#player ancestry

[padraigshomebrewworkshop]

Ancestry: Heraldic (V0.2)

Been missing for a bit. Sorry about that, work has been quite draining. Doesn't help that they moved me from closing to opening with little notice. Anyways, here is a bit of an update to my Heraldic ancestry. The major changes are to the Flyer option for Chimeric Form, a change to the speeds provided by Chimeric Form, and more concrete lore for what they are.

Flavor: Heraldics are quite the mysterious ancestry, for quite a few reasons. The most glaring one is their sudden appearance in a community or family, seemingly with little explanation. A child would be born with little to no sign of them being of this ancestry, with perhaps some bizarre looking eyes or an unusual birthmark being one of the few subtle signs. However, as they grow they begin to change. They begin developing more animalistic and celestial features, eventually bearing very few features that would identify them as their parents ancestry by the time they reach maturity.

As to why this is, there is only one common feature among all Heraldics: in the past, their community or ancestors were under the protection of a powerful celestial, most often known as a Heraldic Beast. These celestials were sent by a divine being to protect a family or community, tying themselves body and soul to their wards. The divine influence provided by their presence seems to spur the birth of Heraldics, though this seems largely unintentional. It also seems that the birth of Heraldics is more common among communities whose divine protector died in service to them. Religious scholars believe that this may signify that the Heraldic Beast still protects its wards even after its death, manifesting its essence in those born into their group as a way to continue its duty.

Appearance: Heraldics end up looking very similar to the Heraldic Beast that influenced their birth, though obviously more humanoid. Though at first they tend to resemble their parents ancestry, slowly changing until their transformation culminates at what would be considered maturity for their ancestry. This "awakened" form is obviously very different for most Heraldics, as they take after their specific Heraldic Beast. Some may resemble a Tabaxi with vestigial bird wings or a humanoid shark with lions claws, it all depends on the influencing Heraldic Beast. There are some commonalities though, such as fur and skin (or equivalent) that possess colors outside of the natural ranges for the equivalent earthly beasts that they resemble or their pupils possessing a pin prick of light at their center, often glowing brighter when they use their apotropaic power. Their appearance changes further as they grow in power, often looking exactly like the divine guardian that spurred on their transformation.

Creature Type: Humanoid

Size: Medium or Small, based on the ancestry you would be if not a Heraldic

Speed: 30 ft.

Age: Heraldics age the same way their parents ancestry would up until they reach maturity. At this point, they tend to age much slower, often reaching double what their parents ancestry would typically be expected to live.

Natural Weapon: You possess a natural weapon associated with one of your beastly components, such as claws or horns. Your unarmed strike becomes 1d6 + Strength for damage and can be either Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing (you choose at character creation). When you gain another Chimeric Form option, you can choose another one of the provided damage types to be an option when you make an unarmed strike with this feature, representing another natural weapon manifesting with your further development.

Chimeric Form: Choose one of the following options, representing the beastly component that first fully manifested. You choose another option at 3rd and 5th level. You can choose an option twice, with it becoming more powerful in certain ways:

Aquatic (shark, dolphin, plesiosaur, etc.): You gain a swimming speed equal to half your walking speed and can hold your breath for 1 hour. If chosen again, the swim speed equals your walking speed and you can breath both air and water.

Flyer (hawk, butterfly, pterosaur, etc.): When you fall at least 10ft and you are not restrained or incapacitated, you can spread your wings as a reaction and glide a number of feet equal to half your walking speed and take no falling damage when you reach the ground. This reaction can be sustained each turn by using up your reaction. If chosen again, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed and you don't provoke opportunity attacks when you fly out of range of an enemy.

Agile (leopard, rabbit, velociraptor, etc.): You add an additional 10ft to your walking speed and you have advantage on saves against being knocked prone. If chosen again, you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed and can add half your walking speed when making a running long or high jump.

Sturdy (elephant, tortoise, ankylosaurus, etc.): Your hit points maximum increases by 1, and increases by 1 again each time you level up. You also count as one size larger when determining carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. If chosen again, your hit points maximum increase by 2 instead of 1 each level up and you have an AC of 13 + Dexterity when unarmored.

Nocturnal (owl, cat, troodon, etc.): You gain 60ft of darkvision and can take the Hide action as a bonus action when obscured by dim light or darkness. If chosen again, your darkvision increases to 120ft and you gain 10ft of blindsight.

Burrower (mole, fox, thrinaxodon, etc.): You gain a burrowing speed (loose earth only) equal to half your walking speed and have 10ft of tremorsense. If chosen again, the burrowing speed equals your walking speed and you can now burrow through unworked stone.

Apotropaic Presence: When you are targeted by an attack or forced to make a save by an aberration, fey, fiend, or undead, you can use your reaction to make that creature roll at disadvantage for that attack or make yourself roll at advantage if they force you to make a save. You can do this an amount of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Heightened Senses: You gain proficiency in either Perception or Survival.

Again, feedback is welcome and encouraged! As for what's next, I have plans for another subclass and for an actual stat block for Heraldic Beasts. Stay tuned!

