#i think my favorite way to make a dnd character is for there to always be contradictions

[yellowplumfruit]

i see a lot of people planning their dark urge characters to always be merciless and never resisting the urges which is still very cool as it’s own thing

but i really like the idea of the dark urge being very charming and unassuming (a bard maybe) that does all the right things to charm their party and the people they save but behind the scenes satisfies the need for violence and then eventually when everyone trusts each other they betray them in the most hurtful way

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #the dark urge #like they tactically resist an urge just so the betrayal hits harder in the future #the dark urge to the party: oh no we shouldn’t use the tadpole that would be bad :(((( anyways. im going to take a walk by myself #i think my favorite way to make a dnd character is for there to always be contradictions #whether that be in their appearance vs personality #or the gods they worship vs their actions #it just makes things more interesting for me! #i might draw them tbh but! who knows w my current hand pain

[ms-scarletwings]

So there was a note under my post about Zim hovering a finger over the self destruct switch on his first day on Earth that just cracked open something in my mind.

Cause…Oh. Oh hecc you, @murhuedur. You actually touched on like, my favorite thing about this character, period. I really like this take, I do. It’s a good one. I ponder, still,

In my own opinion, it’s actually genuine confidence and arrogance, but Zim’s delusions of grandeur are as a thin rubber band. They can stretch out to wild lengths and remain malleable enough to bend around truth as he wills,

But there’s a hard limit out there eventually, and should reality require him to stretch his cognitive dissonance just too far, it’s a violent snap-back to full clarity. I don’t think he’s faking it or always lying to everyone else about what hot shit he is, because I think he fully believes those lies about as fast as he can speak them, even if he will later realize he was wrong after a cosmic punch to the face.

Like, Zim’s smart, but smart people aren’t inherently rational ones. Within Zim, the tallest, hell, maybe even Skoodge, there’s sometimes this very short-sighted flippancy about what is objectively true/false that peeks out every now and again in their psychology. I mean, humans sometimes do this too when it’s convenient to their interests, just, obviously not to goofy cartoon character levels if they want to function in society.

Zim has whatever this flaw is and cranked up to 11, maybe as a side effect of his PAK defects. Sometimes it gets him into DEEP shit, but it’s also his biggest mental shield. Zim has like no fortitude against spiraling into a full on depression or a justifiable panic attack over the smallest concession of being an absolute failure to his race. That weaponized denial that makes him so dangerous to himself and others also keeps him together and motivated forward. But it’s not largely a conscious lie he’s telling himself. It’s genuine faith he’s trying to manifest into matter through sheer force of his will.

His dogmatic mantra, “I am Zim” and what it means to him is a statement he holds on such conviction it overpowered and hijacked the ego of 3 control brains at once.

If I were inserting him into DnD he’d have the wisdom stat of a stale poptart and a 20+ thrown into charisma. He’s faking it without even understanding he’s faking it.

But were he completely detached from reality, he’d be WAY more likely than even now to accidentally get himself killed. While a narcissistic level of self esteem is what lets him ignore and selectively unhear inconvenient truths, the adrenaline of immediate life or death danger is what grounds him back in the real world. You notice over time that as self-sabotaging as he normally is, he seems to act his most rational and competent when he’s suddenly put against the grindstone and self preservation HAS to jump into the driver’s seat. He basically survives his day to day on a tightrope between a falsely glorious narrative of himself, and his perceptive anxiety both tugging him to land on either side of the fence when something big happens.

In “The Trial”, he wastes very little time on his expected bullshit or his confidence in being able to just win over the approval of his judges.. by virtue of being his awesome self. He spent most of that ordeal on the verge of a heart attack, squirmed to find an escape, and actually tried to DENY causing the death of two Almighty Tallests (reminder that he usually owns up to his atrocities with downright offensive pride). He understood the full gravity of an existence evaluation and how cooked his goose was. As soon as the situation resolves and he’s no longer in that danger, it’s right back to full trust of his status as an invader, and in Red and Purple as his biggest fans. When his disguise starts to slip in front of Skool kids he knows are dumb as a bag of rocks, he can silver tongue his way around that without skipping a beat. Losing his disguise in front of a bunch of alien-obsessed adults? Uh oh, pants-shitting terror, this is potentially game-over levels of bad, immediately gtfo of here. Stand there, chest beat, and scold the obviously rogue duty-mode Gir all day until the second it actually tries to kill you and you suddenly have to realize you’re not the one holding the cards anymore to save your own life.

The other way this quirk of his really shows through is in his selective memory. Zim has this skill to repress down and push away unpleasant experiences that I think some of us can only dream we had. I love it because it’s equal parts a comedic and analytical goldmine.

Tak, who actually posed a legit threat to his entire mission and tried herself to chip through that massive wall of denial he’s shielded in- same Tak who’s powerful af ship was stolen and desecrated by Zim’s arch nemesis… she’s not just an afterthought in his mind after that mess. He’s literally pushed that one out of his thoughts altogether in the comics. Like she, and Skoodge, who he can’t fucking stand, might as well have never even existed, even while GIR’s trying to remind him. That time he played around with time travel and it was one of the biggest clusterfucks he quickly lost control of? The bologna incident he stooped so low as to ask dib to help him with? You must be thinking of someone else. Nope. Not a thing. Lalala, can’t even hear you. This is also what makes it no wonder he deeply struggles with actually learning from certain mistakes.

From an outsider’s eye this behavior of his is baffling. It makes him look actually insane or at least obnoxiously obstinate. And I think both assumptions are half right, because this is clearly not the result of mere stupidity. Those truths are simply wayyyy too discordant with his view of himself to devote surface memory to, or too uncomfortable, unless and until, of course, you confront him with them in a fashion where that rubber band has to snap, that bubble pops, and he instantly sobers out of that complacency.

Literally god forbid he ever stops being defective in this way or is given the ability to reckon with the reality of his situation and his history all at once. I’m not even just talking about his job or banishment. I’m talking about his entire life. This chaotic, flexible, incoherent mindstate is the only branch he’s holding onto from dropping into a much more horrifying chasm beneath himself, the depth of which we can only guess. I straight up have no idea what he would do or what could happen to him if he could, even for a moment, rationally comprehend his every action, memory, and empirical truth all at the same time. Seriously, leave that Pak’s Gordian Knot be, or I imagine there could be an HP Lovecraft type of breakdown in the making.

#By the way this is probably one of the most important differences between him and Dib, and what makes Zib so… way he is.

#iz #iz analysis #invader zim #iz clips #iz headcanons #character dissection #dude’s a little messed up #scarlet talks about things #oh hecc #here i go again #long post #by the way this is like the main difference that separates him and dib the most starkly #Youtube

[burr-ell]

"the tendency of this fandom to only engage with what THEY want these characters to be#as opposed to what their creators are trying to do and the stories they want to tell" slap this on a bumper sticker, you just summed all cr discourse (about PCs at least) in 2 sentences

It truly is maddening (and it's not by any means exclusive to the CR fandom). The reason why the discourse always goes the way it does is that at the end of the day, the loud fanwanky people only see what they would do, if they were self-inserted into the story, as a valid choice; and they are, more broadly, fundamentally disinterested in what others think or feel. There are several examples of this, and the variety of spaces within the fandom that produce these ideas is an indicator that this isn't endemic to one specific group of people.

-Keyleth is an important character whose feelings and choices are validated by the other PCs and cast even if they still disagree with them, in spite of how she and her preachiness get in the way of the Murderhobo Jubilee? It's not because the cast are all friends and they genuinely believe Keyleth is valid and are interested in how these discussions and choices can guide the story. It's because Marisha is the DM's girlfriend, and also here's my totally unbiased theory that my pet favorite players Sam and Travis secretly hate Marisha and Keyleth.

-Vax's presence is still felt and nodded to in the post-canon VM oneshots? It's not because he was an important character who mattered. It's because Liam wants to make everyone talk about his tragedy because he has Main Character Syndrome. Scanlan Wishes for Vax to appear at the wedding? It's not because he cares about Vex or because Sam and Liam wanted a sweet tribute to Vex and Vax's relationship and by extension Liam and Laura's friendship. It's because Liam thinks Vex's life should always revolve around Vax, and Sam wants to enable him and jerk himself off as the one who facilitated it.

-Beauyasha and Fjorester become canon? It's not because the players wanted it and it happened naturally. It's because there was a secret behind-the-scenes push to "force" those ships to become canon instead, and like, Dani Carr is some sort of shipping puppetmaster who made the players do it, and "they" (whomever "they" is) decided to sink Beaujester or Widojest because it was "obviously" going to become canon before the pandemic hiatus gave them time to "make the corporate-approved ships happen".

