully or share his/her powers in a relevant amount without DESTROYING the body they are possessing- so why would Agamotto think he could use Stephen's body without problems? Maybe he's compatible because he's a reincarnation or some sort of avatar? -The Marvel lore is not specific to any religion per se, so we could even be talking about something like Avatar The Legend of Aang, where there are different past Avatars that can interact with Aang, even though they are the reincarnation of the same soul/spirit, so Stephen interacting with Agamotto wouldn't be a contradiction at all to take down the theory.

There are MORE similarities between them but this is getting very long, so please, tell me what you think.

#doctor strange #marvel #marvel theory #benedict cumberbatch #marvel comics #stephen strange #dr strange #drstrange #doctor strange comics #agamotto #wizard #sorcerer #reincarnation #theory #the cloak of levitation #i love how hes LESS PALE because its PREHISTORICAL TIMES AND HE GETS SOME SUN

[kellshaw]

Magic: Transmission and Effect

Here's what you should think about when developing your magic system.

Why do people use it? Viewing magic as a process, why do people want to use it? How do they use it to do something in your story that they couldn't otherwise?

How does it work? This is the transmission layer. By what mechanism does the magic do the thing it does? It's perfectly okay to say 'by the blood of dead gods spilled into the ethereal seams of the world' but I like it when there's some thought behind it. Even if the characters don't know, stick this thought in your 90% of worldbuilding that the reader will never see. It'll help for background consistency.

What does it feel like to use magic? I love stories where people are exploring their powers (I enjoy superhero origin stories, except those we've seen repeatedly; looking at you Batman, Superman and Spiderman). How does it feel to channel and cast power? Anxiety of trying to memorise a difficult formula? Getting high from channelling raw energy from the gods? Is there a taste or sensation? Or even boredom, if magic is perfunctory?

Who can use it? Trained wizards? Anyone who gets the spell right?

Where does the magic fit into your world and society? Is it a secret? Only used by the elite?

Does your magic have an overall paradigm? Like a special esoteric programming code (spell) that can hack reality can if done right? Calling upon ancient gods for boons? The flavour is important to me. I read the first few pages of a book where the hero 'magicked a barrier in front of the demon' and while the scene was action-paced, the flavor of the magic didn't grab me.

Let's run my magic system through these questions:

Why do people use it? To do things they can't do via ordinary mortal means. Because it requires making a pact, it's all for personal gain or desperation. Maybe to help with revenge, or to return after death to deal with your unfinished business.

How does it work? Magic is a flow of energy from another dimension. A flow of extra-dimensional energy overwrites the localised reality, enabling supernatural effects when present. For example, to summon a zombie, you'll need a source of spectral energy from the Underworld, the land of the dead.

What does it feel like to use? Each realm has a distinct flavour of energy. Infernal magic is painful, like barbwire running through your guts. Death magic is sad and regretful, like holding a party that no one shows up to.

Who can use it? After the Rending—the terrible event when the Age of Magic ended—all portals to other dimensions were abruptly sealed off. Demons, fae, nature spirits, angels are trapped in their home realms and have limited agency to influence the mortal world. However, if you make a pact with one, you gain their vestige—a shard of their soul—and this enables you to channel supernatural energy into the mortal world. This changes you—you're not a normal mortal anymore. You're now half an extradimensional entity. Someone who accepts a demon's vestige becomes a cambion; another who makes a pact with a fae becomes a changeling.

Where does the magic fit into the world? It's secret and hidden. You have to figure out that magic exists, who you want to make a pact with, and hopefully find a patron whose goals align with yours.

The overall vibe is if you want magic, you hustle for it, and cut deals with powerful extra-dimensional entities. It's a grungy, noir occult world. You take on supernatural debt and have to weigh the bargain you've made against the power you gain. Sometimes you may not have a choice but to agree.

"So everyone's a D&D warlock?" someone asked when I described this.

Yeah.

Or John Constantine, as you sit on a teetering mound of debts and favors that are gradually spiralling out of control...

How about you? How does your world's magic work?

