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erose-this-name · 18 days

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Kabru is such a brilliantly written character, one of the best in Dungeon Meshi (which is a high bar as it is, most of the main cast are similarly genius).

His thing is that he is very friendly and nice confident and maxed out his charisma stat, but is also kinda ambitious and manipulative. But not in an overtly malicious way. Which kinda scares me.

The most impressive thing about him, writing wise, is that it’s all show-don’t-tell. He very frequently uses his charm and empathy and understanding of how people think in really clever ways. We’re often walked through his thought process of how he does these social deductions. We’re never told he’s scarily charismatic, besides other characters reacting to him being scarily charismatic.

Kabru is a natural-born leader and social engineer with superlative skills in both, which makes him the perfect foil for Laios, who’s too autistic and unambitious that he’s not even the de facto leader of his own party that he’s the official leader of. He’s so bad at leadership that his party just, sort of, doesn’t have a leader. They just kinda argue and do stuff.

What’s also neat, and perfectly inline with Meshi’s general theme of clever and logical subversions of fantasy tropes, is that Kabru’s character design in no way clues us in on this fundamental character trait of his.

He’s sort of a human fighter / knight archetype, which in the language of fantasy RPGs is a class most would associate with being a white bread jock, chivalrousness optional. (Laios subverts the same trope in the same way. It’s really funny that the walking exposition dump of the group looks like the character creator default preset spec’d as the most generic class available.)

If Kabru was a bard or noble and Laios a wizard, their character traits would be far less interesting

Even better is that we would expect someone who looks like Laios to have Kabru’s personality, and vice versa. Their character designs are flipped; the confident super charismatic leader is a short wide-eyed twink, while the slightly naive and very autistic monster enthusiast is a tall conventionally attractive Aryan lookin’ mf. (see what I mean by Kabru being such a good foil for Laios?? No wonder everyone ships them, they’re perfect for each other!)

Yet, their designs also work for them. Kabru just has a face that’s easy to talk to, his piercing blue eyes and curly hair gives him a false sense of naïveté, while his iconic 👁️👁️ expression hints that there’s actually quite a bit going on inside his head. Meanwhile, Laios believably looks like someone who doesn’t know what hair conditioner is. His armor’s collar gorget thing is also pretty dorky.

You can’t trust people like that (I mean overly charismatic people with a manipulative streak, not blue-eyed twinks) because you can’t know what their real motives are. You can’t know they aren’t pretending, you can’t know they aren’t trying to or haven’t already manipulated you. How could you? When he has so much more social intelligence than you do, average socially awkward Tumblr user? He’s touched all the grass!

In episode 16 (spoilers, btw) Kabru finally meets Laios’s party, who he’s been trying to find and fight for the better part of the season, and he just decides that no confrontation is necessary. Like, immediately upon meeting the guy. Just from how Laios looked at him. He figures that since Laios didn’t seem to recognize him, they either have never met meaning he has the wrong guy, or Laios forgot meaning he didn’t think it’d be a big deal, meaning the treasure was a trap or something. Which is pretty in line with Kabru’s established ability to always roll nat 20s for every charisma and deductive reasoning check, so cool.

But he doesn’t even seem curious about which of those cases is true. (He might be interested to find out some of the treasure wasn’t dangerous, but accidentally got thrown off a bridge). Much to Rin��s dismay, he’d rather just not bring it up because that could upset the leader of the party he might be working with for the foreseeable future.

Actions speak louder than words. So, all we really learn in this scene is that Kabru’s goals and M.O. can change on a dime, and that he values reputation and political capital more than money and vengeance. More than his own party’s desire for those things. Not only is he someone with a silver tongue, but he knows its value and is determined to use it at every opportunity.

Kabru and his party might not be very good at fighting or surviving in the dungeon, in fact their frequent TPKs are a running gag. But, he also doesn’t need to be when he can just manipulate Laios’ and Shuro’s much more proficient parties into helping him.

So far, Kabru seems like the most likely one to become king of the dungeon or whatever the mcguffin is. He is the only protagonist so far who has said that’s an actual goal of his. He’s said that he doesn’t think someone like Laios who isn’t a born leader should get it.

In fact, Kabru seems to have very strong opinions on what kinds of people should be allowed to adventure in the dungeon, evidenced by the fact that he murdered an entire party over it, justified or not. Kabru seems to think that Kabru is such a leader, and he’s probably right about that, but what kind of leader?

What would Kabru do with that kind of power if he gets it? Because I’m not sure. All I know is that he is the kind of person with the ability to use real political power to its full potential. For good, or for very, very bad.

I’m not saying that Kabru is evil or that he’s secretly gonna be the surprise villain. I dunno, I haven’t read the manga. He could just be a nice guy that’s just, like, is like that. Everything he’s done could be justified by the explanations he’s given. He actually reminds me a lot of one of my IRL friends, and I’d trust him with my life.

But, I can’t help but feel a distinct sense of unease whenever he’s on-screen. I try not to trust confident natural-born leaders like him right out of the gate. I don’t like that our instinct as humans is to blindly follow them without thinking about it.

Tyrants and psychopaths also use confidence and charm and a friendly demeanor to make people think they’re a good guy, while manipulating everyone into thinking their self-serving actions are altruistic. Benevolent, confident, skilled leaders do exist. But there exists many more snakes wearing their skin. Wolves rarely bother with sheep’s clothing, they dress as shepherds and sheepdogs.

Anyway, my point is that I think it’s kinda neat that it’s possible to overthink this much about a character whose probably just a nice guy that is the mirror opposite of an autistic person. Writing that kind of ambiguity is hard, and employing it in this way is inspired.

#writing #spilled thoughts #dungeon meshi #kabru of utaya #laios x kabru

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greensun · 9 months

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THE BIG QSMPSTUCK LOREDUMP AKA: I finally get to do all the lorebabble I wanted to do.

EDIT (11/1/2023): THIS VERSION IS NOW OUT OF DATE AND DOES NOT INCLUDE THE PEOPLE IN THE ICE CUBES. I AM CURRENTLY REWORKING PARTS OF THIS BUT MOST SHOULD STAY THE SAME FOR THE NEW POSTS SANS BAGHERA, KAMETO, AND DANTDM'S CLASSPECTS! LOOK FORWARD TO UPDATED POSTS IN THE FUTURE.

SOME NOTES: 1. I have a very specific version of qsmpstuck going on with my art I make that I made with a group of friends (thanks Slimercord!) 2. There are other people who made other classpects and takes on QSMP characters that are more character based, mine is not that case, it looks at how QSMP as a whole would work as a full sburb session, and balancing how many people would be on each aspect or class to carry that motif of Homestuck's balancing/equal duality theme. This means I am looking at and using Classpects as a narrative & plot device, not necessarily a personality test like how someone would classpect a real person (This is how the Extended Zodiac works, and why I choose to ignore it for character classpecting. It works great for classpecting real life people though, so by all means you can use the EZ for you and your friends!). 3. AND WITH THAT! It means two people per aspect and and class, with the exception of space and time having three people, and knights and heirs having three people. 4. FAIR WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NEVER READ HOMESTUCK, THERE IS LOTS OF DEATH IN IT, WITH LOTS OF RESURRECTIONS. I WILL BE DISCUSSING DEATH IN A VERY JOKING MANNER HERE! 5. For posterity in case things change in the future: This post was made August 2nd 2023, after the French were added, and right before the Election arc finished. I'm sure if I came back to this after QSMP is over my classpecting would be different. (Updated August 20, 2023)

I'll add this again at the bottom but if you want more of my notes and thought processes or just more qsmpstuck in general here's the link to my tag for all qsmpstuck on this blog, and here's the link to all qsmpstuck on my regular mcyt blog. (my regular blog includes other people's qsmpstuck takes & reblogs however! But every classpect analysis I reblogged in there w/ an anonymous ask sent to the OP was me on anon lol)

HERE WE GO! The big ol google doc sheet I had to make for this. Every note on that godtier order list is how we decided the character would godtier, and we still aren't even technically done! I have so much information built up for this AU I am not sure I could include all of it in this post.

CLASSPECTS

Anyway, in terms of classpects, the way we went about deciding was 1. Finding symbolic meanings we felt fit the characters best 2. If the classpect was funny and had a fun double entendre to the character 3. If we really struggled, we went and picked up Dahni Witch of Light's classpect analyses and found which class fit a character best within an aspect we had a vague idea of. I find Dahni's analyses to be the best at classpecting non-homestuck characters with, because they give enough leeway in interpretation and are somewhat broad, while still applying as a fictional character's story arc, rather than solely a personality test. We also basically ignored most classpect's assigned "role" concept thingy, they were too nebulous in meaning to help much, with the only ones we kept being Sylphs are the passive creation class with Maids as the active creation class, and then Bards are passive destruction, Princes are active destruction.

AND NOW BACK TO THE CUBES YOU CARE ABOUT: As stated before, we did lay it out so we (mostly) only had two per aspect and class, to get that true fan session balancing spirit. Space/time and knight/heir are the only ones with three members. Here's how the outfits look!

My favorites here & their reasonings are: - Etoiles: Sylph of Blood - We all agreed him getting a classpect that is at least somewhat silly would be fitting, but all immediately came to the conclusion that he would hands down be a blood player. From his love of fighting, and the way he goes about befriending everyone he meets to help them, he's just so blood player. To balance out our initial silly classpecting idea, we made him a Sylph! It fits, like, really well! He creates friendship, he helps people, like. What more could you want from a classpect for him. - Mariana: Maid of Doom - I sent these two asks to this other person about this and liked their reasonings lol. - Spreen: Prince of Breath - Look I'm a Spreengirl I think he would play a great active destruction class and he takes away other's freedom (in minecraft). He kills people. He's just so Prince to me. It's really funny. - BBH: Knight of Life - Do you know how funny it is to take a guy who's whole thing is that he's like entirely black and red themed and put him in the burlap sack outfit. Also Knight & Space player frog breeding combo. He's working with Foolish on those frogs. - Foolish: Page of Space - This guy is the ultimate builder of all time ever. He was hands down the easiest to look at and go Oh he is THE space player here. - Fit: Prince of Space - Y'know 2b2t and hacked clients and griefing people? Prince of Space. Plus since he's a space player, soooo - Philza: Knight of Rage - Another great Space & Knight combo. This guy is such a hater on QSMP (positive) he doubts easily distrusts whenever necessary. Such a rage player. - Missa: Bard of Time - Missa is really failgirl I know quite a few people haven't like... watched much of his MC stuff. However you should check out when he had to be placed in a box to fish by himself so he wouldn't die a third time in Minecraft Extremo. He's a perfect Bard, and then he does music. Great set up for a Time player. Wouldn't want it any other way. - Antoine: Seer of Void - truly. Truly. A guy I looked at for two minutes and immediately knew what classpect he needed. That scene where he just like lightly questioned Cellbit after he escaped the federation and it made Cellbit so nervous he started just saying things that made him look way more nervous than necessary? Core Antoine moment for me. The fact he has a basement filled with so much writing on every candidate? The fact he hides his true face so much? We don't even know what's going on there? Void Player. Seer. So fitting it's beautiful to me. - Felps: Maid of Breath - Look, breath is THE aspect of freedom and doing what you want at your own pace. I think I would be committing a cardinal sin if I DIDN'T make Felps a breath player. - Tazercraft: Witch of Doom & Page of Time - They get to do a fucked up glitch timeloop. With these two classpects they can literally do whatever they want forever. Witch of Doom is a classpect that you give to a character if you know they can rip everything to shreds, have fun doing it, but wouldn't (usually) use it to actively hurt people out of true malice (for no reason) (a witch can DEFINITELY respond negatively if push comes to shove). Page of Time is so funny as a classpect also. Just like... Look up what the Page godtier outfit looks like. You'll see what I mean... And why Pac is a page. - Rubius: Waste of Breath - This classpect sounds really mean, sorry. I promise I like Rubius. He's supposed to be a stand in for what the Hussie author insert was in Homestuck, opposing Doc Scratch and fighting him. Hussie was a Waste of Space, I wanted to keep the pun with waste here. Breath worked the best. The federation has a Lord of Blood ability to counter him. Neither of these two count for the main classpect total.