-Beau and Caleb try to reform the Empire and dismantle the Cerberus Assembly from within? It's not because it makes sense for their stories or that people who would take this position regarding a corrupt government might have a valid perspective that differs from your own. It's because the people at Critical Role Productions LLC are all spineless neoliberal cowards who won't commit to real activism. The best activism, after all, is violent, and violent revolutions have always resulted in stable aftermaths, and the real world has never demonstrated that this mindset is foolish.

-Relatedly: Caleb doesn't kill Trent personally? It's not because the most poetic justice would be to deny Trent the thing he wants most from Caleb. It's because "Limo Brain" is too obsessed with tragedy to have the stones to do "what needs to be done".

-Asmodeus, DnD Satan, turns out to also be CR Satan? It's not because it fits with the cosmology and the lore; it's because Matt Mercer is too attached to the "establishment", and the Prime Deities should have actually turned out to be the bad guys because of my personal baggage about Western religion and Christianity they're a little mean to my blorbo sometimes.

There's a pattern here: fans had expectations that they'd built up for themselves after projecting and building up fanon and deciding what players meant before they explained themselves fully, and when the players strayed from that, they were derided for all manner of reasons. I think we're seeing that same pattern play out in C3 as the story progresses in a way that fans dislike, and in fact we have seen fanwank spread whenever someone does anything that interferes with personally catering to a) the favored ship and/or b) the favored philosophy. (Orym, Ashton, FCG, Percy, Pelor...all valid when they affirm the Fandom Opinions and all disdained when they don't.)

Don't get me wrong, I think there's a place for comfort stories that deliver a personal catharsis. And I'm not going to dismissively say "well if you want it so bad make your own" because, as an artist, I am very familiar with the fact that creating is hard and draining and sometimes you just need to consume instead. But when you become so wrapped up in yourself and your feelings to the point where your perspective is the only valid one, someone else's feels like a betrayal when it isn't. It's always "They aren't doing what we wanted and here's why they're terrible people because of it" and never "Hmm, why is this what the cast wants? Let's examine that."

This isn't a new phenomenon, but I think it ultimately stems from not assuming that other people can differ from you in major ways in good faith. There are a lot of reasons for that (some more understandable than others), but I think you rob yourself of the potential to enjoy something new when all you do is demand what you already want. No matter what you're doing or where you are in life, you tend to become a better and wiser person when you open your mind to what other people have to say, no matter how mundane the subject matter. Sometimes the stories people have to tell are challenging—and the only healthy way to deal with that is to engage with them on their own terms.

#critical role #cr discourse #asks #long post #for the record i think VLD fandom became such a shitshow partially for this reason #but also. and admittedly i'm biased. VLD was basically a show for no one #this by the way is part of why a faction of fe3h fandom capes so hard for crimson flower (which is basically a glorified bonus route) #and absolutely abhors the idea of byleth being religious and enjoying her job as a teacher #and why some cr fans are so vehemently opposed to the prime deities being good and characters being connected to them #religious trauma that leads a character to reject religion and that being framed as a valid choice is okay to want to see #but it is also just as valid for a character to find religion to be a healing and positive experience #seriously 'gods bad' stories are not that difficult to come by. they're just not doing that in THIS story and you're mad about it #instead of doing the work of finding a story that WILL do that meaningfully

[thydungeongal]

apologies if this has been asked already, but I'm curious as to why you enjoy monsterhearts so much? you recommend it because the mechanics support narrative arc, due to the way the skins are narratively connected to a certain high school clique. but I found that to be the most frustrating part of the game, honestly.

I was constantly hitting my head against the narrative and my character because it felt like there was only one way to really play a skin and their arc. one of my favorite things to do in ttrpgs is to Subvert classes and tropes, but in monsterhearts your relationship to your class (and the mechanics that go with it) feel either static or inevitable. The Queen is always the Queen Bee, which I guess makes sense, but it simply feels boring.

your monsterheart post was in response to why everyone likes d&d warlock, and op said its because warlock's mechanics are strictly tied to its narrative, but i disagree: I think a lot of people, me included, like warlock because of the Choices and freedoms that come with the class. you didn't Have to play a warlock with a direct, antagonistic, and codependent conflict with their patron. because the game does not have any specific mechanics for patrons, you can kind of do whatever with them.

I always think that limits will make someone think more creatively in those bounds, and I was hoping monsterheart would have that sort of creative energy, but when I was playing it, I felt like I was wrangling the rules and my own moveset at every turn.

am i simply not viewing the game in the right way? is it just not for me? am i not being creative enough? I'm trying to get over the mindset that rules are the enemy, but idk. i just haven't been able to really get into smaller ttrpgs except like, troika! (which i do love a lot tbh), and i want to know what I'm missing. sorry for the long, rambling question

It might simply not be for you. For me the fact that the skins each represent a clear narrative trope within high school drama that has ways that the rules encourage them to act in (those ways being Bad because the point of the game is to produce explosive melodrama) is a net positive, because the character skins are not just "classes" but also archetypes. And while within a single skin the narrative arc of the character can feel like it's prewritten it never exists in isolation: there are always the other PCs, the rest of the school, and the town the characters live in, as well as whatever Threat threatens the town this time. All of those, in combination, are what makes the arc and what makes the narrative truly emergent. Monsterhearts really shines as a game where the PCs are at each other's throats and working at cross purposes, and because of that the best experience comes from approaching it via simply producing the most fun melodrama while trying to fuck with the other characters.

Also I do think there's something to be said for the freedom afforded by the Warlock in D&D in having the license to consider the character's relationship to their patron, but I also see that there being very little meat to the relationship with the patron, mechanically, means that there is also very little narrative weight attached to it. Because narratives in RPGs emerges from mechanics. The Warlock is a great example of a class that has well-established ties to the fiction of the world and that suggests drama, but still leaves all of that up to the group. Or, as @rathayibacter said in the replies to that post:

the thing that kills me is that, rules as written, your warlock patron doesnt actually matter. dnd gives zero tools to the players or gms for how to get a warlock's patron involved in the game outside a few vague suggestions. it's the best the game's got to offer, and its still 95% people bringing their own soup to the restaurant that only sells stale crackers.

Anyway, D&D also has strong character archetypes for the point of the game it's mechanically most opinionated about: combat. While people do complain about Rogues doing nothing but sneak attack all day, that's literally what the fiction sets them up to do, and a Rogue that sneak attacks all day in D&D is doing God's own work. So too with the Mortal who ends up in the middle of a romantic triangle/square/pentacle in Monsterhearts thus making the situation more fucked up, because that drama is what the mechanics of Monsterhearts are concerned with.

But yeah tastes on this do vary and some people are okay with background stuff being just suggestions, but I personally like it when it is actually in harmony with and supported by the mechanics, because that makes the fiction tangibly real in the game. But idk

#thydungeongal answers

[sugarspiceandnotsonice]

I’m someone who HATES getting my hopes up and always keeps my expectations low but it’s so hard to do that when it comes to Byler. I went into season 4 as a GA member. I always knew Will was gay since season 1 and even felt like he might’ve had a crush on Mike since season 2. I was positive he had feelings for Mike since season 3. Season 4 ended up confirming everything I suspected. As for Mike, I did think he liked El in seasons 1 and 2. I even thought Mileven were cute in those seasons. Then season 3 happened and made me realize I thought Mileven was cute because I hadn’t actually witnessed them in a relationship. Their relationship just annoyed me and confused the hell out of me. It wasn’t a healthy relationship at all. Mike seemed like a completely different person, like he was pretending to be someone else. Their breakup made me so happy and then when they got back together at the end of the season I was confused and annoyed all over again. Then season 4 happened and seeing the way Mike was without El in Hawkins, seeing him go back to being the nerd I knew and loved and playing DnD again, that made me so happy. Then he went to California to visit El and Will. Once again pretending to be something that he wasn’t while around El and acting extremely weird around Will. Will clearly had feelings for Mike but acted totally fine and normal around him. The boy was beaming and so happy to see him and give him a hug. Mike was the one acting weird around Will. Why? Based on the letter El wrote to Mike you’d think Will would be the one to act weird and awkward but it was the other way around. That airport scene made me start thinking that maybe possibly Mike liked Will beyond just platonically. Will and Mike did always seem to have a deeper friendship to me. Mike always acted differently around Will compared to Lucas and Dustin. Plus when Mike was in a romantic relationship with El, he never seemed to be his authentic self to me. I then thought I was probably just reading too much into things but the more scenes I watched of Mike and El along with scenes of Mike and Will, the more I thought that there was no way that the writers of this show actually want me to want Mike and El together. If so, why are they writing them so terribly? They write Jopper, Jancy, and Lumax so well so what the hell are they doing with Mileven? Why’d they make Will have feelings for Mike and are making me want those two to be together instead? Why are the writers having Mike be his most authentic, vulnerable self with Will? What is going on here? If they want me to root for Mileven instead then they’re doing the absolute worst job in making me want them as a couple since season 3. Season 4 made me one hundred percent ship Byler and I found out that I definitely wasn’t the only one who felt that way after watching season 4. By the way, my sister can’t stand Mileven either and would much rather have Byler be a couple as well. So yeah, the writers screwed up big time if they weren’t planning on this reaction. Season 4 and Byler is what really got me into Stranger Things beyond just a casual viewer. Will is my favorite character and all I want is for that boy to finally get happiness and love. He’s just been nonstop suffering the entire time. Why make him in love with Mike if Byler isn’t going to happen? Just so he could suffer more? Wow talk about terrible writing for their only gay character.