#writeblr #fantasy books #urban fantasy #worldbuilding wednesday #worldbuilding #fantasy #fantasy writing

[kuwdoravids]

Fanvid - Blue (multifandom)

Blue source: multi artist: Eiffel 65 length/size/format: 3:30 52mb, zipped mp4 streaming: Vimeo password: pixie_vids download: right click save as

summary: I'm blue ah ba di ba da club vivid.

special thanks to rhoboat who helped me brainstorm 90% of the sources well over a year ago. ilu rho ♥

clip wrangling and suggestion help from: luminosity, absolutedestiny, sweetestdrain, trelkez, pipsqueaky, kiki_miserychic, bradcpu and renenet!

source beneath the cut

Source: The Abyss, Avatar, Avatar the Last Airbender, Aladdin, Alias, Alice in Wonderland, Angel, Arrested Development, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Batman and Robin, The Blues Brothers, Blues Clues, The Blue Man Group, Braveheart, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, A Bug's Life, Captain America, Captain Planet, Care Bears, Cars, Contact, Doctor Who, Eragon, Fantastic Four, The Fifth Element, Finding Nemo, Firefly, Fringe, Farscape, Gargoyles, Gummi Bears, Hellboy, Hercules, Highlander, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Huckleberry Hound, Interstella 555, Laputa, Lilo & Stitch, The Lion King, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Legend of the Seeker, Monsters vs Aliens, Megamind, Merlin, The Little Mermaid, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mortal Kombat: Legacy, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Monsters Inc, The Muppets, Nausicaa, My Neighbor Totoro, Quantum Leap, Sailor Moon, Sanctuary, Sesame Street, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Universe, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Sliders, The Smurfs, Sonic the Hedgehog, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantum Menace, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Supernatural, Superman, Thomas the Tank Engine, Thor, The Tick, Tiny Toons, Toy Story 3, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Torchwood, Watchmen, The Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonky, X-Men 2, X-Men 3, X-Men: First Class

#vidding #fanvids #fanvid #fan video #fanvideo #year: 2012 #source: multisource

[crystalshard]

2023: Fanfic (And Original Fic), She Wrote

Looking back over the year, I've written more than I expected.

(This list is only the things I wrote this year; some fics I uploaded to AO3 which were originally posted to Livejournal many years ago.)

Star Wars

When Banthas Fly - Anakin accidentally gets high as a kite on Force-Affecting Spice, and Sees Things. This ends up being very bad for Palpatine.

Sith Lords Are Our Speciality - Fix-it fic. Years ago, Obi-Wan (mostly) killed Darth Maul. Now it's Anakin's turn to even the Sith-killing score - and when fate offers him an opportunity to make it two-one in his favor, he's not going to turn it down.

Face in the Mirror - Axe Woves has a drink with Boba Fett, negotiates an alliance, and encounters some unexpected history from an unexpected world. (Or, Crystal falls down a linguistics rabbit hole and makes some Star Wars characters deal with it.)

X-Men

In These Bones - When Erik comes to Charles and asks for help in shutting down a facility which is kidnapping and experimenting on mutant children, Charles can't say no. What they find is worse than anything they could have imagined, and Charles is determined to bring them home safely. It won't be easy for any of them; there's something very sinister going on in those laboratories.

(I am very strongly of the opinion that Magneto has metallokinetic powers alongside the magnetic ones, and I use that as a plot point.)

Drive You - Explicit. Erik's PTSD means that his head sometimes gets louder than he or Charles can bear. If Erik needs to get down on his knees to let go, then Charles is more than willing to help him do so. NSFW.

Search the Sky - 101 Dalmatians AU, X-Men style. But with dragons instead of dogs.

(I am very fond of this one, I thoroughly enjoyed writing it.)

8 to Infinity - The Marvel version of David 8 turns up at the mansion, and is promptly taken under Charles Xavier's wing. In return, David gives Charles the one thing he thought he'd never have.

A reason to break Erik out of jail.