One day I might post a copy of the google sheet and link it for more in-depth reasonings for every character, but like... almost everyone had reasonings like this where we spent waaay too long analyzing everyone LMAO. This is getting long as is, so I'll cut off classpecting here.

DREAMING MOONS

I am about to say something that will make people either really mad or really happy. There is no canon true definition of what assigns you a dreaming moon in Homestuck's text. The only thing we can glean from canon about which moon you get is that Prospit humans make their bed in the morning, and Derse humans don't. Needless to say, this doesn't help when you want to individually give each person a dreaming moon, but it IS great news for me: it makes assigning dreaming moons based on dividing the cast in half really, really easy. That is how it worked for the troll session, it was cut in half with teams, and then assigned based on red team vs blue team. So that is what I did here. All of the English speakers were given Prospit, and all of the Hispanic side were given Derse. This has lore relevance. We'll get back to it in a moment.

Also for note, the Federation is Prospit, with Dersite carapacians being a more nebulous identity against the Federation. Hispanic side was given Derse because they just seem more like Derse guys. Plus the whole Time on Derse/Space on Prospit theme going on in original HS canon is something I kinda wanted to go along with.

Quackity was given dual dreamer, with one of his dreamselves being ElQuackity, hence why he isn't listed. To balance this, we had to make another dual dreamer, and figured handing it to Kameto, who basically is permanently lost in the void, would be a good balance.

The French and Brazilian sessions were assigned using the "well this character would make sense here" method.

Server/Client Orders & Session Chains

If anyone needs a brief refresher, a client is the person you get into a sburb session, and a server is the person gets you into the session. Everyone is a client and a server to someone different. (tl;dr John was Rose's client, Rose was John's Server.) THAT BEING SAID! It means the loop for sessions close once you're all connected to both a client and a server. There are three separate sessions here, and one of them is a mobius double reacharound.

For clarity, the arrows mean: Client <- Server

The Original session, the mobius double reacharound, is the Spanish-English session. The order is

Quackity <- Mariana <- Spreen <- Roier <- Missa <- Vegetta <- Maxo <- Luzu (<- BBH)

BBH <- Foolish <- Slimecicle <- Jaiden <- DanTDM <- Fit <- Philza <- Wilbur (<- Quackity)

Because of the nature of a Mobius Double Reacharound, it means BBH and Quackity enter the session first, by technicality. The first person in a session is also the person who does the ectobiology. Unlike the troll session which only had Karkat as the ectobiologist, if Q!Quackity were the sole ectobiologist, no clones would be made and everyone would be stuck in a paradox, so I think it's funnier if BBH and Q had to work together on Ectobiology. I find their dynamic hilarious. Anyway, Luzu and Wilbur had to be the last in their respective chains, because no one else would be able to enter.

The next chain is the Brazilian closed Session, which is

Forever <- Mike <- Pac <- Felps <- Cellbit (<- Forever)

As previously mentioned, Pac e Mike (uou uou) have very good classpects to make up for the fact they have no space player. I'll come back to this.

The final chain is the French closed session. It goes

Baghera <- Antoine <- Etoiles <- AyPierre <- Kameto (<- Baghera)

They have balanced moons! They have a space player! They have a seer even! Both light and void! However, in missing a time player, they are forever doomed to fail the session.

LANDS OF PLANETS AND PARTNERS

Now I can finally explain actual lore. My apologies for making you read about 1000 words before this.

The Hispanic-English session is glitched. There is not a planet for each person. They have to share planets with a person from the opposite dreaming moon, generating lands that are a combination of two different aspects entirely. The planetary pairings for this prime session are the same pairings used for the initial egg pairings.

I really love designing lands for Sburb AUs it's my favorite thing in the world. The first one is the Land of Acid and Alcohol, Slimecicle (Heir of Heart) and Mariana's (Maid of Doom) land. Its oceans are acid and gasoline, and then covered in bottles that are a Russian roulette of alcoholic beverages, and then Molotov cocktails! The second is the Land of Steam and Dreams, Roier (Witch of Blood) and Jaiden's (Seer of Hope) land. It's filled with buildings built in an industrial revolution style architecture, playing on how people could believe in social mobility and "making it" in that time period, while also being reliant on heavy metallic machinery! I have a lot of fun conceptualizing lands.

The session's glitches don't stop at the planetary pairings on their own however, and it continues when Luzu attempts to enter the session. The session glitches from him being BBH's client, where it refuses to match pairings if they're connected directly, as the game would be unable to generate the gates above each player's house, it would simply loop back to connecting with the same Land. Luzu ends up being paired onto Quackity's land because of this, because the Game still detects him as having a dreamself on the opposite moon, even if he technically has both.

This causes BBH and Wilbur's land to glitch, and they end up paired together (as a bit of a nod back to how BBH and Wilbur were initially intended to be paired, before admins just made a new egg for Wilbur). We'll get back to this in a bit.

Some other lands from the AH session I enjoy are - The Land of Lush Forests and Iridescent Lakes, also known as LOLFAIL, BBH and Wilbur's land, which is a double Life player land, so the oceans are filled with gemstones and the land is covered in the most dense forest imaginable. It has the most difficult underlings spawn on it compared to any other land in the Anglo-Hispanic session. - The Land of Frogs and Typhoons, Spreen and Fit's land, which every space player is guaranteed frogs as part of their land, combined with Spreen being a breath player, it is a constant hurricane with frogs in it. They do not work on trying to calm the storm. They just start killing the frogs. There are so many frogs. The frogs are constantly flying at anyone who enters the land. Fit's slogan is FTF. Thank you to crow qsmp-yaoi for saying this idea because it truly brings me to tears every time I think about them being hit by those frogs flying at Mach 10. - The Land of Synapses and Static, Maxo and DanTDM's land. It's a darkened land, caused by Maxo's void, and then covered in a blanket of constant fog so thick a lighthouse can barely cut through it. The land also has mimicking noises to make familiar sounds to any player that steps on it, caused by Dan's Mind. It is an overbearingly lonely land. One where you understand what it truly feels like to be alone. One where you can lose someone as soon as you take your eyes off of them. Maxo last saw Dan on this land. No one else has seen him since.

I'm going to stop myself here, but I might come back and draw some more Land illustrations for these, haha.

Denizeggs

With the planetary partners, you might have seen this coming. Each planet in the combined session is missing a Denizen. Instead, what each player finds at the heart of the land is a little egg they need to help raise. They all find eggs at different points, however. Some people find their egg before they godtier, some find them afterward.

All of the eggs correspond to the land of their respective parents, however Luzu joins into the session too late to ever meet Tilin, second to last of the chain, she's already dead by that point.

And then the final major glitch in starting this session, when Wilbur joins as the final member of the chain, and enters, the only land open is BBH's land. Due to the nature of Sburb already knowing how things would end, it was always going to be this way, and there was no other option on who's planet he would join. The game glitches again, and detecting a second Prospit player, spawns in a new Denizen: Tallulah.

The eggs generally follow how they were in QSMP proper. Some of them die early. Some of them don't. Juanaflippa is as tragic as she is in canon. Two dads who are just bad at raising a child and it would have never worked out. Slime still kills Tilin by accident. Spreen doesn't care about Ramon, ditched him etc you know how it goes. The eggs are partially a planet quest too, so it's best if the eggs do live here.

Also in the glitches with this, there's a lack of consorts on any of the combined planets. There are a few, but not really as common as canon proper would have.

BRAZIL! 🇧🇷

The Brazil Session is a closed session between the five Brazilians. One of the requirements to complete Sburb is that you need a Space player (required to have forge in order to complete the final genesis frog & launch it into creating a new universe) and a Time player (required to keep the session in the proper timeline). The Brazilians have a time player (Pac), so they're halfway there!

There's some hiccups along the way. Mostly just Cellbit accidentally killing Felps and having to sprite him so Mike could make him a robot body to live in, but same old same old etc. Pac and Mike also kill each other by accident, but some other stuff happens there.

They still don't have the main aspect to actually continue the session, realize this, and also have a guy with one of the most conceptually powerful classpects to exist in terms of being able to glitch a game and save everyone. They manage to contact the primary session, reaching out to two grieving parents who are desperate to do anything to revive their daughter, one of whom is also a very powerful Doom player.

Brazilian Lands (brief edition)! - Land of Vultures and Culture, Forever's land, is a Hope land based around having Forever work to help save consorts who are hiding beneath intense structures and live in very isolate communities from each other. There's also massive megafauna in the skies that are always trying to kill them. - Land of Electronics and Experiments, Mike's land, is a pretty typical doom land, based around Chume labs, and has a constant lightning storm overhead - Land of Dancefloors and Dollhouses, Pac's land, is a combination of a land quest he has to get through, and a typical time land. All time lands have a clockwork or a music theme, I think him having a hot pink land that's massive amounts of dollhouse rooms attached to each other he has to make it through is just a fun concept. - Land of Cloud and Sky, Felps's world, is just a land with everything high in the sky. His whole quest is about him harnessing his ability to go with the flow to connect his consorts together. This is hard when he's sprited himself after dying upon entering due to Cellbit fucking up and accidentally killing him, and living in a robot body built by Mike. Aradia style. - Land of Searchlight and Bone, Cellbit's world, is a giant panopticon style prison. With so many bones, both decorating the prison, and filling the prison cells. His final moment is when he gets to the office of the panopticon, and it is his quest bed. He has a whole ordeal over it.

RICARLYSON! So these guys have regular consorts and Denizens, Richarlyson spawns in the heart of Skaia, and gives the quest for the other five guys to raise him.

Pac (Page of Time) has the ability to manipulate time as he wants once he realizes his abilities. Mike (Witch of Doom) can rip a hole in the universe so big it saves all of the players and sets them smack in the middle of another session, especially a previously contacted session with the connection being a Maid of Doom. With a time player land as well, they get a scratch construct on the Land of Dancefloors and Dollhouses, setting up their ability to scratch their session and set loose a whole new universe where theirs once stood.