#byler #will byers #mike wheeler #stranger things #noah schnapp #finn wolfhard

[thestobingirlie]

re: that compromise ask (diff anon but heyyy right there with u) i was literally JUST thinking abt smth similar, about how esp in future/reunion fics, it’s always steve crawling on his knees for forgiveness for how he used to be, and eddie like. heaving a big sigh and “going back on his principles” or whatever to forgive steve. and steve like having to prove he’s better now or whatever which like. fine sure yeah steve was a high school bully. he threw slurs around and he definitely objectified women (although come on it’s high school social strata everyone was objectifying everyone, ain’t none of those babies had enough brain cells yet to see other people as people, that’s just being fucking 16) and he was a bitch, not arguing there.

but like 1) he was fully a child, he was literally a teenager, mike is an asshole too and no one is arguing he can’t possibly grow up or be redeemed, or that he needs to repent to earn love? like it’s one thing in canon era fics where they’re all still growing up, but i haaaaate in future fics when steve is a whole grown ass adult man still expected to grovel for the sins of being 17,

and 2) canonically eddie is the judgmental one??? i mean steve literally apologized and made amends on screen but if that’s not enough look at just purely going off the way the kids interact with them! they’re completely comfortable with steve. yeah he rolls his eyes and huffs and complains about their “nerd shit” but he still drives them to dnd nights! he still does that lame ass handshake with dustin! he still listens to all the stuff they ramble about, and you know he does it every time even when we don’t see it on screen, because they’re totally comfortable doing it! no doubt, no question steve will listen and support them, even when he doesn’t understand. dustin comes to scoops knowing without a doubt that steve will drop everything to listen to him talk about camp, and be excited about it! steve doesn’t give a shit about science camp, but dustin does, and that’s enough for him! yeah dustin is excited to talk about suzie, because girls are common ground with steve, but steve doesn’t know he met suzie when he takes his break, he just wants to hear about how dustin’s nerd stuff was going! he doesn’t have to understand or relate, he just wants them to do the stuff that makes them happy, and they know that. they trust him to listen even if he doesn’t get it

but the way mike and dustin were so nervous to ask eddie to postpone hellfire, even after months of knowing him, shows that they don’t trust him to let them have interests outside of his understanding. and they shouldn’t! he’s proven that he veered so hard into “nonconformity” he just reinforced the same social boundaries he claims to hate. everything with eddie is “us v them,” and like! i get it! i think it’s a complicated dichotomy and makes for an interesting character! i’m an eddie stan first and a person second ok listen i love the man. but if anyone needs to beg on their knees for forgiveness for being a dick in high school, it’s the guy who ruined BOTH of lucas’ favorite activities in one fell swoop by projecting his own insecurities and fake social rivalry onto a literal child. (i’m still so mad he managed to force lucas to miss the campaign finale he’d worked so hard for AND made sure that none of his friends or family were there to watch him play basketball all at once i’m never over it. i’m frothing at the mouth. apologize to lucas or meet my blade)

but there’s this trend where people are like “oh man eddie’s such a good person for looking past king steve and loving steve anyway! he’s rehabbing the jock! he’s fixing him!” fuck you. fix your damn self. the duffers’ childish ass hatred of “non nerds” is sooooo pervasive in this fandom it’s so gross.

oh my god, this is just beautiful. i literally couldn’t put it any better.

i wish we had gotten to see eddie repent for what he did to lucas, because honestly, i still hold it against him.

what’s especially funny to me about it is that steve’s sins (in s4) were over two years ago, eddie’s were last week lmao. like, one of them needs to go around apologising and it’s not steve.

but yeah! the kids have an ease around steve that they don’t around eddie. classic example: all the kids go to steve in s3, not even pretending to be polite or actually ask, and just pound on the bell until he comes to let them through the back of scoops to watch a movie. they don’t worry about his reaction. steve could literally get fired doing this, but they know he’s going to do it, and feel so comfortable that he won’t have a bad reaction, that there isn’t any hesitation.

when asking eddie to postpone a game, mike and dustin are shaking in their little boots. they’re flinching and looking away, and trying not to actually ask. those aren’t kids in the presence of someone comforting!! this isn’t a guy they would think deserves steve begging on his knees. if eddie was being a prick about steve’s past for no reason other than to hold some moral superiority over him, the kids would get pissed off.

if anyone is getting rehabilitated in their relationship, it’s eddie, not steve!! because being a jock isn’t inherently bad, and being a nerd isn’t inherently good, no matter what the duffers may be trying to tell you.

#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #dustin henderson #mike wheeler #lucas sinclair #stranger things #asks #anon

[minweber]

One way in which, I think, BG3 succeeds in emulating tabletop DND experience - though, admittedly, It may be more of an achievement of its writing rather than game design - is sending player characters down unexpected development paths.

My favorite ttrpg experience have always been the moments when you realize that through the interaction between other players' actions, your own choices and the ongoing story, your character has now developed traits that you did not originally intend for them to have.

Those really are fascinating moments, ones that have always been difficult to explain to people who never experienced them - even though the mechanic between them is very simple and non-mystical. Something happened that you did not expect, and you react in the ways you may not have expected either! It's trivial, but the result is quite magical - when you see a character escape beyond your full control, becoming something onto themselves and making you not the sole master of their story.

Anyway, shoutout to my first BG3 playthrough, where my hoity-toity noble paladin - who had a whole dramatic arc from the stock of "difficult relationship with a position of leadership that awaits him in a distant homeland" set up for him - awkwardly confessed to Karlach, got politely rejected, went off to sulk, had Lae'zel come onto him, apathetically agreed and then proceeded to have his brains fucked out so hard that it completely changed the direction of his story and had him fighting on the frontlines of a space revolution not even a full month after.

#my durge playthrough also had quite a lot of such unexpected character development #but it was not as funny as #'prim and proper paladin boy gets his world so rocked by a mildly kinky encounter that he abandons all preconceived notions of his identity #so I am sticking with that one for the post #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #lae'zel

[milogreer]

For that thing you just reblogged (I'm sooo good explaining myself), Lasko? ^^

hi morgan! 👋🏼 ty for letting me talk about lasko again hehe ↳ send me a character!

My first impression: so … i almost didn’t get into the DAMN arc when i should have chronologically 🫣 when i saw that there was gonna be new characters i was so reluctant to get into them bc i just wanted the ones i already knew. but he had me hooked in his first audio cause the way he went “shit- i mean damn- DARN. ah fuck” made me laugh 💘

My impression now: LASKO 🥰🥰 my number two guy!! he’s made me so genuinely rabid sometimes that i don’t even know how i’ve survived it. i really really love how his character has developed & still is developing now with his coworker. i miss him so dearly, i hope he comes back soon despite the pack weddings on the horizon

A favorite thing: i always think it’s so funny when he swears and then tries to correct himself even outside of work settings. babes it’s okay!! you can say fuck! this is a safe space beloved swear all you want bc i swear like a fuckin sailor

Least favorite thing: not least favorite in an “i don’t like this” way but in a “this makes me so so sad” way: oh man. the ways he puts himself down, like. when he says “i don’t know if you should have to see the ‘nothing special’ side of me yet” ??? oh my god. there was a similar line in the FL/gavin/lasko BA that made me hurt so much i had to pause and walk away for a minute ☹️

Favorite line/scene: “being with you, how i feel when i’m with you, how i feel right now… it’s proof that new isn’t scary. i don’t have to be scared of something just because it’s unfamiliar.” …. i actually haven’t ever relistened to the first time audio bc it did psychic damage to me LOL but i had to find the exact quote... this audio and the “slowing down” audio i feel gave him a lot of depth beyond “nervous sub who gets freaky sometimes” and i love it for him!!