Misc

Scandal Rag - Lois, Clark, and Bruce pull a prank on the whole of Metropolis. This may be the only reason Bruce Wayne would ever wear Superman's outfit.

Original

Yesterday's Legacy - Nearly thirty years ago, Emma and two friends escaped from a fantasy world that was doing its best to kill them. Now their children have been snatched away to that same world.

Emma and her friends are having precisely None Of This Nonsense, and they follow their children back to the fantasy world. And this time, it's the fantasy world that needs to watch out. Especially that no-good, immortal, child-kidnapping Wizard.

Yes, this is still in progress. Yes, I have every intention of finishing it.

Historia Heroum - Archaeologist-wizards dig up something that a hero left behind. Inspired by my wondering what happens a century or so after the quest line for an RPG is completed.

Crown and Forge - After generations of rulers have been possessed by the soul of a former king, the current Heir takes the crown to be melted down.

And That's What Killed Me - In the afterlife, you meet the only other person who died the same way you did.

No Smoke Without Fire - The 'hero' protected himself against fire-breathing dragons. It's a shame he forgot to protect himself against anything else.

Quiet as the Grave - It's a nice town, quiet, with friendly neighbors. It's super natural there, too. Or . . . is that supernatural?

Jack of All Trades - Jack Oatfield is the guy everyone knows. And sometimes, he calls in that favour you owe him.

The Show Must Go On - Horror themes. There's a palace in the depths of space, a familiar tourist attraction. The inhabitants charge cruise ships a pretty penny to watch their nightly entertainments.

Whether the Weather - Villains really should know better than to mess with retired Powers. The retired heroes and ex-villains are the ones who survived.

Happy New Year, everybody!

#my writing #star wars #x men #batman #superman #fanfic #original fiction

[mushiver]

I haven't been a movie nerd even ONCE on this account. Here's my top 10 movies in 2023

1. The Lord of the Rings (trilogy)

IT STILL COUNTS AS ONE

Can't go wrong here. There's fantasy, action scenes, friendship, romance, badass dialogue, comedy. There's refreshing masculinity where men are close friends, fight for each other, die for each other, kiss each other on the forehead, sing, etc. The Aragorn Arwen romance is sweet and isn't overblown, and the main theme is to fight for good. If you're tired of anti-heroes and want a clean good vs. evil, this is it. The downside is not having poc representation and only 3 important women, but they are extremely awesome and play pivotal roles. If you've heard about LOTR for forever but never actually seen it, here's your sign.

2. The Lego Movie

This movie sells itself, but I have seen it maybe. 40 times. And I could quote it from start to end as a kid. It's funny, has crossover characters along with the main ones (like Batman, Superman, Gandalf, Abraham Lincoln, Han Solo), lots of references, and the main message is that you're special in your own way. It's very autism coded, I think

3. Jaws

Classic man vs. monster, and it's great if you don't watch thrillers and need something "dip your toes in." While the majority of the town goes all rambo trying to kill the shark, the main characters are the opposite. The chief of police is ultimately empathetic and wants to stop more people from being hurt, Matt Hooper is a shark expert "city boy" coming along, and Quint has a boat that needs to be bigger

4. My Cousin Vinny

Vinny is a lawyer taking a case to prove his cousin didn't murder a clerk, but he's the worst lawyer in existence. He forgot everything he learned in law school, can't stop wearing a leather jacket to court, and his fiancée saves him most times. It has some of the most quotable lines and 10/10 I recommend to Alabamans for the southern jokes

5. Knives Out

A modern "whodunit" mystery that shines the most because it's a comedy. The main character Marta is the only one who thinks she knows what happened, but she pukes every time she tells a lie. Benoit Blanc is also the most iconic detective to me and one of my favorite characters ever

6. Tommy Boy

This has a very similar tone to My Cousin Vinny, but it's a road trip movie. After Tommy's dad dies, he and Richard (a jerk coworker) try to sell autoparts to save his company. They're the worst salesmen in existence, but ultimately are creative and pull some shenanigans (Tommy and Richard go from rivals to buddies). It's from the 90s and not very chill with the r-slur and some fat jokes, but it's ultimately a feel-good movie if that isn't a dealbreaker for you