French

The French session has probably the most normal planets of everything going on here, what really starts their journey going awry is that they have no time player.

Antoine, being a Seer of Void, can see something is going wrong. He makes contact with people outside of their session in an attempt to restore things to balance. He goes off into the veil and contacts the horrorterrors, and sets up a connection between two Doom players who seem they both desperately need it.

While he's doing that, the rest of the French proceed to have the most normal Sburb session out of anyone. Etoiles is having a great time on his planet. Aypierre gets a genesis tadpole. Kameto has two backup lives.

French Planets (Brief Edition) - Land of Apples and Airplanes, Baghera's land! It's probably the nicest land of anyone's. There are many jokes about how she doesn't get why everyone keeps complaining about their lands being horrible until she reaches theirs. - Land of Sham and Soil, Antoine's land, it's a dark land with tall dirt towers that make it impossible to see where you step. You'd need to be someone who could find where you're going in the pitch dark to even survive here. - Land of Bonds and Breakouts, Etoiles's land, is a land of a giant maze dungeon labyrinth. It's a nightmare for everyone but him. He loves it. - Land of Bogs and Frogs, AyPierre's land, is a land with frogs in a very thick swamp. I'll be honest i Just need to cook on this one some more. - Land of Hidden Leaves and War, Kameto's land, is a Naruto joke.

POMME! Is like Richas she's in the middle of Skaia. An easter egg if you will.

The French session is brought into the primary session when Antoine manages to contact with everyone else fully, rather than quietly watch from the outside. Etoiles and Baghera lose their original selves, and are their dreamselves when the universes collide in, and were unable to godtier, due to not knowing about the quest slabs.

GODTIERING! & the rest of the chronological story

THIS is the order of the godtiers from the beginning of the Spanish-English session. Anyone in the other sessions who godtier before their universe collide event has a red numeral to keep them distinct. I feel pretty strongly almost everyone would godtier here, they're all characters based on gamers. Sburb au works exceptionally well when you know everyone's gaming style.

Also, yeah I have notes listed on each godtier order for how each person dies. Like it's that detailed atp.

Spreen has the highest kill count out of everyone on purpose. I think he'd be down to cut his friends down knowing they'd be revived immortal afterward. As well as, the federation is Prospit in this scenario, they want everyone to godtier. I think him playing to what they want out of him feels his style. Anyway, he sprites his own dreamself due to ElQuackity messing with timeloops. To make his living player self trust him, Spreensprite convinces him to godtier Roier first. It is himself he's talking to, after all. Roier becomes the first godtier in any universe, and not out of his own volition. After seeing it really did work with Roier, Spreen godtiers himself. He gets li'l bear ears ala Jade getting doggy ears with her dreamself sprited, he threw in a Rubius cubito to his kernelsprite first. I like the bear ears I'm biased .3. q!Spreen being really fun in a Sburb concept is why I got hooked on this au after all.

After the first lore is repeated, BBH godtiers himself by decapitating himself with a sendificator to fuck with Foolish. He's kinda bitter about getting beige clothes. He befriends the midnight crew at least. This is before he has Dapper. He finds out about godtiering from Roier by accident and then is like. Oh I have the BEST idea.

Vegetta is killed by Spreen by request, wanting to be stronger to protect Leo, and then Spreen godtiers Missa in order to use his time powers on Derse to throw his dreamself at the kernelsprite, locking the time loop. Anyway, Missa is essentially locked in a tower on Derse's moon after this, now permanently in his Dreamself's body, who hadn't awoken prior. Fit realizes people are walking around in weird clothes, hears about it vaguely from BBH, sends a text to Spreen who'd been ghosting him, and goes like. Hey man. Wanna kill me? And gets his first reply in months.

Phil is attacked by an overpowered monster and almost dies, and Missa manages to get the message to Fit that this is happening through time shenanigans, and Fit manages to get him to his questbed before he fully dies and loses his dreamself. Phil is not happy about this and could not be angrier. He doesn't blame Fit though it's like a self anger thing.

THE BRAZILIAN CASCADE HAPPENS! PEOPLE DIE. By which I mean Slimecicle and Mariana work together to try to help the Brazilians into the session in a bid at saving Juanaflippa, hoping one of them have the ability to revive her. Slimecicle is murdered in the crypts of Prospit by Quackity in a duel, where he cuts off Quackity's arm in exchange for Quackity cutting down his life. Truly one of those luck moments where Charlie dies on his questslab. Mariana is murdered at the same time by Spreen, who is now fully working under orders from the Federation.

Pre-cascade, Pac and Mike both godtier, because they stumble into a stable timeloop, by Mike accidentally glitching Pac's questslab into throwing it at him and killing him. He godtiers with this. Now, as a fully godtiered page of time, they make it to Mike's questbed, and godtier!Mike nudges Pac's slab at Past!Mike to pick up and throw when fucking around with powers.

Felps godtiers in the cascade along with Mariana and Slimecicle, they leave behind Derse and its moon, and they both get destroyed. Where his body sleeping on the quest slab godtiers. Aradia style. Except... as a Maid of Breath, his robot sprite body doesn't explode. He just sort of... exists in both. When one falls asleep the other wakes up. The rest of the Brazilian session just assumes the Cascade fucked with his robot body's energy sources. He kind of just figures each side is a weird dream he keeps having.

Cellbit is staunchly anti-godtier, while Forever wants someone he trusts to godtier him. Cellbit refuses to godtier Forever, and causes a major fight between them. Then Spreen murders Cellbit into his godtier under orders from the Federation, which is preceded by a long Scooby-doo-esque chase, where BBH sees them both, and decides to follow. BBH is a fully godtiered Knight of Life here, he has resurrection powers for other players, and Spreen is functionally immortal as well. BBH 100% catches up to him after he kills Cellbit, and proceeds to put Spreen in a torment nexus of dying and undeath. Thus ends the Killing Spree(n).

AND THEN THE FRENCH CASCADE HAPPENS! The final session connects, and Baghera sacrifices herself to make it happen. After they make it in, they learn about Quest slabs, and there's a whole thing with Etoiles dramatically getting her to her questslab before she fully dies. Etoiles then proceeds to go kill himself on the questslab immediately after. Felps is also hanging out with the French, they found him hanging out in the void and take him with them. They lose Kameto in the void however, nobody's really sure where he went.

Pre-French Cascade, Antoine is the only French player to godtier, and no one will explain how it happened. It seems like no one really knows, but Etoiles keeps saying more fantastical descriptions every time someone asks. He's never taken his seer hood off of his face.

Back in the order of the godtiers, Forever befriends Baghera, and eventually her and Etoiles and Cellbit help him godtier. It's a whole event. Richas is having a blast.

Bobby dies, and Jaiden decides to godtier in order to get into the Federation's good graces, as well as out of guilt of feeling that if she were stronger and godtiered she could have saved him. Roier godtiers her.

AyPierre is godtiered in a tragic accident with one of his many machines. Etoiles helps pull him to his quest bed. He's a Thief of Space he has fun with it.

Foolish is the second to last person to godtier, and he is godtiered by Pomme by accident. He wanted his godtier to be as cool as possible, and somehow managed to not godtier by this point. It's just very him. He's down with the page pants.

Quackity is the final member to godtier. BBH kills ElQ at one end of the universe with the aid of Maximus. Slimecicle kills the regular QQ in one final duel.

At the end of the universe, the only people left alive and able to contact the rest of the sessions to never godtier are Wilbur and Maxo.

DanTDM disappears on the Land of Synapses and Static, never to be seen again, along with Turnip following soon after.

Luzu finds a glitch and is absorbed by it not long after he enters.

Nobody is really sure if Kameto godtiered or not.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

We're currently working on figuring out sprites for everyone, so hey! I might come back and add an update on that, but this post is so long my computer is lagging. I have a gaming laptop. It shouldn't be doing that. Here's some stuff on the sprites we do have + some misc notes.

Cellbit's flashlightkind is like how Kanaya's lipstick works. It's a chainsaw.

Spreen has Spreensprite, BBH has Skeppysprite, Missa has a sprite that is a mysterious skull sprited twice called Skullskullsprite, and Roier has his dog with a spiderman called Dogmansprite, and Jaiden has Arisprite, who's Miku & Ari combined :D (thanks icarus!)

It is 5 am as I finish typing this and queue it. I think I started typing this at 5 pm yesterday. Feel free to comment any thoughts you have or play around in this au! Also feel free to @ me if you do, either on my main mcyt blog (@etoilesbienne), or here!

qsmpstuck tag on my art blog / qsmpstuck tag on my regular mcyt talk blog

#qsmp #qsmpstuck #qsmp au #qsmp homestuck au #mcytstuck

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rollforfelicity · 1 year

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Why Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Didn't Use D&D Combat Rules (And Why They Were Right Not To)

The D&D movie was really fun, and since at this point most of my friends play D&D (or at the very least other TTRPGs), almost everyone I talk to on a regular basis has also seen it and liked it. The consensus is that even though there's no "meta" that the characters are controlled by players sitting around a table, or jokes about the DM, the movie feels like D&D. The jokes feel like jokes people would make while playing. The constant pivoting from Plan A to Plan B to Plan C feels familiar to anyone who has spent an hour at a table deciding what to do, only to have a roll go sideways and screw things up. Before I get too far, I should say this post contains some mild spoilers for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

What didn't feel like D&D were the fight scenes. In one scene, a Paladin quickly dispatches a group of enemies before any of the rest of the party even acts, showcasing that even though he's kind of a square, he's an incredible fighter. In another scene, the Barbarian grabs and wears a helmet in the middle of a fight, using it creatively to get the upper hand. During a fight against a gargoyle, the Bard blinds an enemy by throwing a blanket over their head, but gets pulled along with them when a loose rope wraps around his leg. These are all pretty big moments in the movie, and Rules as Written, would never happen at a D&D table, because D&D combat doesn't work like that.

Here's what I think is interesting. The vast majority of the rules of D&D revolve around combat. It's not all of the rules, but most class abilities, spells, items, and rules have a combat focus. So why does a movie that functions partially as advertisement for the game spend so little effort to replicate the bulk of the content of the base game?

In my opinion, it's because, Rules As Written (or RAW), combat in D&D is not, generally speaking, narratively satisfying. Let's look at a few reasons why.

D&D is a game where, RAW, things either happen, or they don't. If someone misses an attack, nothing happens. If someone misses a skill check, nothing happens. DMs can work with this, but in the base game, there isn't a lot of guidance for what to do when a player fails at something they're trying to do. This may seem trivial, but compare that to something like Powered By The Apocalypse, which is much more narratively focused. In those games, a full miss means the Game Master changes things up. The enemy gets the upper hand. A new danger surfaces. An NPC is put into peril. Not only does the player fail at what they're trying to do, but something else, bad for the Player Character (PC) but good for the story, happens. On a mixed success, the PC might get what they're after, but at a cost, or with a complication they weren't expecting.