Favorite interaction that character has with another: listen listen listen okay. i love gavin/lasko as much as the next person. i eat up every single interaction like it’s the most expensive dessert on the menu. HOWEVER. lasko inviting huxley to join his dnd campaign when they're first reconnecting makes me so happy 🥺💕

A character that I wish that character would interact with more: milo ummm hmm…. tbh i always love when lasko and damien get like Real Interactions. i think they should have more one on ones that aren’t about DAMN or damien worrying that he’s freaking lasko out/lasko being nervous about damien’s intensity

Another character from another fandom that reminds me of them: i have forgotten every single other character i’ve ever met 🫣 i think i'm gonna take this option out for the other asks i got unless someone rly hits me lskjdgsd

A headcanon: i know it’s popular fanon already but i really do love when he is tall and bespectacled. mwah. also i think he likes vocaloid. it’s just a feeling i have

A song: against the kitchen floor by will wood !!!! i’ve posted it before but it’s always the first one i think of for lasko

An unpopular opinion: we need less twinky baby-faced white boy laskos. being submissive doesn't automatically make you a skinny twink!! giving him fat, facial hair, wrinkles, etc will not kill him i promise

#morgansplace #asks #lasko

[hllfireclb]

Eddie Munson as your boyfriend! Headcanons!

I love writing headcanons

Warnings: probably none, fluff & cursed words, maybe some teasing, mention of smut (mdni), y‘all still go to Highschool so parents will be involved (if you’re an adult rn)

There definitely will be a part 2!!

My Masterlist

Tell me what you want fr but Eddie IS this perfect 50/50 boyfriend. 50% all fluff, goofy, chaotic, clumsy and cheesy. 50% serious, caring, knowing how to take care of you in every way (or the 50% are just the daddy he is, I said what I said.)

Would do anything to see you smile even if you‘d sit in front of him, crying. He‘d hold your hands in his and stroke over them softly to calm you down.

"Hey Sweetheart, was Mrs. O'donald that mean today? Always told 'ya she‘s a witch or something! Maybe an Oga!"

"Eddie stop it‘s not funny!"

"I‘m sorry darling..y'know just wanted to make you smile. Bad timing I know..come here, I’ll take care of you" and with that you sit in his lap, your head on his shoulder and hidden in his messy curls.

He definitely snores. DEFINITELY.

Congratulations! You‘re not just his partner no! You’re also his own personal teddy bear and don’t even think about moving (or breathing, lol joke)

Trying to do a diet? Not with Eddie. That boy lives for junk food and drinks.

Friday nights = your date night. None of you skips it for nothing. you’re sick? Eddie comes over and takes care of you. You have to work longer than usually? Eddie comes to your work and waits until you’re finished. Your parents said no? Eddie sneaks inside. Yep. You‘ll definitely meet.

Mostly movie or game nights with a shared blunt and sweets which lead to hot Make out sessions and at least 2 good hours of you screaming Eddie’s name (I said what I’ve said)

He always wants to join you when you’re about to take a shower but sometimes you say no, so he just stands in the door frame like a creep and watches you , you didn’t say anything against that right?:D

"Ed‘s stop! I said I wanted to shower alone today love!“

"And you are! But I also have to go inside of there!"

"If you need to take a shit just do it!"

"Are you sure 'bout that y/n?“ he smirks and raises an eyebrow

"No no! But it’s getting cold because of the opened door!"

And with that the door is closed from the inside and Eddie leans against the sink with crossed arms and a grin on his lips.

Always rolls a joint for the two of you when you say you wanna meet because he knows that you at least want to take one drag

Has a picture of you in his box where he keeps the drugs and next to his other Sweetheart (his guitar)

Gave you his guitar pick necklace and you made one for him with one of your favorite necklace extras

Gets you flowers from a daisy or sunflower field

Little self-made gifts for you or him

Dates, dates, dates. Did I mention dates? He wants to do so much with you like sneaking into a theater, a roller skate or ice skate disco (even if you had to convince him with that one), buy some ice cream, go swimming in lovers lake, go camping and so so much more!! It will never get boring

Obviously writes songs for and about you, even plays them at the hideout with corroded coffin

You’re the first person who hears about the new dnd campaign ideas he has, will also ask you for help or if you have any ideas

Will get you into dnd, if you want it or not

When you finally agree on joining hellfire, it doesn’t take him 2 seconds to give you your own shirt (because you always wore his) and will explain your whole game character to you because he‘s planned it since the first day you‘ve met

No matter how many times Eddie tells you to come to him if you feel bad so you can talk about it, he‘ll never do it himself. He always hides that he‘s also breakable. That he’s a human.

This is the reason you two have some small arguments sometimes, you just want that boy to know that he‘s safe and that you love him no matter what :(

Eddie is traumatized. That’s a fact. He needs a lot of love and attention and just needs to get reminded of it every day (what you love to do really!)

Mostly needy 1-2 blunts until he talks about how he really feels, will even start crying and shaking like a leaf in your arms sometimes because he‘s so overwhelmed with everything. He grabs you and holds you so close to him because he’s scared that you’ll be gone if he opens his eyes again.

You hold him close and support him just the way he needs and deserves it. Gosh that boy loves you so much for it.

Barely falls asleep first because he likes to admire you in your sleep, while you lay in his arms, he also loves playing with your hair softly, smiling like an idiot in love (he is an idiot in love xoxo)

#stranger things #eddie munson #joseph quinn #stranger things 4 #eddie one shot #eddie oneshot #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson headcanons #eddie x reader #eddie fluff #eddie munson x y/n

[utilitycaster]

Your blog feels like somewhat of a safe haven because you seem like a very reasonable person, which is why I feel safe saying this here only. Some of the responses to L*udna calling Im*gen sister make me very uncomfortable. People literally saying that m*risha is wrong about her character or that it doesn't mean anything, or that laudna doesnt know how she feels. It reminds me of my least favorite aspect of the Fandom, where people will decide how they think the characters feel or think about something or how they would act in a given circumstance, and then in their minds it becomes Canon and they get frustrated when the actors (who in dnd are the storytellers) don't act upon their Canon. This is different than just being disappointed that a ship you like didn't become Cano, IMO. I really like Imogen but I LOVE laudna, and I feel like a lot of the times she is reduced to just be Imogen's other half, and now that people denying what marisha says her character thinks, saying she's wrong, being mad at the choice, it makes it hard to interact with the fandom on this site because I feel like I can't talk about Laudna or Imogen without it circling back to their relationship. My favorite pairings in C1 were Vex and Percy and Vex and Keyleth and I feel like I didn't have this problem as much with them but also I wasn't as deep on the internet or in fandom back then. :(

Hey anon,

Thank you so much for this - it’s really nice of you!

I don’t have a ton to add or say about this, honestly; the post I reblogged about it said it better than I could. This has always been what put me off the ship as it exists in the fandom: I’m not opposed to Imogen and Laudna becoming a couple, but the fanon is deeply boring while also being all consuming and crystalized before the end of the first episode. It’s frustrating, as someone who enjoys both Imogen and Laudna, to try to talk about them without getting obnoxious responses to anything that even hints there might be misunderstandings or conflict between them. It lessens their characters and the work both Marisha and Laura have put in. It makes it impossible to explore their flaws, and it makes everything about them uncompelling, when they are both very interesting characters. I’ve found Laudna especially to be coming into her own in this Team Issylra arc.

The fact is, Laudna said what she said. It doesn’t mean a romance is impossible, but I think it’s genuinely indicative of how Laudna feels at this time. Which to be honest matches how I’ve felt regarding Laudna’s feelings about Imogen from early on! I think Imogen is romantically interested in Laudna, but I think Laudna has always seen Imogen in a more familial way, and I don't know if it's fair to her to try to explain that as just Laudna's insecurities. I also think it's possible Imogen has exacerbated those insecurities - if I were Laudna, I’d be feeling a certain way about Imogen’s exploration of the validity of the Vanguard, and I might even still be feeling the unresolved pull of the gnarlrock fight.