7. Jurassic Park

Like Jaws, another classic pop culture movie. The score is so good, and they make a world full of dinosaurs have the same magic feel as the wizarding world. It's an adventure movie with great action scenes and characters. (This is a trope I love personally but) Alan Grant is a grump who doesn't like kids, but later he looks after them. Ellie Sattler is one of my favorite characters ever, and Jeff Goldblum lays on a table. Survival movies are fun 10/10

8. Joker (2019)

DROOLING OVER THE CINEMATOGRAPHY. It's such a well-made movie, and you never know entirely what's real with unreliable narrating. It makes you feel for Arthur and understand his actions while knowing he made the wrong decisions in the end. Some think it's negative for mental health representation, but it can be used as a cautionary tale for the ways mentally ill people are mistreated and how the events that led to the start of the film weren't his fault. Ultimately, I think it inspires more empathy, and it's a piece of art

9. Signs

I'm a sucker for the "everything makes sense in the end" trope. A lot of people didn't like the combo of two supernaturals (the existence of God and aliens), but I don't think it ruins the movie. It centers around a family struggling with the death of their mother (or sister or wife, depending on the character), and the ex-priest dad had lost connection with his faith. He happens to find it again because of an alien invasion. Normal Tuesday

10. Arsenic and Old Lace

From 1944, it's a weird movie and the acting is iconic. Mortimer is trying to get to his honeymoon, but when he visits his aunts, he finds a dead body in the house. It's a comedy involving shenanigans, avoiding the police, and an uncle who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt. (It's a bit outdated as far as mental illness goes, but Mortimer's goal is to put his family in the care of a mental institution rather than shipping them off or telling the police.) As a drama queen, I also appreciate Cary Grant being a drama queen

10 honorable mentions: Lego Batman, Napoleon Dynamite, The Goofy Movie, Clue, Psycho, Marriage Story, Into the Spiderverse, Avengers Endgame, Dead Poets Society, Muder on the Orient Express. Swag thanks for reading

#movies #movie recommendations #movie nerd #lord of the rings #the lego movie #jaws #my cousin vinny #knives out #tommy boy #jurassic park #signs #arsenic and old lace #joker #joker 2019

[trnsocial]

The WIZARDS Files | Ep 42: Darren Sanchez

In this fascinating interview with former Wizard Production Manager, Darren Sanchez, this comics industry veteran reveals how he went from an art student referred by Carmine Infantino to intern at Valiant who graduated to overseeing production on their line of books, then transitioned to Acclaim Comics with Fabian Niceza, leading to a 12 year career at Wizard, founding his own comic book company…

View On WordPress

#80s #90&039;s Comics #Acclaim Comics #Comic Books #Marvel Comics #Valiant Comics #Wizard Comics Magazine #Wizard Magazine #Wizard Magazine Spider-Man Special #Wizard Superman Special #Wizards Podcast #Wizards The Podcast Guide to Comics

[batmannotes]

Batman: Hush 20th Anniversary Edition

On sale at Amazon. Direct link here.

Product Description

The best-selling and critically acclaimed HUSH storyline is here: re-experience the entire thrilling adventure in one complete deluxe hardcover volume! This edition includes sketches, character designs, annotations, and a brand-new cover by artist and DC publisher Jim Lee.

This special 20th anniversary deluxe edition also includes an all-new, never-before-seen, five-page story by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee.

Gotham City is infected by a crime epidemic and all of Batman’s enemies have emerged to throw his life into utter chaos. But little do they know that they’re all pawns of the villainous Hush in an elaborate game of revenge against Bruce Wayne. Pushed past his breaking point, Batman will need to use more than the world’s greatest detective skills to uncover the true identity of this mysterious mastermind before it’s too late.

This truly unforgettable story by three of comics’ top talents, writer Jeph Loeb (BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN, BATMAN: DARK VICTORY) and artists Jim Lee (JUSTICE LEAGUE, SUICIDE SQUAD) and Scott Williams (ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, SUPERMAN), present the Caped Crusader’s most personal case yet!