This calls to mind the example of the Bard throwing a tarp over the gargoyle in the final fight of the D&D movie. That's a classic example of a mixed success. He succeeds at temporarily blinding the creature, but in the process, he gets caught up in the gargoyle's rope and is dragged along for a ride. This is a dynamic thing to happen in combat, but wouldn't happen in actual D&D. Instead, a PC would either succeed at what they're doing, and blind the creature, or fail and not blind them. You could argue that the Bard's action was the result of a Natural 1, but that also doesn't fit RAW, because the Bard does succeed as what he's trying to do, and with a Natural 1, he would have failed and been pulled along.

D&D doesn't really reward player creativity. Something like throwing a tarp over a creature wouldn't be likely to happen in a session at all, because in the actual game, it would take a full action to do that, and depending on the Difficulty Challenge (DC) the DM sets, there's a good chance of a wasted turn. Creative actions end up a huge gamble, and when you're playing a game where it could be 20+ minutes before you get to take another turn (more like an hour if you're playing with a Wizard, amirite), you're disincentivized from "wasting" your turn to do something less than optimal. You can describe what you're doing to add to the narrative, whether you succeed or fail, but that brings me to my next point.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about this question from Rise Up Comus since I read it a month ago. In D&D, a player can describe all kinds of flavor to what they're doing, and there's no change to the mechanics of the game. You could read this as saying "Oh, well that means you have the freedom to do what you want!" but if you look at game design through the lens of "what kind of play does this game encourage or discourage" the takeaway I have is that description just...doesn't matter to D&D. In my experience, that can lead to a few different unsatisfactory outcomes.

Both players and DM treat combat as purely rolling, and describing only what is required. A DM announces, "The enemy wizard casts fireball, roll dexterity save, take 25 damage. Turn passes to the Rogue." Sometimes players who describe what they're doing are seen as showboating or taking up too much time. Worst case scenario, the DM penalizes descriptive players.

Some players like describing what they do, others don't. This has no mechanical effect on the game. Players who aren't descriptive might be frustrated that an already slow process is slowed down even more. Descriptive players may become frustrated because there's no mechanical benefit to what they're describing, and spend time fruitlessly arguing with the DM that focusing on a weak point of the enemy should give them advantage. I think most tables fall into this category. It's not a bad game by any means, but not everyone is there for the same reason when it comes to combat.

Rule of Cool Table! Everyone describes whatever they want, the dice rolls don't really matter! Combat is generally pretty easy because fuck the rules, if it's cool for the dragon to die based on how the fighter described the attack, even if it's only the first round of combat, hell yeah let's do it! For players who like being more strategic and enjoy the confines of the rule structure because it makes things challenging, these tables can be frustrating. (If you're familiar with Dungeons & Daddies, this is essentially how they play D&D).

Because there's no guideline in the rules, people come to the table with different expectations. Some people want combat to feel like a strategy game, where following the rules in the most optimal way (or combining rules elements in an unexpected way) is mechanically rewarding (usually measured by damage output). Some people want to describe themselves doing cool stuff! Some people don't care about their characters looking cool, but want the story to be compelling. If everyone isn't on the same page, this can lead to players ending combat feeling unfulfilled, and when combat is the bulk of a rules set, it feels strange to me that there's no guidance for DMs or players as to how to incentivize the kind of combat your table is interested in.

This leads to a situation where combat in D&D is the part of D&D that takes the longest, that the majority of spells and abilities are focused on, but it is, narratively, the least satisfying part of the game, unless the table alters the base rules significantly.

If you're not familiar with other TTRPGs, you might be thinking "Okay, but that's why the DM is allowed to do whatever they want and make up new rules! My DM gives inspiration when we describe something cool, that solves this problem!" My critique isn't necessarily of individual tables. DMs and players come up with all kinds of mechanics that aren't in the rules. My critique is that D&D is a role-playing game that essentially has no incentives, and many disincentives, for role-playing during combat. For example, RAW, characters don't really have time to communicate during their turns, as each round takes about 6 seconds. There's no time for banter or negotiation between PCs and enemies. You can see this disconnect by the way people talk about D&D. How many times have you heard people say "I love D&D but I don't like combat?" How could this rift be rectified? Let's take a look at some other TTRPGs.

In 7th Sea, if you take the time to describe how your character is doing something, you get a bonus to your dice pool. In Thirsty Sword Lesbians, when you get a mixed success on a Fight roll, you and your opponent are given narrative prompts to build tension (like flirt with or provoke your opponent). In Kids on Bikes, you can fail or succeed rolls by different number ranks, which determines how significant the successes or failures are. In Wanderhome, you get a token when you "take a moment to bask in the grandeur of the world, and describe it to the table." In Good Society, each player gets a "monologue token" which they can spend to prompt another player to deliver their Main Character's internal monologue. I just played a bad-action-movie-themed game called Action 12 Cinema, where players can boost a roll if they call out the song that would be playing during this scene of the movie, and get an even FURTHER boost if anyone at the table sings it.

Each of those game mechanics gives you an instant understanding into the mood of the game, and the kind of stories its built for you to tell. Even if you've never heard of any of those games, I bet, based on the title and the move, that you could hazard a guess as to what playing the game is like. Dungeons & Dragons certainly has rules that add to the lore of the game, and prompt you to create characters that act a certain way. But when it comes to combat, players and DMs are left to their own devices. Some may see that as a strength of the game, but I see it as a source for a lot of disappointing play experiences.

And it seems as though, at the very least, the writers of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves thought the combat rules were narratively unsatisfying enough that they eschewed using any of them.

#ttrpg design #ttrpg #indie ttrpgs #indie ttrpg #dungeons and dragons #d&d #d&d movie #please don't read this in bad faith #i just like thinking about game design

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mushroomwoods · 7 months

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the prettiest?

the hero of koridai, clingy, dramatic and very much comical. still, he was the prettiest in the world for you... not that you would ever tell him, but hey, it's not like your eyes didn't already say as much.

character — koridai, romantic.

cw — none, pure fluff.

this man makes me silly and i am NOT normal about him, but it hurts me physically when i have to write golly. btw, i made this one with a hc that reader was taller than koridai, but this is never explicitly said or described, so read as you may.

Cheerful laughter resounded through the inn, a few voices tagging along with the bard who sung and played at a dimly lit stage of the bar. It was possible to see Courage dancing along with a lady near the stage as Koridai cheered him on. Legend and Time both tapped their leg in sync with the music, probably wanting to play along, but also not wanting to interrupt the performance, Warriors on the other hand seemed happy enough while talking to the both of them, possibly trying to make them go in the stage for a play too.

Unexpectedly Hyrule and Four could be spotted on a far corner, arm wrestling with a few men who seemed a little surprised when neither of them lost a single round.

The rest of the group was either outside enjoying the festival happening around the town or already sleeping in their own room, but it was enjoyable even if all you were doing was watch over them while leaning against one of the inn more secluded walls.

You absentmindedly hummed along the song, which was familiar from Wild's constant singing, eyes closing as you wondered if you should get ready to go to your room too, when suddenly someone tapped at your arm.

You opened an eye, looking at the new presence, quickly spotting Koridai usual cheeky grin.

“So, my dear... Would you allow me for a dance?” He winked, smile spreading even more as he offered you a hand, which you took with a huffed laugh.

“Why, of course, milord.” He laughed unabashedly at your answer, quickly pulling you to the place where the people made a makeshift dancing ground, hands smoothly settling onto your waist.

It was nothing planned, just twirling and moving around as you heard the hero ramble about something you could barely focus on while you watched his pretty smile. It seemed however that he noticed how your mind was elsewhere when he asked you something and you made no move to answer.

“You're really pretty, Link.” The words topppled out without as much as a second thought, and his face reddened comically.

He looked around as if searching for another one named Link, and while there were at least ten other around who shared his name, none were in the least interested in the little shenanigans the both of you were up to.

A proud grin spread over his features as soon as you nodded when he pointed at himself in question, his warm cheeks looking like it would rip at any second if it stretched any further.

“Golly! The prettiest?” He asked and you laughed, lightly tapping at his shoulder.

“Don't push it, hero.” You returned, grin as wide as his.

The rhythm of the music changed to something more cheerful and the pairs were exchanged, your body twisting until you met with the girl that was previously dancing with Courage, her hands tangling with yours as the both of you swung around the makeshift ballroom cheerfully. With a single glance you could see both of the heroes dancing with each other, face plastered with disgust while they bickered with each other, even if they didn't release the other hand.

The moment it had come for the couples to switch back, Koridai swiftly got your hands again, his face leaning closer to yours with a soft glare.

“If I'm not the prettiest, then who is it?” His voice was demanding, even with the lilt of a joke permeating it.

You hummed in thoughts, eyes flitting to the side with a devilish glint as your eyes crossed with Courage's. When Koridai noticed your line of sight he gasped dramatically, hands almost falling from yours, if you hadn't gripped it tighter the moment he pulled back.

“Don't you dare!” He hush shouted, eyes thinning, which only made you laugh more.

“Oh please, darling, I have to be honest after all.” You made a move as if you were getting farther from him, but the moment he stepped closer to you you moved right back to him, faces now only inches away. “Prettiest or not, you are the one I like the most.”

You smiled fondly, giving him a quick kiss on the cheeks, then unraveling from his touch and going out of the dance hall, watching from the corner of your eyes as the blonde stumbled over his own words, the blush creeping from his neck to his ears.

He followed you to the stairs, almost tripping over his own feet a few times and you laughed when he invited himself to your room, taking up your bed space as he opened his arms for you to cuddle with him, which you promptly took.

“So... who is the prettiest? Ain't no way it is Courage.” He pushed yet again.

“I thought we were already past it?” You rebuked.

“'Am not. Now spit it out.” He insisted yet again.

“You may not like it, but since you insist so much...” You drawled, getting closer to his ears which twitched at the contact of your hot breath. “It's Wolfie.”

An ear piercing "what" made you wince as he sat up, now looking up at you incredulously.

“I lost my place to a dog? No way, this isn't fair!” His arms encaged you in the bed, to which you only pulled him back to lay down, this time his weight flopping into you.

He continued whining for a few more minutes, but sleep naturally overtook his body as you ran your fingers through his hair, his breath coming out in short puffs, making you smile to yourself.

“Rest well, pretty boy.” You placed a soft kiss at the top of his head, watching his frown unfurl into a dumb smile.

#fungi's delicacies #linked universe x reader #lu koridai #koridai x reader

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hotluncheddie · 5 months

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New anon here... I've been thinking about the government shoving Eddie into witness protection without letting him say goodbye to the rest of the group, which is a real bummer Steddie-wise because they were definitely headed towards something. So Eddie is like, in the suburbs of Chicago or somewhere under the new name Nathan Edwards or something, gets a slave wage job at a Scoops Ahoy, and proceeds to eat his feelings.

A couple years later, Steve is passing through the area, sees the Scoops, and thinks what the hell, he's doing pretty well for himself these days at whatever "fuck you dad I can make it on my own" career he ended up choosing, he can go in and tip some fresh outta high school kid the way he'd always appreciated back in his Starcourt days. And wow, the guy behind the counter definitely isn't a teenager, but he does look familiar...