I can’t speak to Campaign 1 ships specifically since I watched that campaign after it had already finished, but at the very least Imodna has felt notably different to me in that usually people talk about at least one of the parties of a popular ship as an individual, even if they reduce the other to nothing. Here it feels like they both get folded into ship fodder. I’ve also seen a really strong trend of people tagging fanart of one of the characters alone, without the other, with the ship name, and that feels new compared to past campaigns and popular ships though the obvious cynical answer is just that the ship is more popular than the characters on their own and so artists are just trying to get eyes on their work in the most effective way. And as I’ve said a few times, the fact that Laudna’s death was more than once referred to as throwing the ship away has stuck with me as an illustrative moment. I think the fandom response to this ship is different than some past ones, and not in a good way.

With that said, I am trying, despite myself, to practice good faith here. I’ll admit that I’ve had enough bad faith interactions with fans of the ship such that it’s no longer an option when I get reblogs on my posts or anons in my inbox. But in terms of what might transpire in the hypothetical situation where Imogen and Laudna end the campaign without becoming romantically involved, I would like to give those who ship it the chance to respond with grace rather than assuming they will not.

#answered #Anonymous #critical role spoilers #cr discourse #(just in case)

[babyfairy]

hello…life updates lol

i saw the little mermaid with my mom and my niece (we went on my mom’s birthday 💌) and i loved it??!? i think halle was the perfect choice for ariel!! i was so enchanted by her mannerisms the entire film. she’s got such an otherworldly beauty so paired with her voice she REALLY looks and feels like a disney princess…loved her so much. no comment on awkwafina’s unfortunate addition to the film

we’re restarting one of our long running dnd campaigns and i’m pretty sad about it ❤️‍🩹 it’s the best choice because the setting was made by our DM a long time ago and she wants a reset because she’s improved her narration/lore/etc since its creation but it’s still sad and hard to let go. i’m really excited to relive some of my favorite moments with some new twists and i have a deeper understanding of my character now so i think i’ll only end up loving her more as i replay her. dnd with my friends is truly one of my favorite hobbies and it’s so important to me! there have been so many changes throughout the years i’ve played but i’m so glad to still be playing despite it because it’s very fun and therapeutic lol

i got a raise at work 🫨 not that it makes much of a difference LMFAO but i was seriously considering leaving my job before my raise so it’s nice to be making a little more money. the cost of living in washington is so insane that i feel really unsure of my future lol but it’s seriously my dream to own my own house. just a little one story house that i can call my own. i know it seems like a small dream lol but it’s literally my number one motivation and i’m always daydreaming about how i’d decorate my own home inside and out!!

i finally bought tears of the kingdom and i’ve been obsessed with it!!! not surprised because i loved breath of the wild lol. i love link so much he’s such a cool protagonist. always wanted to be like him when i was a kid LMAOO either him or sheik! i would say i’m more like a deku scrub…💀 like look at this fella…

like….???!!!! THATS ME…the lil angry face. love these guys. anyways i love the game LMAO i hit about 50 hours and realized i should maybe try tackling my first dungeon 💀 it’s just so much fun to run around and collect ingredients and koroks…plus i have a little pack of zelda amiibo cards so every day i hop on and scan them all so i can open treasure chests as a little treat…love it!!! i can’t wait to see king sidon again btw. that’s the light of my life

ever since my OCD diagnosis i’ve been avoiding my therapist (L) and struggling to really understand why but i think it’s because i feel guilty about being diagnosed LMAO…i have like this weird fixation on unknowingly manipulating/lying to others and my brain keeps trying to convince me i manipulated her into a diagnosis. i don’t feel like i have “real” OCD if that makes sense. and i feel this weird sense of guilt about making light of it or like taking resources from people with real, severe OCD. it’s frustrating because i know that’s definitely a symptom of OCD but i also feel like none of my symptoms are legitimate and they’re just delusions. it’s incessant. which like logically is that probably just a symptom of the OCD? yeah but i also am having trouble admitting that to myself for some reason lol. at least not without guilt or shame attached and i really try to avoid feeling that way if i can. anyways it’s a real pain in the ass and i finally sucked it up and made an appointment for tomorrow so i can try to talk through some of this with her

i’m up and down a lot, it’s been the worst year of my life i think lol but somehow i’m still chugging along 💀 every day i put the rainbow clown wig back on and march thru my day despite it all though so it’s whatever i guess. definitely going thru my saturn return and ngl so far it sucks and i definitely hate it but you know! my 20s have been Not Great so maybe my 30s will be better for it. hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. let me know what you’re up to in my inbox if you want! i always like when people message me their life updates lol. it’s sweet when people think of me as someone they want to update ❣️

[spectralsleuth]

Saw you were lookin’ for some asks dont mind if I do 👀

To start off, I’m such a big fan of your writing! I genuinely look forward to every single update of yours and find myself rereading a lot of work in the downtime. You are such a good writer!! My never ending praises aside, here are some asks!

-You incorporate OC’s into your fics so seamlessly! They feel so natural in your fics that I legit get excited anytime they show up (srsly can’t wait for Lou Jitsu vs Hidden City, Sal’s my boy) lol how do you find the right balance when introducing and maintaining OC’s in your fics? I feel like that’s a particularly difficult balance beam to tread but you absolutely crush it.

-A previous ask you answered about Cass and Raph in LSoW got me thinking; how do the brothers handle humans crushing on them? Would they be receptive or dismissive? Do they develop crushes on humans- and if so, how is that perceived (by family or the general public)? The drama 👀

Last ask, I promise:

-I absolutely loved your crossover with Empathy is Learned! Got anymore crossovers planned in the future? Oooor if you could do a crossover with any other fic, which one(s) would it/they be??

Thanks for taking the time to even look at this! I hope these are some fun asks for ya :) I hope you have a lovely day!!

Omg thanks so much... I'm so happy people enjoy my writing it's crazy to me. I've written before, but it's always been just for myself so I never really know if it was good or not. (Years of text based DnD is to thank lol.) (Okay I got carried away answering this so sorry in advance.)

On OC's:

I got a lot of comments on LSoW from people who say "generally I don't like OC's BUT-" which is so funny and flattering. Because I am absolutely one of those people who don't care for OC's in fic.

Let me be clear: I LOVE that people write self indulgent self-insert of OC based fic, where they make the craziest off the wall story etc. Every time a fifteen year old writes a story about the cringiest Mary-sue/stu self insert, or non canon character, an angel gets its wings and I mean that one hundred percent. It makes me so happy I literally grin when I see it. I HOWEVER generally filter out the OC tags on AO3 when I'm looking for something to read myself.

So when I started posting LSoW I was expecting to get maybe like, 100 kudos MAX, maybe one comment or so. Which is great! I love writing niche fic just for me, and one other person who I assume I must be drift compatible with. I just could not figure out a way to write the story I wanted without a few OC's- Rise didn't have a big enough character catalog for me to draw from!

When I went to write the OC's, I knew that they had to have a very simple backstory, that was also very fleshed out. (Xander and Sal have full family, Dr. Heo and Carter have full jobs and history together, etc.) For another contradiction I wanted them to be interesting enough that someone reading wouldn't just be skipping ahead to when they weren't present, or just simply plowing through to get past the part where they were doing exposition. They had to be enjoyable! While also forwarding the story!

They also had to be distinct. Anyone who's ever watched a Whedon show or movie (Buffy, Firefly, Avengers-) knows what I'm talking about. It drives me nuts when the characters in a show are constantly the funniest person in the room, with the same personality traits, and the same girl boss/badass tendencies.

(Fandom challenge Impossible: Give a female fan favorite character another trait besides 'girlboss/mom/lesbian'. I'm dead serious.)

(Also a disclaimer: I LOVE making jokes and doing bits. I FANCY that I'm pretty funny, and I love making people laugh. But you can do that without making it a character personality trait. For example: Xander doesn't really crack any jokes in LSoW! He's just funny because we the reader know more about the situation and his thoughts than he does.)

But the BIGGEST THING I kept telling myself while writing the story, was DO NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THE TURTLES. Because the whole point of the story is the turtles! And Yoshi! The OC's are there to facilitate that. It's a hard balance to hit. I have all sorts of touchstones I keep in mind while I'm writing, and that's a big one.

(A SUPER good example of this done super well is @faiakishi 's Bella from Dawning of the Hour. She's a great OC that's super interesting, and a super important narrative element, but she never detracts from the main story. Big Bella fan here lmao. There's also the rest of the OC's/interpretations of franchise characters (TIGERCLAW), but Bella stands out as truly original.)

On the Turtles dating Humans:

(CW: CSA mention, SA mention, non graphic talk of minors dating etc.)

I actually talked a lot about this to @/tangledinink in feverish discord chats lmao.