This 20th anniversary edition includes a brand-new cover from Lee plus tons of behind-the-scenes material from the making of this modern masterpiece. Collects BATMAN #608-619 and an interlude from WIZARD #0. The Batman: Hush 20th Anniversary Edition includes an all-new, never-before-seen, five-page story by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee.

#batman #dc comics #comic books #comics #comicbook #comicbooks

[bogwitchmediaconsumption]

Adventure Time: Distant Lands - Mini-Series? Specials? idk

had to finish this so i can get to fionna and cake because i keep having to avoid mini spoilers everywhere and it's SO tiring. this is how i felt having to wait the extra day to watch my adventures with superman. anyway, these 4 episodes are all fucking amazing, definitely some of my favorites of the original show because they just get so much more time to flesh out plots and characters and delve real deep into shit. it's SO good. and for very different reasons, but also the same reasons? like obsidian and together again are really great because they delve into like very new spots for the characters they feature while still prominently featuring new characters and settings and stuff that add so much. and then wizard city and bmo focus on less featured characters from the original show, and then puts them into new scenarios while still adding tons of new and great characters. i really think the run time helped these episodes work so well, because they just feel so in depth and alive. i loved these episodes so much. also maybe hot take but this show is WAY too obsessed with the lich and i really kinda wish he would stop appearing. like yeah he was great in all his appearances i'm not denying that, but like c'mon just let him chill after "wake up"/"escape from the citadel". ok anyway this series or whatever is incredible

#medialist #watchlist #adventure time

[salientseraph]

Lil Guys - The Masterpost

As none of you may know, my mother and I have a category we have used for a long time to distinguish our favorite male actors/fictional characters. This is what we like to call, a Lil Guy.

Lil Guy - Definition

A male person or fictional character that is extremely capable/talented at chosen occupation, often extremely intelligent, witty (though it may be unintentional), with either an oblivious or childlike nature. They can be hardened by war, thousands of years old, or extremely rough edged, but through it all retain a child like obliviousness or childlike wonder that rounds them out. Most of the time they are socially awkward and are either painfully aware of it or painfully unaware of it. Their are rare cases in which Lil’ Guys are charismatic, but it has to be balanced out with some type of whimsy or quirk.

Irl Lil Guys (In no particular order)

Neil Patrick Harris

Ryan Reynolds

Matt Smith

David Tennant

Misha Collins

Zachary Levi

Zachary Quinto

Timothy Omundson

Benedict Cumberbatch

Tom Hiddleston

Anton Yelchin

Mark Hamill

Ewan Mcgregor

Mark Sheppard

Alexander Calvert

Brandon Ralph

Christopher Reeve

Danny DeVito

Hugh Jackman

Jack Black

Bill Hader

Andy Samberg

Martin Freeman

Fictional Lil Guys (In no particular order)

Chuck Bartowski (Chuck)

Killian (Once Upon a Time)

Guy (Free Guy)

Obi Wan Kenobi (Star wars)

Sherlock (bbc Sherlock)

10th Doctor (Doctor Who)

11th Doctor (Doctor Who)

Scotty (Star Trek 2009)

Van Gogh (Doctor Who Edition)

Rory WIlliams (Doctor Who)

Dominic Sterling (Addie and Ciara: From the Heavens)

Cornelius Reed (Addie and Ciara: From the Heavens)

Jake Paralta (B99)

Chekov (Star Trek 2009)

Spock (Star Trek)

Loki (Marvel)

Jack Kline (Supernatural)

Castiel [In all variations] (Supernatural)

Crowley (Supernatural)

Cisco Ramon (CW Flash)

Ray Palmer (CW Legends of Tomorrow)

Martin “Gray” Stein (CW Legends of Tomorrow)

Merlin (Merlin)

Westley (The Princess Bride)

Superman (1978)

Richard Collier (Somewhere in Time)

Billy Batson/Shazam (Shazam 2019)

Jim Lake Jr (Troll Hunters)

Hisirdoux "Douxie" Casperan (Troll Hunters/3below/Wizards)

Honorary Lil Guys are men that don’t really fit the textbook description of a Lil Guy but still have a special place in our hearts.