:0 anon!!!!!

i’m hoping by saying he eats his feeling in the ice cream shop that we’re on the same page here… (bc oof 🥴👹)

but ugh witness protection is so sad omg but big hurt/comfort possibilities maybe i think i think

they make them leave straight out of the hospital, him and wayne and one box of stuff each. they give them new names, a new place, set wayne up with a new job. but it’s not the same, nothing is, never will be. eddie has to cut his hair, thankfully not a buzz cut but he hasn’t had his curls sit above his ears in years. it’s the thing that makes his feel most strange, he thinks - not recognising himself in the mirror.

recovering physically took a long time, mentally, just as long. but eventually he needs to be around people again, needs money, a routine. the scoops job started as kind of a joke and then he realised it was the place he applied with the easiest commute and the owner was a really chill dude at the interview and then it really wasn’t a joke anymore. eddie worked a scoops ahoy. the pay is whatever but the work is fine and with wayne’s wage they more than get by and while it’s boring, it also kind of feels like breathing room, time to slow down and learn about himself again, after everything.

after a while eddie is actually kind of digging the sailor outfit, gives him an excuse to be kind of silly and get away with way more with customers that he should. like you can’t really get mad at him, not dressed like that, not when he still gets the orders right. it feels like a character, he’s the bard, the jester, and one day he’ll break free but for now - he enjoys the free icecream.

it started small, employees are allowed one item in break and he usually went for a soda, then that changed to a milkshake or a cone. and then one night he was closing and it was right by wayne’s birthday and there was a quarter of a tub set to be thrown out. and, well, eddie thought, why not take it home?

then the new monthly schedule comes out and since most of the part timers are younger and he has his (new) van it’s got him set to closing alone most shifts. fine by him, one hour of pay where he can blast his walkman while he cleans, best case scenario even.

he was also in charge of making sure the tubs were correctly filled ready for the openers and that meant throwing out the near empty ones. so near empty that that kid in eddie seems to rear up and remind him of all those times they couldn’t afford icecream, why let it go to waste? he always did have a sweet tooth.

so most nights his routine after work is to get home, have dinner with wayne, get high, watch some tv or read or listen to music and most notably polish off whatever ice cream and ‘only just out of date so still definitely good’ toppings he’s managed to squirrel home.

that last bit is notable because it’s been a year of working there, just under a year of this new routine, and eddie’s had to size up his once baggy uniform.

he’s kept definition in his legs and arms since his job is running around and scooping frozen shit. but now he’s padded with a layer of chub and his stomach is padded with a lot more than that, having bared the brunt. his cheeks have also rounded and his thighs and ass are honestly looking better than ever.

and with everything so new that’s been forced on him, this new at least feels like his. he knows how it happened, he’s not dumb, and yeah sometimes he ate just to wallow but he enjoyed every fucking bite of that ice-cream. and yeah he knows the red stripes that streak up his sides and push agains the waistband of his shorts aren’t everyone’s idea of desirable but, this is him now. everything else in his life is new, may as well have a new body to go with it. and to be honest he finally feels like he’s recognising himself in the mirror now. this new guy he’s had to become, there are ways that it’s still his.

but god does he miss everyone. not a day goes by he doesn’t think of home, his friends, his life, the people he almost died with. steve. so every night he gets high and eats ice cream and feels his belly swell that little bit more. sometimes he cries, sometimes he laughs but he’s alive and he has wayne and they’re safe. so every night he eats icecream.

steve moves to chicago with robin. he’s in school to be a physical therapist, robin studying italian. they moved just outside the city because it’s cheaper, a nice little neighbourhood. hes getting by, he works at a gym and helps with some of the classes, it’s decent pay and fun and he’s getting more and more days where that darkness feels far away, his rain cloud isn’t so thick. he’s doing it, surviving. living, even.

but, every day he misses eddie munson.

he’s out jogging when he spots it, taken a new route and made it to a strip of stores he didn’t know were there. with a scoops ahoy. just like summer of ‘83.

he laughs.

for old times sake and knowing robin will get a kick out of it he head in inside. thinks the 20 in his sock is more than enough to have spare for a tip that should brighten whatever kid is working the counter. surely they don’t still have the same unifo- nope, they do, and the guy at the counter looks much closer to steve’s age than the high schooler he expected. he’s cute. big eyes, nice hands.

eddie’s frozen. there’s a spectre in his store. steve’s staring at him. eddie’s stares at steve. eddie’s suddenly filled with anxious energy, unsure how to process what’s in front of him. tugs at his shirt out of habit, smooths the fabric down over the plush of his stomach, readjusts his hat that doesn’t need readjusting, bounces on his toes. what the fuck.

and eddie sees that steve doesn’t quite recognise him with his rounder features and shorter hair. he can’t wear his rings to work (they’re different, gold but still chunky) and, obviously steve’s never seen him dressed like this, also probably never imagined eddie would have a belly like that.

the second thing that registers in eddie, after the initial shock, is feeling his stomach drop out in fear. for wayne. for their place. for his job… for steve.

he doesn’t remember what the rules were about contact with his past. but he’s pretty sure there were rules on it.

but then something flickers across steve’s face, a flash of lightning, and he’s moving, leaning across the counter and enveloping eddie in a hug. ‘oh thank god.’ eddie hears steve breathe, strained and relieved and so full of emotion eddie feels his throat close and his eyes burn. steve’s here. eddie squeezes back and breaths deep, he smells like sweat and hairspray and home.

his steve is here.

and all eddie can do is cling back.

they’ll have to figure something out. he can’t let go of this again.

#anon this was so good #i loved it so much #the brain worm u gave me ugh #i’m giving u a #MWAH!#hotlunch #steddie #steve x eddie #chubby eddie munson #hurt/comfort #ask #chubby!eddie munson #steddie wg #witness protection wg au

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callofdudes · 3 months

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Dropping all my AU thoughts on you. (Lovingly) pt1??

Hunger Games AU: All of 141 bring previous victors from their games who find solace with each other in the capital. Would go through what they experienced in their individual games and how they won. But when the victors face off comes they all have to work together to end the games permanently.

Skyrim AU: Ghost works with the Dark Brotherhood. Johnny is 1000% a Companion. Gaz is a bard who is also attending the College of Winterhold to become a mage. Price is either a leader of the Companions, or he's a captain of the Imperial Guard. Don't exactly have a proper plot. And Gaz is obviously a redguard. Price is definitely a Nord. John is probably a mix of either Breton and Nord or something. It just makes sense. And Ghost is an Imperial. It just makes sense and I can't explain why!

Or, another Skyrim idea: Johnny as the dragonborn and Simon as a Daedric Prince of Akotosh who chooses to serve Johnny after doubting Alduin's reign.

Transformers AU: It could go either way, I envision it with Ghost as a Tranformer. He's the last of his squad who escaped captivity (I hope you catch on) and is sent to earth to protect Intel and find a place to stay. Runs into the annoying Scottish mechanic when his paint is dinged up. Or Simon as the angry mechanic who does not want to fix this alien thing that keeps yapping all day.

Rise of the Guardians AU: All the characters are there. If Y/n was present in this I'd make Ghost the angry easter Bunny who "hates his job". But if they weren't he's hands down Jack Frost. Sorry. Gaz can be Sandy (sandman) we all know who Price is, and Johnny can be the tooth fairy. If you know why, you know why.

Obviously a httyd AU: because everyone needs one. I'm already conjuring up things for Ghost's backstory it's insane.

Gaming AU: Price is a moderator for a large gaming community channel and streaming platform. He greenlights a lot of games that go through and plays them occasionally. RDR games and those likes. Johnny and Gaz definitely play the sims together. They'd play those games like Lethal Company and such. They try to play horror games but it doesn't always go well. Simon, (known to fans as Ghost) wears his mask or has one of those cool avatars. Plays horror games religiously and first person shooters which has attracted a glamorized following. Friends with Price and that's how he ended up getting together in the streaming group with Gaz and Johnny. They're annoying, but ok, they're cool.

Assassin's Creed AU: I've been working slowly on this for a while but Johnny as a sword/bow for hire whose work has slowed in the city he's at. So he packs up with friend Gaz who is going to a different city to study as a medic. Price is probably the king of said place. (I'm thinking of setting up in Greece or we're going to old Britain.) And Ghost is our famous assassin. And they meet and some stuff happens!

Not sure what to call this one (AU) As a young kid Johnny was diagnosed with ADHD and went to weekly day camp for kids like him. It wasn't particularly boring and Johnny had lots of fun. Until a new kid who is very socially awkward and reclusive starts coming. He's quiet and fidgety and doesn't make much eye contact. Johnny wants to be his friend. The story where Autistic Simon and ADHD Johnny become inseparable childhood friends.

Winged AU. I did a little thing on this a couple months ago. Some 30% of the popular are born with wings. Johnny is one of them. He's incredibly proud of his wings and it gives him some advantages and disadvantages in the military. Simon seems to hate Johnny for the sake of it. But every time Simon sees John's wings, he remembers the scars on his back and the pain of when his wings were torn off...

#call of duty #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #johnny soap mactavish #captain john price #call of duty headcanons #simon ghost riley x reader #kyle gaz garrick #ghostsoap #crossovers #fic ideas #soapghost #ghost x soap #hunger games crossover #skyrim au #skyrim crossover #httyd/cod crossover

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dulcemaiden · 7 months

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Lord Canopus, revealed

So, we have received confirmation in ch. 204 that Doll is Lord Canopus, as many in the fandom have theorized. I personally believed this too, not because Vega was most likely Layla/Al (and canopus was the only left), but because her personality fits with the japanese chart about blood type personalities. By now we know these canopus/Types B: Lizzie, Doll, Redmond, Lau, Bard, Wolfram, and all the corgi class students like Mabel and Ginny.

"Type B blood people are creative, cheerful, independent, laid-back, and adventurous. They are quick thinkers and spontaneous, as well as passionate and strong-willed. They do things at their own pace, and mostly end up going their own way because they are not good at follow orders, so they are known too as the "rule-breakers". They are honest and caring at heart, and make friends easily because they are loyal and non-pretentious. On the other hand, their negative traits include being “wild,” selfish, unforgiving, irresponsible and unpredictable. When type B blood people focus on something, they put their all into it, and they are unlikely to let go, even if the goal seems unachievable or impractical."

There are interesting things in the symbolism of canopus too:

Canopus was the helmsman of the Argo Navis, the ship of Jason and the Argonauts, who served King Menelaus. Canopus is described as a handsome young man who was loved by a egyptian prophetess, but never reciprocated her feelings. While visiting the Egyptian coast, Canopus was bitten by a serpent and died, and Menelaus then built a monument to his memory on the shore where this happened, around which the town of Canopus later grew up. In this town was worshipped the egiptian god Osiris, under a peculiar form: that of a vase with a human head. Osiris is a god who is in among other things, the Lord of the afterlife, the dead, resurrection and life in ancient Egyptian religion).

Osiris is the name of the group/company Undertaker was supposedly working with on his bizarre doll/resurrection project during the Campania arc. It is curious too the way Canopus died (it will implicate Doll's fate in the future?... although for now I see it unlikely).