When the boys were growing up they got a very detailed talk from both Yoshi, and their Doctors. ONE: Because nobody will know better than themselves if something was medically wrong with their bodies, TWO: The boys are all intersex (minus Mikey) and they had to understand that there was nothing wrong with them on TOP of the turtle thing, and THREE: Because Yoshi knew the boys would be getting a lot of attention, and you never know what kind of attention that form will take.

THE BEST WAY to protect children (any child) from being sexually assaulted or abused, is making sure they know what that abuse LOOKS LIKE. You don't have to make them terrified of being sexually assaulted, but them knowing how their body works, and also how to say NO and set boundaries, will combine to help make them safer.

Yoshi didn't know what would happen in the future and in a perfect world the boys would never leave his line of sight, but that's not always how things happen. (In a Short Season, Xander parroted Yoshi's instructions before going out to make sure the boys knew what to do if someone grabbed them (in any way) and it was to bite and be loud.) So the boys grew up knowing their bodies, knowing how to say 'no', and knowing that there was probably going to be people out there who would treat them as a novelty, and who wouldn't be appropriate to them as celebrities OR non-humans.

(Remember Emma Watson having to deal with that countdown to her turning 18? Or any other amount of child stars who had to deal with adults being predatory to them.)

But ALSO THIS IS HAMATO YOSHI. His sons are HANDSOME and HEARTBREAKERS! Leo has dated a lot but never anything seriously, and his inability to be intimate with anyone but family kind of puts a damper on any more permanent relationship. (He is gay.) He's the number one turtle people ask out because he's the most approachable. Because he made himself that way!

Donnie is in a sort of relationship with Kendra. (THIS WILL BE A FIC I'm working up to it lmao.) I have a head canon that Yokai and other empyrean based creatures are capable of having rivalry based relationships. IE Yoshi and Draxum in the canon show, the unhealthy dynamic between Yoshi and Big Mama, etc. (Caliginous relationship) Donnie is in a puppy love version of that with Kendra, while also lacking the context of yokai society to understand why he wants to punch her very badly, but also if anything happened to her he would die. They hate each others guts and also she was his first kiss. She is not a nice person I am not a Kendra apologist she's terrible I love her. (Donnie is bi!)

I know a lot of people head canon Mikey as ace, but he is a thirteen year old child you don't have to be head canoning him as anything. it is the very rare 13 year old who knows their orientation, and even if they DO I bet you donuts to dollars it will change eventually. This is normal and healthy. Mikey in LSoW has had puppy crushes on boys, girls, teachers, Violet, the mailman, Adam, and Rupert Swaggert. (Eugh eugh eugh.)

Raph is absolutely irresistible to the entire student body and is completely unaware of it. He's not stupid but he's face blind and bad at picking up subtext in conversations. He's gone to multiple people's houses and spent the whole day with them, without realizing they were trying to make it a date. (Raph is bi.)

All the boys have considered identifying as girls since their Dad is the martial arts equivalent of David Bowie and Fine With That, but have settled (for now) on being boys (age 10 the last time they considered this) because quote 'Lou Jitsu and Jupiter Jim are boys and they're awesome' unquote.

They don't get any fucking privacy for their relationships, and Leo in particular had a very bad experience that closed him off from dating big time. (Stamps 'THIS WILL BE A FIC' on this as well.) But also, as of the LSoW canon they are like, 12-14 and not doing a lot of dating ANYWAY. They are BABIES.

(Enter Casey Jones)

ON CROSSOVERS:

I have one crossover with my white whale of authors (you know who you are) I have pecked at with them that I think everyone will go fucking nuts for and love, but I won't mention it in case we can't get it off the ground! (A completely okay and normal thing to happen lmao.) I think that one will end up happening though because I am too excited about it, even if it's not any time soon.

I am super open to crossovers and cowriting, especially since writing with Li because I learned SO MUCH it was like speed running improvement.

The thing is it has to fit! There's some crossovers that wouldn't have a lot of substance because there's not really a lot to cover. When it came to EiL for example, there was PLENTY to cover and do, it was so fun! But other fics might not have a lot we could do for each other. (At least, not until I get some more world building done.)

That being said I do love talking crossovers with other creators it's so fun...

If you guys ever want to use my OC's feel free, just ask me in advance! I don't mind pings.

THESE ASKS ARE FUN THANKS FOR SENDING THEM I feel like you just threw a steak into my zoo exhibit. I am recharged and rejuvenated my crops are watered my skin is clear. This felt very pretentious to write I am mortified.

#ask #chealsieseysie #LSoW #rottmnt #tmnt #tmntau #IM SORRY ABOUT THE INFO DUMP #my fic #my writing

[thatgenderfluidmonstrosity]

Hello people! This is my introduction :3

I am a person of many names~ Some know me by their loveliest day dream, others their worst nightmare-

Just kidding, I go by any of these names, and I will put in my bio which I’m using at the time~ (it’s fluid)

Nyx, Rei, Ether, Gray, Aether, Nexus, Kaeya, Nox

I am also Genderfluid, so my current pronouns will be listed in my bio as well :3

Neurodivergent! Diagnosed with Tourettes and my therapist is pretty sure I have ADHD, Depression and Anxiety (getting tested for any kind of neurological disorders on April 10th 2024🤭)

I love getting questions about my Tourettes, Gender Identity and whatever else!!! Please don’t be afraid to ask if you have questions!!

Little warning: despite being on Tumblr for about 2 years now, I still have to idea what the proper “etiquette” is. Like- what a blorbo is, or if emojis are as despised here as they are on like… discord or something

Idk man 💀 I’m always confused

I love many things, from video games to anime to cartoons for children way younger than me

Here are all of the ones that I can remember right now (not listed in any particular order):

Hamilton

Amphibia

Percy Jackson

The Owl House

FNaF

She-Ra

Gravity Falls

Marvel (Avengers really)

Genshin Impact

My Hero Academia

Demon Slayer

Spy x Family

Marauders (Kinda)

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Forbidden West

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Legend Of Korra

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

Moon Knight

Jekyll and Hyde

Bluey

Whump (Just in general)

DnD (Mainly Homebrew because I am kinda new to it)

I also love making art, and will post that a lot

I have an Ao3 Account: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoManyPassions/pseuds/SoManyPassions

I have a lot of works but am also working like a dog to get more stuff posted ✨

I have so much writing in progress, and can’t wait to get it out there!

Let’s see… what else…

Im working on my own Fantasy/Fiction Series called The Solstice Academy (Yes that does mean that it’s initials shorten to TSA)

I am open to writing submissions for any fandom listen above! I have some stipulations, some minor and others are more important, like how I will never write smut/sexual content. If you have any submissions that you’d wanna see (like your favorite character getting tortured) message me and we can work something out! I can’t promise that I’ll get to it immediately (or that it will get written at all) but I will do my best to fulfill your request!

I think that’s all about me!

:3

#intro post #introduction #ao3 #ao3 writer #hamilton #amphibia #percy jackson #the owl house #she ra #gravity falls #marvel #the avengers #genshin impact #my hero academia #demon slayer #spy x family #marauders #horizon forbidden west #horizon zero dawn #avatar the last airbender #avatar the legend of korra #Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse #spider man across the spider verse #moon knight #jekyll and hyde #bluey cartoon #whump #writer stuff #tourettes #neurodivergent

[sesillee]

Building Jean Grey in DnD 5e

All images featured are credited to the user that edited and posted them, not me.

The idea of a Character Forge is shamelessly taken from @raeynbowboi​, whose posts I love, and drew a ton of inspiration from.

Jean Grey has always been one of my favorite Marvel characters, ever since I saw her for the first time in the 2000 X-Men movie, portrayed by Famke Janssen. I hope I did her justice, haha.

I contemplated making her a Kalashtar for free telepathy, but Variant Human fits better, and with this build we end up getting telepathy from multiple sources anyway. I feel like something a lot of portrayals of Jean don't do is her original origin story.

At ten years old, her best friend died traumatically in front of her, and Jean's newly awakened powers gave her a front row seat to the emotions and thoughts of a dying girl. Professor Xavier then suppressed her telepathic abilities.

WTF??? That's a lot for anybody, let alone a ten year old.

So I think her background is 100% Haunted One.

"You are haunted by something so terrible that you dare not speak of it. You’ve tried to bury it and run away from it, to no avail. Whatever this thing is that haunts you can’t be slain with a sword or banished with a spell. It might come to you as a shadow on the wall, a bloodcurdling nightmare, a memory that refuses to die, or a demonic whisper in the dark. The burden has taken its toll, isolating you from most people and making you question your sanity. You must find a way to overcome it before it destroys you."

Unfortunately I think that's a great descriptor for Jean.