Honorary Lil Guys (In no particular order)

Rob Benedict

Gabriel (Supernatural)

Leonard Snart (CW Legends of Tomorrow)

Eliot (Leverage)

Casey (Chuck)

Alec Hardison (hacker) (Leverage)

Sam Winchester (Supernatural)

Dean Winchester (Supernatural)

Elf (Elf)

#lil guy #lilguy #neil patrick harris #ryan reynolds #matt smith #david tennant #misha collins #zachary levi #zachary quinto #timothy omundson #benedict cumberbatch #tom hiddleston #anton yelchin #ewan mcgregor #alexander calvert #brandon ralph #Christopher Reeve #danny devito #hugh jackman #jack black #bill hader #andy samberg #martin freeman #chuck #killian #freeguy #once upon a dream #once upon a time #star wars #textpost

[zahri-melitor]

I am going to read

DCU Infinite Holiday Special #1 (2006)

A Hector Hammond Christmas - Green Lantern. I don't have the context on who this villain is, but Hal is arguing with a telepath on Christmas and remembering events from his childhood.

Christmas Spirits - Shadowpact. Everyone wants to prank Santa Claus.

This is a story where Bill Willingham's politics are very much on board: the ACL, hey, the Anti-Christmas League? (are we suggesting the ACLU are bad? Except we don't want to use the scary union word? Can we get the Elves Union back? Are they going to be blamed for production being behind?)

Also yes I very much noted the ACL using 'comrade', so we are definitely supposed to tack the concept of either socialism and/or unionism onto the back of this organisation. Terrifying.

If the reindeer are down with the flu, Santa Claus, why not ask Supes to step in again? He's done it before. Also if the reindeer are deliberately trying to scare you before the big day, maybe find out what they're unhappy about?

All I Want for Christmas... - Supergirl. Clark and Kara answer letters to Superman (rather like letters to Santa) in December to get into the holiday spirit.

Kara points out she's not feeling in the mood for this, because of Conner's death, but Clark says that's why they're doing this together.

Anyway, Kara ends up answering a letter from a little girl who wants to see her Dad for Christmas, but he's serving in Iraq. Of course, it turns out he's actually a deadbeat and drunk and both parents are lying to the kid so she doesn't know he left. Kara imposes some pretty violent reckoning with Fred, the dad (drops him from high in the clouds, tells him he should consider what he saw as his life flashed before his eyes), and then goes to the Kents for Christmas. (Deadbeat Fred does indeed see his daughter on Christmas Day).

Gift of the Magi - Shazam. I am not across enough Shazamily content in this period to be 100% on this, but various of the Greek Gods are incarnate here and discussing whether Freddie is worthy of Shazam, at the Godly Pantheons Christmas Party (held in a sports bar), while also simultaneously foiling the human sacrifice plans of the Council of Merlin.

Father Christmas - Flash. This is a Bart Flash story. Jay and Joan invite Bart for Christmas, but Bart is moping because it's the period when he's Flash.

However he goes out and finds someone has made it snow. In LA. Suspecting the Weather Wizard, he instead finds it's one of the gadget guys (Tweak) who makes supplies for all the rogues, and the device went weird, and Tweak's down on his luck. Bart then invites Tweak and his son to Christmas at the Garricks.

Lights - Batwoman. The Hanukkah story of the set. Kate, via a stolen replica of a particular menorah, reunites two branches of a family split up by the Holocaust.

Yes, Tyrone, There is a Santa Claus - Superman and Batman. This is absolutely ridiculous, light hearted, and clearly deliberately Silver Age in tone (Lois getting asked to fetch Perry coffee at the start? Yeahhhhhhhhh).

Anyway Clark and Bruce compete to bring the joy of Santa to a kid who wrote to the Daily Planet (while Bruce totally denies that's what he's doing).

#DC Santa read along