About Doll's role in the plot, I don't think she will be killed (in this arc), because I think our Ciel will see her again, it would be a poor choice on Yana's part to reintroduce Doll just to kill her off so quickly, what would be the point then? And we still don't know why Undertaker revived her either. The "Stars" require a lot of work and huge amount of resources to function properly, and her blood type is rare (not as rare as Sirius but still rare), so why Undertaker gave her such preferential treatment is a mystery. I don't think he has revived her just to mortify OCiel, there must be another reason.

And some things start to make sense now, just at this part. I don't think the relationship between RCiel and Doll is good at all, since RCiel wouldn't tolerate someone who hold such a big grudge against his brother, and Doll wouldn't like the idea of dealing with the brother of the one who killed her and her family. So it makes sense not to mention Canopus as a candidate for his butler.

Besides, the butler of RCiel would need to be a fighter, and unlike Lizzie, strength in combat doesn't seem to be Doll's strong point, who also seems to be in a delicate state. Polaris fought AGNI and won, Layla(Al) almost beat Ronald if it wasn't for William's intervention, but Doll just walk and collapse? Like with RCiel, that could be because of a low blood supply.

What will happen now?

Regarding what will happen next, I was somehow expecting a confrontation between Doll and Finnian, but in her current state that seems impossible, since she probably can barely move, so the whole conflict will happen between Finny and Snake.

Doll is an important part of Snake's character. She is the first person who reached out for him, and in his memories she is the most prominent figure of his "circus family". The worst thing is that Snake has been serving loyally to the one who ordered her death, and him forgiving OCiel after finding out seems unlikely. There are inocent children involved too, so the situation is really complicated. It will all depends on what are Snake's priorities and loyalty, but I wonder if he will bear with the idea of killing Doll, I highly doubt it (I hope he and Finny save the kids though).

On the other hand, I expect Finnian not to die and return to OCiel and Sebastian, but he could learn from Doll the truth about Sebastian's nature. At first obviously not believing her words, but the seed of doubt would be planted, as he could remember Sebastian's strange behavior in the Emerald Witch arc. Finnian could confirm this later, causing a huge conflict between the servants and Sebastian, who would want to protect their master from him, and complicating things for our Ciel.

In addition, we must consider that Meyrin and Bard have already achieved 2 victories for OCiel, will this be the occasion where RCiel will win a game?

#lmao if undertaker revived doll because it was fun to him to have a bizarre doll named doll #kuroshitsuji #black butler #chapter 204 #analysis #doll #undertaker #snake #ciel phantomhive #finnian #elizabeth midford #edgar redmond #lau #bard #wolfram gelzer #mabel #ginny

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thisisnotthenerd · 4 months

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my thoughts on the ep:

ok in medias res first ep reminding me of starstruck

also this explains what they're doing during the start of the seven and maybe why sam doesn't like gorgug all that much? he would've be on the road instead of with zelda

everyone looks great and i updated all of their classes to the spreadsheet

lowkey glad the night yorb isn't the big bad?? we know fhjy will be more school-focused; classes, getting jobs, keeping the group together and dealing with consequences of previous big swings

where is everyone going class-wise:

fig leveled in warlock--maybe going further into the archdevil thing? leaning into the infernal?

gorgug leveled in artificer--learning from the thistlesprings and building the solar lasso! not too sure of his subclass atm--we know he made a homunculus and the solar lasso, so maybe battlesmith?

adaine's stayed a wizard, assuming divination because elven oracle, but lots of little creatures--boggy, moggy, and the mephits, which are probably summoned elementals?

fabian leveled further in swords bard, has become a dancer, and has a narcissus moment with a mirror named ecaf.

kristen is now a buff twilight cleric who is excellent at support casting. circle of power combined with bless concentration? she is ignoring her deity though, which seems like it's going to tie into 'the letting your god die' mention from the trailer.

and riz is an arcane trickster with bold fashion choices! following in penny's footsteps! murph is maybe breaking the dice curse allegations?

predictions as a whole (fully my own thoughts, not concrete):

who's having the personal growth arc? fig and kristen, though kristen's had an ongoing crisis of faith.

adaine and gorgug def seem like they're going to have more chill arcs this year, though i hope gorgug gets a little more tie-in to the bbeg this time around. zac is very good at inhabiting his characters even when they aren't as tied to the main conflict, but he did so well with skip and i lowkey want gorgug to get a little more spotlight wrt plot. he has the range.

fabian and riz fall somewhere in the middle. both have had a transformation--maybe seeing the results of that? we know riz is trying to keep the party together--what's fabian doing?

#dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers #fantasy high junior year #fig faeth #gorgug thistlespring #adaine abernant #fabian seacaster #kristen applebees #riz gukgak #d20 #d20 spoilers #fantasy high

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bloodyshadow1 · 3 months

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so this was a big episode even though some of the bad kids didn't have much to do. I'll talk about it through the characters because that's easier for me. More under the cut

Gorgug didn't do much, but he tried, it's just that the thing he wanted to do was talk to Ragh who was in post-grad at a highschool party mode and it was hard. He was a good friend by throwing the contest and he got them a conversation with Lydia about the similarity between the crystals. He still played a good support role as a good friend with his friends backing them up when needed.

Adiane like Gorgug played mostly a background/support role since she gets shitfaced really early on in the episode. Her biggest thing was meeting two of the remaining Ratgrinders. Other than that she helped with the groups popularity and did her best to support her friends, but due to her drunkenness was kind of out of it and in the background for a lot of the ep. Her getting drunk because of her situation was sad, oweing more money due to what happened with Oodles of Strudel and having money problems thrown in her face again since Oisin of the Ratgrinders didn't have that issue due to his family and Ivy poking fun at the fact that Adaine should have old Fallinel money that she doesn't have access to. Still, drunk Adaine herself was funny and adorable, even if the reason she was is sad.

Fig also played a support role, almost literally being the other Kristen for a while to sell her to the student body to seem more appealing as a candidate. but she also attempted to sus out some info on the Ratgrinders to varying levels of success. But I think the big thing she did the ep was being their for Mazey who needed a friend after Fabian hurt her feelings. It was a sweet and genuine moment that I really liked with Fig and also it helped Fig verbalize that she wasn't sure if she still wanted to be a bard which is something she'll have to struggle with

Overall it was a big Riz, Fabian, and especially Kristen episodes

Riz did his Riz thing, trying to juggle multiple things to achieve his goals while still trying to sus out the big mystery. He was all over the place in the best way this ep, He was introduced to at least 3 club presidents of the various clubs he joined which will run him ragged. He did his best to campaign for Kristen while also trying to limit her amount of self-sabotage. And he did his best to work with Gorgug to find out why Kalina said Rahg's name before she got re-corrupted. And of course there is a new mystery with the arcano-tech in Fabian's basement that was messed with. Brennen is clearly setting up something, but I'll also admit I was starting to fade by that point in the ep.

Fabian... was a dick this episode, it was building but now that he is at the party where he can bask in the attention of his peers that he wanted since freshman year and he got the attention of the bad girl Ivy, something he's also always wanted. In doing so he was put in a Betty/Veronica situation where he hurt Mazey's feelings which none of his friends were happy about. Overall he also showed off her classist/elitist side that was there in Freshman year but kind of got worn down over the year and sophomore year. Now that he's the big man on campus and on the inside is terribly lonely, that part of him is back in fullswing so he can pretend everything is fine. The guy's regressing and who knows where it's gonna go. Additionally, he introduced us to the remain Ratgrinders with Adaine, Buddy and Ivy and we got more with Ivy than Oisin or Buddy since Fabian is trying to court her. He also got a new nemesis with Gertie because he was a dick so there's that.

Kristen had a big episode, trying to put her face out there since she's running for class president, but her heart clearly isn't in it. The whole divine situation she is in is crazy so that's understandable. She also was introduced to her foil on the Ratgrinders, Buddy, even though they didn't actually speak since she was invisible. The biggest thing is dealing with her second lost goddess and the phonecall with Tracker. I'm not even gonna touch on that here, that is gonna be it's own post if I can. Still it highlighted a lot of Kristen's weaknesses and harsh as it may have been, Tracker for the most part was right.

As for the NPC's

We got 3 club presidents but the only one who had much screen time was Gertie, who I feel really bad for. She is the club president of a club that has 1 official member, Riz signed up and that's just to pad his college resume. The other bad kids probably made her really happy that they seemed sincere about joining, but then it turned sour when Fabian on his high horse insulted her. So that's kind of up in the air.

We were introduced to the last 3 members of the Ratgrinders and it's kind of hard to gauge what they're like. They seem less antagonistic than the other 3, or at least Ruben and Kipperlily, mary-ann just seemed like done with everything and apathetic than antagonistic.

Buddy, the cleric and Kristen's foil, is a weird case because he's clearly the judgemental church kid. He's the type of kid who will grow up into an asshole, but honestly he seems sincere now at least and I don't think I'm gonna write off a 16 year old who has the same personality as Kristen in her freshman year. Also 2 more interesting things about him is that he is not the chosen one of Helio since that is Kristen and probably always will be which hopefully will lead to some interesting interactions. But also he has not been with the Ratgrinders since Freshman year, he just moved to Solace/Elmville over the summer and was quickly recruited by them so who knows how deep his loyalties lie.

Oisin, the wizard and Adaine's foil, is a weird case because from what we've seen from his short conversation with Adaine he seems pretty chill. There might be a connection between him and Adaine, which I'm not super interested in, but it did happen. Dragonborn Conjuration wizard is an interesting choice He seems nice since when he saw through Adaine's deception he was offering some of the 'extra's' his ancestor gave him. That being said, it's possible he was there to get dirt on the bad kids, it's possible he was the one controlling the ice mephits in the basement so it's hard to say if he was being sincere or not the whole time or if he's like Preston from the Seven.

Ivy is the last Ratgrinder we met, I can only assume she is a fighter since that's the last position open in the Ratgrinders as the Bad kid's foil and is Fabian's foil. She's an elf who uses a bow according to her character art, so I can assume that's her main weapon. We didn't get a lot from her other than she's kind of a bitch and isn't afraid to antagonize people for no real reason other than she can, which of course makes Fabian incredibly attracted to her. The way she acted towards Fig disguised as Lucy Frostblade, the Ratgrinder's former cleric who at least was dead sometime in Sophomore year was interesting. She didn't seem surprised by her being at a party or alive so there's that, but also it sounded like they have something to talk about which the bad kids don't know about.

Overall a fun interesting episode, I'll admit I'm not a huge fan when the party parties. I'm in my 30's now, but the party scene was never my thing growing up in real life so I'm not a huge fan now. But it was fine overall.

#fantasy high #fantasy high spoilers #fantasy high junior year #fantasy high junior year spoilers #fhjy #fhjy spoilers #dimension 20 #d20 #fantasy high junior year ep 6 #long post

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whoblewboobear · 3 months

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I was kinda dreading the “Brennan railroading or being a bad DM” posts bc I had a feeling they were coming. At the end of the day, If the table is having fun literally who cares.

This is a table full of comedians that can and will commit so hard to the bit that it becomes an entire 2 hours where nothing gets accomplished. With this being a show, you can’t do that.