Through the Haunted One background, we're going to take Arcana and Religion proficiences, as well as two free languages. It really depends on the campaign which language would work best, but I took Dwarvish and Infernal.

Aberrant Mind Sorcerer

I immediately thought of Aberrant Mind Sorcerer for her base class. Sorcerer fits any mutant with spellcasting-like abilities, and Jean's main powers are her telepathy and telekinesis. Aberrant Mind sorcerers get telepathy at first level, but they don't have any inherent telekinesis baked in. As a Variant Human though we can pick a free feat, so we'll naturally go with Telekinetic.

This feat gives us access to the mage hand cantrip and a telekinetic shove ability that's perfect for Jean.

You could definitely go all 20 levels with Sorcerer, but I think it leaves out a very important part of Jean's character: the Phoenix Force. It was obvious to me the best way to represent the Phoenix Force was with the Warlock class.

Great Old One Warlock

I think it's also no question that the Great Old One patron is the best fit for the Phoenix Force. In its first appearance in 1976, its described as one of the oldest known cosmic entities in the universe. Its origin, capabilities, and motives are a mystery. Sure sounds like a "mysterious entity whose nature is utterly foreign to the fabric of reality" to me.

What level split you do is up to you, but I did 8 in Sorcerer and 12 in Warlock, just because Warlock gets more in the 9-12 levels than Sorcerer. Aberrant Mind Sorcerer's don't get any subclass features whatsoever between levels 6 and 14, whereas Great Old One Warlocks get Thought Shield at level 10.

Stats and Proficiences

Her highest stat should be Charisma, and from there it's really up to you. A high Constitution is always good and can represent that extra durability from the Phoenix Force. Her Dexterity should be kept in mind too, since she won't be wearing any armor. Technically she can wear light armor, but it isn't super necessary, since I took the eldritch invocation that gives unlimited mage armor.

Proficiencies: arcana, deception, insight, intimidation, perception, persuasion, religion, light armor, and simple weapons

Spellbook

You're obviously going to want as many psoinic style spells as possible for Jean. Her main source of damage is going to be her magic, since Jean is never really depicted using weapons. She's going to be relying mainly on her cantrips to do damage in this build, since I wanted to pick up as many "utility" spells as possible.

As an Aberrant Mind Sorcerer, she automatically learns several Psion Spells.

Mind Sliver (Cantrip) Arms of Hadar (1st) Dissonant Whispers (1st) Calm Emotions (2nd) Detect Thoughts (2nd) Hunger of Hadar (3rd) Sending (3rd) Evard’s Black Tentacles (4th) Summon Aberration (4th)

Through Warlock invocations, she can cast False Life, Jump, and Mage Armor on herself at will. She can also cast Confusion once per day via the Dreadful Word invocation.

Almost all of the invocations I chose were ones that give her more spells for less, since as a Sorcerer/Warlock she is more limited in spell slots than another spellcaster might be.

A few other spells that I would say are absolutely essential for Jean are Fly, Psychic Lance, Telekinesis, and Dream.

As her Mystic Arcanum, the Warlock feature that lets her have 1 use of a sixth level spell, I chose Investiture of Flame. It definitely feels like a Dark Phoenix moment to me.

See the rest of her statistics and spell list below the cut.

Name: Jean Elaine Grey-Summers, Marvel Girl/Phoenix

Race: Variant Human

Background: Haunted One

Alignment: Neutral Good

Class: Aberrant Mind Sorcerer 8

Great Old One Warlock 12

Base Stats:

Strength: 8 -1 Dexterity: 14 +2 Constitution: 16 +3 Intelligence: 10 +0 Wisdom: 15 +2 Charisma: 19 +4

Saving Throws:   

Strength: -1    Dexterity: +2 Constitution: +9   Intelligence: +0 Wisdom: +2 Charisma: +10

Combat Stats:

HP: 8d6 + 12d8 or 154 total AC: 12 (unarmored), 15 (mage armor) Speed: 30 Initiative: +2 Proficiency Bonus: +6    Passive Perception: 8  Dark Vision: 120 feet

Languages:

Common Elvish Infernal Dwarvish

Proficiencies: 

Arcana (Haunted One) Religion (Haunted One) Deception (Beguiling Influence Warlock Invocation) Insight (Sorcerer) Intimidation (Sorcerer) Perception (Sorcerer) Persuasion (Beguiling Influence Warlock Invocation)

Damage Resistances: 

Psychic

Damage Immunities:   

None

Feats

Telekinetic. (TCoE, pg. 81)

You learn to move things with your mind, granting you the following benefits:

Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

You learn the mage hand cantrip. You can cast it without verbal or somatic components, and you can make the spectral hand invisible. If you already know this spell, its range increases by 30 feet when you cast it. Its spellcasting ability is the ability increased by this feat.

As a bonus action, you can try to telekinetically shove one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. When you do so, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + the ability modifier of the score increased by this feat) or be moved 5 feet toward you or away from you. A creature can willingly fail this save.

War Caster. (PHB, pg. 170) Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell

You have practiced casting spells in the midst of combat, learning techniques that grant you the following benefits:

You have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage.

You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands.

When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature.

Metamagic Adept. (TCoE, pg. 80) Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic feature

You’ve learned how to exert your will on your spells to alter how they function:

You learn two Metamagic options of your choice from the sorcerer class. You can use only one Metamagic option on a spell when you cast it, unless the option says otherwise. Whenever you reach a level that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace one of these Metamagic options with another one from the sorcerer class.

You gain 2 sorcery points to spend on Metamagic (these points are added to any sorcery points you have from another source but can be used only on Metamagic). You regain all spent sorcery points when you finish a long rest.

In all my campaigns I've played we've allowed a free feat at level 1. I would chose War Caster or Survivor for Jean in that case.

Survivor.

You are well-versed in surviving in hostile environments, even thriving where others are sure to perish. You gain the following benefits:

Increase your Constitution or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

You require only half of the food and water normally required for a creature of your size.

You can withstand extreme temperatures indefinitely, and you automatically pass saving throws made against extreme heat and cold for a number of days equal to your Constitution or Wisdom modifier, whichever is lower. After this time, you must make saving throws as normal until you spend 24 hours in a comfortable temperature.

Level Choices: 

Level 4: Ability Score Increase. +1 Charisma, +1 Wisdom

Level 8: War Caster Feat.

Level 12: Ability Score Increase. +1 Dexterity, +1 Charisma

Level 16: Ability Score Increase. +1 Charisma, +1 Constitution

Level 19: Metamagic Adept Feat.

Jean’s Spellbook

Cantrips: Dancing Lights, Eldritch Blast, Friends, Gust, Lightning Lure, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Mind Sliver, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation

1st level: Arms of Hadar, Dissonant Whispers, False Life (at will), Feather Fall, Hellish REbuke, Jump (at will), Mage Armor (at will), Magic Missile, Shield

2nd level: Calm Emotions, Detect Thoughts, Hold Person, Invisbility, Mind Spike, Shatter

3rd level: Clairvoyance, Counterspell, Dispel Magic, Fly, Hunger of Hadar, Lightning Bolt, Sending, Slow

4th level: Evard’s Black Tentacles, Hallucinatory Terrain, Raulothim's Psychic Lance, Shadow of Moil, Sickening Radiance, Summon Aberration

5th level: Telekinesis, Dream, Wall of Light

6th level: Investiture of Flame

Features:

I decided not to paste them all haha. But if you want to see all of the features she has an more, you can follow this link to her character sheet in DnD Beyond, which I used to facilitate this build.

#jean grey #marvel girl #phoenix #marvel #xmen #dnd #dnd 5e #dnd character builds #d&d #5e #homebrew #mine

[havendance]

No Man’s Land Comics Timeline (and Reading Recommendations)

Made to accompany my No Man’s Land Plot Timeline (for if you want to write fic set in No Man’s Land and want to know when stuff happened).  This is the order the comics are in the No Man’s Land Omnibuses and thus the order that I read them in. I've bolded the issues that I really enjoyed and added notes by some others that didn't make the cut but I'd definitely recommend checking out for one reason or another.

Batman: No Man’s Land #1

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83

Batman #563  - These first three issues really just set the scene for No Man’s Land and do an excellent job of it, you should definitely read them if you’re going to read No Man’s Land

Detective Comics #730

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #84

Batman #564  - You can take or leave the story that this issue is a part of, but Leslie Thomkins shows up in this issue and has a nice moment with Bruce

Detective Comics #731

Azrael Agent of the Bat #52

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #117

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #85

Batman #565

Detective Comics #732 - The story in these two issues features some good Barbara Gordon content and her discovery that there’s someone else out acting as Batgirl.

The Batman Chronicles #16

Azrael Agent of the Bat #53

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #118

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #86  - A nice standalone issue about a normal guy in No Man’s Land

Batman #566

Detective Comics #733

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #54 - 55  - I don’t particularly care about Azrael, but this story was pretty good if you do want to read some of his comics. It’s got Baraba Gordon and Leslie Thomkins in it.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #119

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #87 — A lot of plot hits in these two issues which sets up the next couple story arcs.

Batman #567

Detective Comics #734 — These two issues are the “Mark of Cain” storyline which is where Cassandra’s introduced! Definitely check them out.

Young Justice: No Man’s Land #1 — It’s young justice and just good fun.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 — All the bat-gangs here! Plus, good Helena content.

Robin #67 — Dick and Tim make their way into No Man’s Land together.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #57

Batman Chronicles #17 — Specifically, the second story in this is really good.

Nightwing #35

Nightwing #36

Nightwing #37

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #88

Batman #568

Detective Comics #738 — In this story Batman and Robin team up to go against Clayface and they end up making an alliance with Poison Ivy.

Catwoman #72

Catwoman #73

Catwoman #74 — The Catwoman story is just really fun. Plus, Maxie Zeus shows up in it which is always a plus in my book.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #121 — I can’t in good conscious recommend this as a *good* issue, but it is rather entertaining in a comics sort of way. Batman vs Mr Freeze.

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #89

Batman #569

Detective Comics #736

Robin #68

Robin #69

Robin #70 — The only reason I’m not bolding this is because then I’d basically be recommending all of the Robin comics and I’m trying to hold back at least a little of my biases (I just think the Robin comics are fun, okay?). Anyway, the story in these issues reveals the fact that apparently some of Tim’s old classmates are just hanging out in Gotham’s sewers, larping as their DnD characters, which is honestly one of the more absurd No Man’s Land details.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #58

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #122

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #90

Batman: #570

Detective Comics #737

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #123

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #91  — The story in these two issues was my favorite in volume 3 of No Man’s Land. You should definitely read it. It’s got everything that really compels me about No Man’s Land — namely people staying and doing the best they can in a city that’s hell on earth.

Batman #571

Detective Comics #738

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #124

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #92 — Superman enters Gotham pt II, this time as Clark Kent.

Batman: No Man’ Land Secret Files #1 — This issue flashes back to the night they blew the bridges. Probably my second favorite story in volume 3, cool stuff with the city itself speaking to some dude. Also, Huntress (my beloved <3) shows up.

Robin #71

Robin #72 —Tim, still recovering from an illness, goes up against Killer Croc. [Also sets up future plot points?]

Batman Chronicles #18

Batman #572

Detective Comics #739 — Jim Gordon, Rene Montoya, and Two Face in a No Man’s Land courtroom drama. Two Face is really good in this.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #125 — Batman and Jim Gordon finally talk. A really good focus on their relationship

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #59

Catwoman #75

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #93

Nightwing #38

Nightwing #39 — these two issues have that sweet, sweet DickBabs content if that’s your jam.

Batman: No Man’s Land #0 — The origin of Batgirl!Helena as well as Bruce’s return to Gotham.

Batman #573

Detective Comics #740 — A plotty couple of issues, these set the stage for the grand finale.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60

Catwoman #76

Catwoman #77 — I’m trying to avoid recommending every issue of vol 4, but these Catwoman issues are just good fun.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #61 — This has some really nice interactions between Azrael, Barbara, and Cass

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126

Batman #574

Detective Comics #741

Robin #73

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #94 — Minus the Robin comic, these last comics are all the concluding arc of No Man’s Land. The Bats vs the Joker and Lex Luthor.

#comics #reading list #comic recs #long post #timeline #carthago delenda est #no man's land #dc #bats + birds + affiliated

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @kaylinalexanderbooks!

Wip Questionnaire

Rules: answer as few or as many as you'd like!

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

For Honor's Outcasts, it was the Trench. There was this game I played a lot while waiting for my sister to get out of cheer practice called Seashine, and I guess I just imagined what would happen if people were trapped down there and how they'd survive. That's where Izjik came from. When I decided she needed a friend, that's how I came up with Sepo. (If any of you want to play the Trench simulator, Seashine is free on mobile)

For Mortal God, the first thing I came up with was the villain, Vermir. I needed a villain for an arc in my dnd campaign, and I figured some crazy lich trying to encase her body in steel while experimenting on the local population was threatening enough. Mashal and Astra were created as a way to get my... less than clever party to her hidden layer. I liked them enough that I decided to write a book about their story.

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

Honor's Outcasts' intro would be War Pigs by Black Sabbath. I think the intro sequence would be a bunch of their battles stitched together chronologically, so you could see everyone's abilities change and grow. Maybe some short sequences from End's siege of the Watchtower mirroring that too.

Mortal God intro would be Night of the Living Ted by Hillbilly Moon Explosion. It's got a country sort of vibe and even though the lyrics don't match at all, I think it fits the chaos of the story.

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

Good lord, that's a tough question. I like all my characters. If I had to choose though, I'd pick Izjik for Honor's Outcasts. She was the first one I made, and it's mostly her who drives the story forward. Also, her POV is just really fun to write.

Astra is my favorite from Mortal God, despite all the difficulties I've had with refining her character. She's just a lot of fun, and she's also a sort of plot catalyst like Izjik.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

I mean, any high fantasy books. I think Honor's Outcasts and the Lies of Locke Lamora would share fans because of the pirates and found family vibes, though Locke Lamora is a lot grittier and less magical.

Mortal God would have a place with the steampunk crowd. A lot of people also compare it to Star Trek? I've never seen Star Trek, so I don't know how accurate that is. In my own mind, I compare both series to Mistborn eras 1 and 2, in that they take place on the same planet, but the second series is some time in the future.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

The making of the Honor's Outcasts plot was an absolute roller coaster. Every book I wrote like it was the end of the series, only to go, wait no, this doesn't feel done.

With Mortal God, I had more trouble with the characters. I knew I wanted a romance, but I'd never written one before, so setting up that early chemistry between Astra and Mashal was rough. Also, riding that edge of making Ivander a likable jerk wasn't easy.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

Uh, I don't really like to write pets. I always forget about them and my characters move around too much. Case in point, in Honor's Outcasts book 2, Sepo has a horse. When they teleport post haste to Unity, they leave poor Landhorse behind, and we never see her again. (She just ends up with their neighbors, don't worry)

Similarly, Astra has a cat named Mercher's Day. In book 2, she leaves him with her parents so he's not in danger when they travel north. The meta reason for this was because I knew she was going to have to leave her vardo behind at the end of the story and I didn't want to abandon poor Mercher in some icy city.

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

Transportation changes between the series due to the time jump. In Honor's Outcasts, the quartet's main mode of transport is by boat, at least until Twenari learns to teleport people. Even then, she can only do it once per day, and only with a physical piece of the place she intends to go, so they're still walking a lot.

In the time of Mortal God, trains have been invented and are a common mode of transportation for rich city folk like Ivander. Astra prefers her vardo. The DuClaire Extraordinaire is a steam-powered, steel crocodile-legged, self steering vardo wagon covered in bright paint and electric lights. It isn't fast, but it's her home and it can make it over almost any terrain. It's very much based on Baba Yaga's chicken house.

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

The Honor's Outcasts series (still gotta come up with a real name for that) is written. I'm working on finding beta readers, saving up money for professional editing, and working up the courage to query.

Two books of Mortal God are written, with plans for a 3rd under way. I need to find readers for the first two and maybe a developmental editor before I finish the series.

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

People eat found family up, so hopefully that'll mean they like Honor's Outcasts. There's so much found family in those books. Also, queer characters, no romance, and some spooky eldritch horror.

In Mortal God, I think the slow burn between Astra and Mashal will make the romance subplot people happy. There's also robots and I love robots, as well as some themes of classism and empire.

For both series, I think it's my worldbuilding that really shines. I read a lot of high fantasy with super detailed worlds and magic systems, so it's my hope that my books approach some of that.

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

I want to publish both of them. Not really for the money, but I just think it's the best way I can get my stories out there, you know? I long for the day when I'll be able to read fanfic someone wrote of my books.

I'll tag @mk-writes-stuff @somethingclevermahogony @nbwriteschaos @autism-purgatory @cssnder and anyone else who wants in :)

Blanks under the cut

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

#writing #writerscommunity #writblr #my ocs #author #writeblr