For everything with Fig/Emily she’s a phenomenal player that will go above and beyond, she thinks outside of the box and she’s the player I aspire to be BUT that’s also a DMs nightmare sometimes because you have to decide what you do and don’t take seriously. Like.. I genuinely think if Emily could’ve avoided picking exactly what she wanted Fig to multi class in, she absolutely would’ve for as long as possible because that’s exactly what fig /would/ do. But because there’s a narrative to tell, Brennan has to do some reigning in. There’s probably a ton of behind the scenes conversations from DM to player to decide what direction their characters should go in.

The stakes are high for the party especially when Fig and Kristen potentially failing could lead to the entire group becoming pass/fail. Fig not committing to a class could’ve fucked a lot up and sent the entire season in a completely different direction. Which, in a home game wouldn’t be too detrimental if you’re doing theater of the mind but yall, they have sets and different plot threads and beats the HAVE TO be hit.

Do I hate that on paper fig is a barbarian now purely because it was a call that Porter made to spite Fig & Gorgug? YES. But if Fig had the choice to keep doing fuck all, it would’ve been bad for everyone in game especially when downtime and stress tokens are in the mix. Having Emily roll with a high chance of failing with like.. 4 different academic tracks would be just as scary if not more than it already is with Zac’s rolls for Gorgug. Some thing has to give and if it makes at least one person’s life easier then I think it was the right call to get that MCAT signed. She fully had the chance to have the bard teacher sign and didn’t. That’s a consequence of actions

#not all his calls are gonna be fun especially if you’re a huge fig/emily fan (me 🤧💖) but sometimes they’re necessary #also Is2g if you read this and get angry this post isn’t for you #blah blah reading comprehension and all that #d20 fhjy #d20 fantasy high #dimension 20 #fhjy #Brennan is objectively a stellar DM

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ellimisms · 7 months

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Concept: D&D homebrew oneshot based off Animorphs where you each play as one of the main characters of the Animorphs series.

The morphing system would be a modified Wild Shape mechanic, altered to two ends: first, to better fit the book's lore, and second, to make class factor into it more so each character is more unique. Probably each character would be able to use some of their class actions (just for an example, Action Surge for fighters or Rage for barbarians) while in morph, and morphing would restore hit points to 100%.

There would be a skill check associated with morphing--it'd be a Wisdom-based skill that you could gain proficiency in. Roll at advantage when using a familiar morph or becoming another human, disadvantage for things you're scared of or morphing while badly injured. Do a morphing check whenever you're in a new morph for the first time to see if you can get control of it; the actual number to beat is up to the GM based on what the animal is.

Also there would have to be some sort of mechanic to prevent TPKs--the main crew has a LOT of plot armor in the books because they can't die (until the end), so there'd need to be something to keep the PCs alive. Maybe if you "die" you don't actually perish, but instead something very bad happens to the party (you get infested, maybe?)

Infestation would be another new mechanic, though a pretty simple one; if a PC gets infested, the GM just starts controlling that character as the yeerk. The player can try to interrupt what the yeerk's doing, but has to roll a nat 20 with disadvantage (no bonuses from skill proficiencies)--it's supposed to be nearly impossible in the books so that's fairly lore-consistent.

In terms of the actual characters you can play:

Jake: Fighter, probably Battle Master subclass as that's more strategically focused. Not much else to say to be honest--I think he'd be proficient in persuasion, since he's supposed to be a good leader.

Marco: Rogue, maybe? Frankly his strengths don't match up with a specific class--maybe multiclass rogue/bard or fighter/bard because I know for a FACT he can and does cast vicious mockery.

Rachel: Barbarian for SURE, probably the Berserker subclass though I find the idea of her being a Wildheart pretty funny and thematically accurate.

Cassie: Probably a Druid or Beast Master ranger--I'm not sure where I stand on allowing caster classes since that doesn't exist in the real world but neither does morphing. Which one she is just depends on that.

Tobias: Who even KNOWS with this guy. Since he's stuck in morph it matters less, but I'd actually go with warlock--his patron is the Ellimist, since he's the one who seems to be able to argue with the Ellimist the most. It's either that or sorcerer, but he doesn't really gain any powers from his andalite bloodline so that seems less accurate.

Ax: Fighter, but it'd be different because he is an andalite. Just off the top of my head I'd make him be able to deal slashing damage on an unarmed attack (maybe just make his unarmed attack count as a sword attack) and increase his movement speed.

A group could also choose to discard these characters and play as a bunch of original characters if they so chose.

Anyways I'm probably the only person in the world that cares enough about both Animorphs and D&D to create this but oh well have fun.

#no im not sure this would work at all in practice but its fun to think about #yes im in my ttrpg hyperfixation era dont talk to me. dont #animorphs #ell.txt

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theresattrpgforthat · 9 months

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(Preferably fantasy) games with a school setting, and a focus on non-fatal violence and mystery solving?

THEME: Magic School Mysteries

Hello friend, so I have a bit of a wide spectrum of options for you today, some of which are more focused on magic, some more focused on mystery, and some more focused on violence. I hope you find something that hits what you're looking for!

Lofi Bards to Study and Relax To, by Ross Eaglesham.

You and your friends are students at a magical high-school, college or university and exams are coming up! Go on magical adventures, reveal ancient secrets and forge deep bonds with your friends - just make sure you don’t miss class!

To help you on your journey, you’re equipped with one of your most prized possessions - the Notestrider. When a reel of magical tape is placed in this small, arcane box, it plays a recording of whatever is stored on the tape; usually through a strange pair of mechanical earmuffs. You and your tight-knit group of friends all put together a mixtape of your favourite songs for studying - 'lofi bards to study and relax to' - and the relaxing beats and chilled out vibes might just be enough to see you through the crazy world of arcane education.

With many secrets to uncover while you’re at a magical institution, Lofi Bards to Study and Relax To looks to have quite a significant capacity to really sink you into the skin of your character. Music can be very good at helping you tune into your emotions and put you in a specific state of mind, and since the Notestrider is meant to help your characters prepare and focus for all of the struggles ahead, you’ll be using that music to put yourself into the shoes of your character.

This is another game that doesn’t seem to prioritize violence at all, but it can make whatever mysteries you decide to unravel incredibly personal. There's also an expansion that includes Artifacts and character options for you if you want access to a broader span of game elements. If you want to really emphasize the student experience in a slightly more magical setting, I’d definitely recommend this game.

The Osterman Academy of Magical Arts, by Wheels Within Wheels Publishing. @ostermad-blog

Welcome to the Osterman Academy of Magical Arts, the premier school for spell craft. Our faculty are leaders in their fields, our staff unparalleled, and our students extraordinary.

All OAMA students are required to reside on campus for the duration of their studies, but the wide variety of campus events ensure that students always have many ways to spend their time, including student-run clubs, a bustling student center, athletic meets, and trips to nearby urban centers.

OAMA also boasts two unique educational opportunities: the class trip and individual projects. Every year, students in each class go to a special destination for a more hands-on educational experience. Furthermore, at the end of each year, all students pursue an individual project tailored to their specific interests and supervised by one of our esteemed faculty.

The Osterman Academy of Magical Arts has a sliding scale to determine how popular magic is, and how entrenched it is in the world around you. It comes with a grand total of 66 backgrounds to choose from or roll randomly for, including Clown-gician (you thought this was clown school) and Fun Guy (secret colony of fungi masquerading as the life of the party in human form). You’ll also choose your character’s class schedule, create friendships with other characters, and take exams to determine how well they did in their courses.

There isn’t much that allows you to do violence, but if you want to solve mysteries in this game, I think the various character strengths and school classes present in this game give you a really diverse set of approaches to finding answers and solving problems.

Mystic Punks, by mysticpunks.

Students have gone missing at Star Valley High School and no one seems to care. You determine that their disappearances are the result of an otherworldly invasion.

As a teenage misfit, you’ve only ever used your mystic powers to perform dark rituals, but now those powers are the only thing that can save your classmates and stop a supernatural legion from consuming you and your school.

Based on the solo RPG Mystic Punks: The Collected Edition, Mystic Punks Tabletop RPG invites you and your friends to delve deeper into occult mysteries and explore beyond Star Valley High School.

With supernatural threats abounding and dark threats surrounding you and your peers, Mystic Punks probably has a big chance to bring violence and conflict to the fore. The original game appears to be devoted to a solo roleplaying experience, but the Quickstart appears to allow for group gaming as well. I can’t guarantee that the violence is non-fatal however; this game is sold as a horror experience, so the threat of death probably looms over all of your characters.

Student Protectors of Malaysia, by Aaron Lim / @ehronlime

You are a 17-year-old secondary school student with extraordinary powers. You’ve connected with friends in your school who have similar powers and have been working together to protect your town from supernatural threats. It’s been hard juggling your commitment to use your powers for good with your responsibilities to your families and your studies, but it’s been rewarding.

Now, you’re almost done with school and you really should be focusing on your preparation for the SPM exams, but threat has surfaced that could mean disaster for the entire town if you do not act quickly. Your final year awaits…

Student Protectors of Malaysia probably best fits all of the criteria that we’re looking for here. There are three phases to the game: Student, Protector and Marking. In your Student phase, you’re using your abilities to investigate mysteries in order to figure out what exactly the threat is, and to prepare for whatever your big action scene is going to be. In the Protector phase, you’ll be targeting the threat, whether that be a roaming monster, a rogue magic user, or a more mundane (but powerful) threat. You’ll have to do this while balancing schoolwork, family obligations, and just daily teenage life. Finally, the Marking Phase reflects downtime, assessing how smoothly you solved the problem and how your adventure affected your journey towards personal goals.

The system for this game is influenced by Powered by the Apocalypse, with moves written out for specific situations, like Take Decisive Action, or Recall information. You’ll roll 2d6 and add modifiers up to a maximum of +3. There’s also bits and pieces from Forged in the Dark, most prominently in the Downtime phase and the Stress that your characters accrue through adventures and relieve through hobbies. The game definitely skews more towards secret superheroes than it does towards a magic school, but you could restrict the electives available to your students to make their powers seem more magical and otherworldly than technical or genetic.

The “Gardening” Club, by Wizard of Ox.

Welcome to our very legitimate high school club where we don’t actually do a lot of gardening! We are open to everyone: cheerleaders, talking vegetables and even people who actually garden. We only have one rule: keep our true agenda a secret. Grab a nice cup of herbal tea, water the cacti and search for clues. We must get to the root of things!

You are a group of high school students who, despite being different from each other, have an interest in common: solving mysteries. Since a detective club would be too on the nose, you made a “gardening” club as a front. Each one of you has different abilities you can use to get to the root of things, as well as codenames that give special powers. Can you work together and find out what is going on?

I’m very intrigued by this game. It feels like it would be very easy to modify to fit a setting of your choice. The instruction sheet is only 5 pages, and all of the character concepts are charmingly plant-themed (with a little bit of magic on the side)! The group will set out on missions to discover clues, hoping to piece together the answers to a larger mystery. You will collaboratively fill out a Deduction Tree to figure out how all of the clues connect. If you like collaborative mystery solving this is absolutely the game for you!

Games I've Recommended in the Past

Breakfast Cult, by Weird Age Games.

My Magic School Post

#tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #dnd #game recommendations #asks #magic school #mysteries

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greatunironic · 1 year

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very important question do you think 2023 eddie is dragging steve to see the dnd movie in theaters

yes, in any universe but if you’d like a snapshot of remarkable ‘verse:

they make a day of it. hell, it becomes a whole week of it. it’s not the usual time for the annual reunion (which they’ve taken to doing in earlier july), but it’s a time of year that’s tough on a lot of them so they say fuck it and all decamp to el + mike’s and the bnb at the end of the world in upstate new york.

everyone comes: the kids and their kids, joyce, murray and his current situationship (there are a ton of bets riding on this new one, because half of them think they might actually be common law married from way back, but mainly steve’s glad not to be the focus of will’s frankly alarming excel spreadsheet addiction), dmitri and his family, eddie even gets wanjeri and alejandro and their boys to come to town. steve + eddie bring their current foster kid (the one steve pretends he’s not way too attached to, perhaps).

there are costumes — joyce produces the old purple robe, will threatens to drown himself in real life, but his partner demands to wear it instead, insisting he thinks it’s sweet; and mike and el’s youngest rock-paper-scissor him for the hat — and eddie and will joint host a two day one-shot leading up to the premier. (robin + steve still share a character, a barbarian bard called stabbin that has been killed off several times over the years only to reappear with a new last name each time that they pick using scrabble letters from their own last names. yes, they refuse to acknowledge that it’s the same character, always pointing to the last name. no, no one has been able to stop them. yes, they think they’re hilarious.)

they descend on the movie theater like a very small, very efficient army, and the people of the town are used to them all popping up now and again so they tend to leave them to their privacy. they buy snacks by the bucket load, and there’s an actual, pulling fight between mike and dustin about the best seats in the house and who gets to sit where that ends when steve just picks dustin up and puts him in a seat and eddie does the same to mike while everyone laughs.

i haven’t seen the movie but i imagine someone cries at something, and also they almost get kicked out — again — when dustin takes issue with a plot point or maybe he just is way too aggressively into it.

afterwords, they get ice cream at a place nearby; and, as steve and eddie walk hand in hand with their foster kid, the in middle of the group, eddie leans down to the kid and says, hey, i don’t think the old man here has ever been in cahoots before.

the kid grins, turns to look up at steve, who is staring down at them, and they say, you wanna be in cahoots with us?

cahoots? asks steve.

eddie and the kid exchange their own look, and the kid let’s go of steve’s hand to grab the thick manila folder of legal docs that eddie’s been hiding under his jacket all night.

yeah, says the kid, handing steve the folder. cahoots.

#asks or whatever #stranger things #most remarkable thing #cahoots

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xerith-42 · 5 months

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Minecraft Diaries Musicians

I have so many things to say about this!! In the show there's like a lot of characters who are musically inclined, but the series never does anything with it! We know bards exist in Ru'aun, but we literally never see one what the fuck!!

I want Vylad only ever lowering their scarf to play the ocarina when there's a quiet moment. Give me Brendan trying to romance women with his basic guitar skills and it finally works on Issa because she finds him adorkably charming. When Aaron is looking after the kids, he can get them to settle down by playing guitar.

Those are the canon characters who can play instruments, but I want MORE

-Zoey playing the harp and knowing strange and mystical tunes on it that she uses to draw people to her business (remember when Zoey was a merchant?)

-Travis knows how to play the lute and has his own style of music he learned in Gal'ruk, and he loves exploring the differences between the regions music and wonders if places like Tu'la also have a distinctive sound to them.

-Fiddle player Nana when? Playing songs for her dolls to dance along to to entertain guests? Dancing around with her husband while she plays them a little ditty??

-Aaron comes to understand others not by talking to them, but because he's sitting around the campfire and suddenly Travis starts asking him if they know any songs in common, and Vylad joins the two of them when he hears them playing together.

-I want Laurance playing the lyre during downtime and trying to romance Aph and Garroth with it even if he's just a little terrible at it sometimes!! He's trying his best!

-Cadenza really loves dancing, she likes making skirts that flow around while she's dancing, and she loves dancing to Laurance's playing when he's learning.

-Aph doesn't really have the spare time to learn an instrument, but when Garroth hears her singing to herself, he tells her that she should sing more. She's really hesitant at first, but others often sing along with her and she comes to love the sound of singing with others. I also like to think she sings lullabies to Levin and any of her other kids.

-Malachi teaching himself how to read and write music so he can transcribe Levin's music box into a melody others can play, and maybe even write lyrics to go along with it. Because he wants to hear his mother sing along to it.

-Literally forgot about it until now, Logan can play guitar! What if he was a grouchy old man but when his kids need to be put to bed he played them a very gentle lullaby. And you saw the wrinkles on his cheeks turn into smile lines when he can see them all start to doze off. And he was just happy. What if.

-And let characters play songs together!! Vylad's trying to calm Laurance down after he nearly loses control, so they whip out the ocarina and the lyre and the two of them just play together on the beach for a while.

-Aaron struggles to connect to people, but when Travis very earnestly asks Aaron if they can teach each other songs from their separate regions and he doesn't know how to say no to that. The two of them end up bonding over a shared love for this form of self expression. Aaron rather suddenly admits to Travis one day when he's playing a melody that he used to play songs for his wife and his son, that his wife played the violin with him sometimes, that his son was learning to play guitar. Aaron actually of his own volition tells someone about the past he has been running from for about twenty years.

-If I keep going with this I will just start ranting about how I would rewrite Aaron which is not the point of this post

-What I'm trying to say is that music is one of the oldest and most universal forms of expression. We MCD fans already have breakdowns over Flowers on the Battlefield, but imagine if that was a song someone played in universe!!! Imagine if it was a song composed by someone in universe, or a melody that just came to be associated with this group! What if it was literally their in universe theme, that would be amazing!!!

-There is literally no bad ideas that can come from exploring this possibility, like I keep trying to end this post but then I come up with a new idea--

-Like the idea of Zoey and Aph singing to their kids together!! When Levin has bad dreams one of the best things that can comfort him is his music box, but he honestly feels safer hearing the sound of his mothers voice and a gentle harp, even if he doesn't fully remember why.

-Okay this post needs to be over I am actually going insane

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detectivefable · 1 year

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Detective Conan Fairytale/Fantasy AU ✨

I’ve been thinking of a fantasy themed version of this story that keeps most of the original elements. The setting would be similar to a fairy tale fantasy, and have similar DND world building. The younger characters go to academies that teach magic, fighting, and general education.

Basic Setup:

Shinichi starts to gain popularity for helping out the city’s Knights with tough criminal cases they run into. Shinichi and Ran are students at the city’s academy, and since she wins first place at the knights tournament, he takes her to a special festival to celebrate.

Similar to the original story, he follows the mysterious Black Org men into the woods that appear to be fae messing with humans. He is hit from behind and fed a potion/is cursed with a spell that turns him small versus killing him in a cleaner way that hides their tracks. He goes to get Agasa’s help who is a local genius Wizard/Warlock, who does not initially recognize him as Shinichi due to the strength and complexity of the curse. Shinichi ends up staying Ran and her father, hoping that is private merc/detective business will help get him encounter the mysterious men again. The agency is also probably located on top of a pub that Kogoro frequents too much.

Black Org – Dark fae group that is more malicious against humans, could honestly also be a dark magic witch type cult, but the fae bit does add another element of creepy mystery that I like…and I like fae stuff. Definitely would have a lot of raven elements weaved into their design. Would be maybe part of the Unseelie Court and the “Boss” Shinichi is trying to bring down is perhaps the king of the court?

Shinichi – More of a smart scholar/strategist that helps out the local knight/guard groups with tougher cases. Could also be a bit of a bard with his violin skills (similar to Raine from Owl House is how I picture that). Would also have basic fighting skills, but would rely on spells Agasa develops in order to make up for his shortcomings.

Ran – Childhood friend of Shinichi and student who is also taking Knight courses. Could also be a fighter type, but I like the idea of her just being hot in armor (and of course she could still kick Shinichi’s ass and he’s into that). Despite being super tough, still switches to dress in cute clothing. She worries that Shinichi might have been spirited away by the fae, or crossed a powerful magical being, but Shinichi is able to eventually get in contact with her with some sending spells/rocks to communicate. Hides who he is from Ran since she’d go in sword blazing to help him out and wants to protect her from his trouble. Is unsure of Ran’s feelings at the beginning of the story, but fantasizes about actually courting her.

Agasa – Kind local Wizard who comes up with experimental spells. Knew Shinichi and Ran when growing up.

Kogoro – Ran’s father who used to work with the city’s knight force, but is in a private mercenary/detective business.

Sonoko – The daughter of the wealthiest merchant (or potentially even a princess which would be fun). Friends with Ran and can hold the occasional masquerade that forces Shinichi and Ran together (the Knight/Princess bit would be a fun thing to be at one of her parties). Also goes to the academy despite her wealth/status. Does the general education track and is not a fighter type, she’s mostly here to be social still. Is enamored with a mysterious thief.

Detective Boys – Local kids who go on small adventures with Conan/Agasa and run into trouble along the way. Agasa might teach them fun spells or things about the fantasy world. In the first school of the city’s Academy.

Heiji – from another city who gets similar fame to Shinichi and comes to challenge him in the same way. Tries and fails to use a glamor spell to be Shinichi one time and is better the next XD Kazuha thinks he’s having an affair with someone he keeps contacting secretly through a sending stone.

Ai – Is a witch & changeling who was taken when she was young and forced to work with the BO until she escapes. She developed the complex spell/potion, and is working with Agasa to make the antidote. The purely scholar type still.

Police Agency – Pretty much the Knights/Captains leading investigations on local spells gone awry, thefts, murder cases, etc…

FBI/CIA groups – could also be another fae group like the Seelie court or another witch coven that works to get the BO taken down. Those that go undercover like Akai/Rei and in the BO are using illusion/glamor spells to help mask their true intent.

Kazuha – fighter type, goes to the local academy with Heiji.

Makoto – still a lovable himbo but a skilled knight/swordsman in this world, starts to court Sonoko after introduced.

Yoko Ono – another funny thing would be if she is even the Princess in this world and Kogoro also still over idolizes her XD

- MK crew -

Kaito – He goes to an academy in his local city, but also does magic trick street performances. Bit of a rogue type and also still does the phantom thief bit with the City’s Knight Captain Nakamori. I think whether he knows real spells in this world can go either way. His white suit would look more wizard-y/fantasy esque.

Aoko – Friends with Kaito, a regular student who still hates criminals that make her dad look bad.

Akako – still a witch that does black magic, the aesthetic just matches this world more and it’s likely no one realizes how powerful she is like in MK.

annddd this is where I need to pause doodling until I finish some other things I need to do. Separately I might split off a magic academy AU with Owl House/Little Witch Academia vibes 😂

I’m sure there are folks here that have cool ideas for a setting like this as well and I want to hear them! >:D

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