#d&d #dnd #homebrew #player ancestry #player lineage #player race

[theinfinitedivides]

watching a movie about a sport you know nothing about can be the definition of vibing without comprehension and i experienced that today

#film: 83 #83 the movie #bollywood #local gay watches Bollywood.txt #for those asking the media in question is 83 (2021) #and it's f*cking hilarious bc my dad is really into cricket #i have no concern for the sport whatsoever #so watching this film as the child of Afro-Carribbean West Indian parents with strong evidence of South Asian ancestry #is a double edged sword bc we're all rooting for the underdogs #but the Windies are just tearing it up on the f*cking field like nobody's business #begging Bollywood to understand however that the West Indies is not just Jamaica??? #like i hate to break it to you but there were only two Jamaicans on the Windies World Cup team that year. two #on the other hand there were four Bajans two Antiguans #two Trinis playing for T&T as a whole #why are all the extras in dreadlocks and playing reggae music and waving the Jamaican flag #every time a Windies player opened their mouth it was this strange mix of Jamaican accent/whatever else they decided to throw in there #in a supposed attempt to be 'authentic' #ik about Windrush and the fact that most of the people who came over were Jamaicans but. but. people from literally #every other country in the Caribbean under British rule immigrated as well??? #between this and the 'ceasefire so we can listen to cricket' i am once again reminded that this is a biopic not a documentary #Ranveer and Deepika were f*cking good in this tho #and her fits were insane i am in love with that accordian skirt and skinny turtleneck she wore during the first half of the Cup games

[pegasusrightsforall]

Seteth mentions (I think in Silver Snow) that he lost the ability to turn into a dragon long ago and I was thinking about how we don’t really know how that works and my it’s-1:30am-and-I-am-SO-sleepy brain supplied me with “yes we do, laguz lose their abilities when they breed with the beorc” and while obviously 1) that is the lore of an entirely different game and 2) we know next to nothing about Flayn’s mother it DOES have my brain going brrrr

#as a Seteth stand and Setleth enjoyer I have indeed over thought dead wife into an oc #and I’ve always imagined Rán as Nabatean #BUT… we don’t really have anything to indicate that half blooded Nabateans don’t get unique crests #if I’m remember the lore correctly in my oh my god I’m so tired why am I still awake brain #the general cast are neither Nabatean nor Agarthan in ancestry but a secret third thing (human) #and none of the crests entered human blood lines organically #they gained them upon consumption of Nabatean blood not hereditarily through Nabatean and human inbreeding #but that doesn’t mean that if a Nabatean and a human were to breed they WOULDNT produce a unique crest #just that there are no documented cases and why would there be there are no document about the Nabateans #and if there WAS documentation on all of this why would Seteth ever keep it around #if I let myself go too far down this path and start thinking of Seteth as a Sephiran Im going to make myself insane and also never sleep #but uh. um. the thoughts are In There and I shall surely suffer under them in the days to come #player phase.txt #fe3h

[orteil42]

speaking of game currencies at one point (10+ years ago) i was prototyping a browser MMO where you ride around space in giant cosmic creatures you tamed. for the most part the player race was humanoid but with some hinted-at avian ancestry, which means you'd shed some feather-like material every day - and because the supply of these feathers (my design docs from back then refer to them as "shiny little tags") was slow but steady and scaled with population they just used that as currency. that's them in the top-left:

lore-wise you'd come across wealthy NPCs who stopped bothering to collect theirs and would instead grow these dense natural feather coats as a status symbol. i think you generated 1*your level with each daily login? it was based on the idea of taking "time is money" literally but i don't know if it'd make sense as a game economy. also maybe a little gross in retrospect. they were called chronons

[astroesque]

Vedic Astrology Observations: Part 2

#28. Sun dominant men and moon dominant women are the archetype of “bad boy good girl”.

#29. Mars dominant men seem to be attracted to Venusian women the most.

#30. Most Venusian women are a natural blonde. Not all Venusian women are blonde ofc, but if you see a blonde, it’s highly likely she could have some prominent Venus energy.

#31. Mercury dominant people are very sociable and pleasant to be around. These are some of the most talkative and interesting people out there!

#32. Politically conservative men are generally attracted to Cancerian women (sun, rashi, or ascendant).

#33. Moon dominant men can be very manipulative when it comes to women since they are usually in tune with their feminine self so they use their innate knowledge of women and feminine nature to manipulate them. (They’re still the finest tho lol).

#34. Martian and Saturnian women have the ability to build muscle fairly easily. For Mars (more of a slim thick type, toned but curvaceous) and for Saturn (ripped appearance, fit and skinny, supermodel look even if petite).

#35. Mercury influenced women (either Mercury ruled luminaries, Mercury aspecting the luminaries, or Mercury being the planet ruler of the luminaries), are generally very petite in stature.

#36. Purva Ashadha people can come across as arrogant or bossy even when they aren’t trying to and it’s usually because they are very confident in themselves and can lean towards a superiority complex. (But they are very loyal people and make great friends!)

#37. Dhanishta people might have an affinity for dance, music, or other art forms due to the symbolism of Dhanishta nakshatra being a drum.

#38. Rahu dominant people can come off as crazy or chaotic due to the disruptive nature of the planet.

#39. Ashlesha people are very sharp minded and shrewd. They make great businesspeople and are hard to deceive.

#40. The most masculine nakshatras imo are: Uttara Ashadha, Uttara Phalguni, and Magha.

#41. Rohini and Hasta individuals are some of the most comfortable people to be around. They’re very personable and have easy going personalities.

#42. Dhanishta people have the natural ability to gain fame and popularity.

#43. Sun dominant men are the “manly men” who represent the archetypal masculine energy, have a traditionally masculine appearance, and can be players. This is similar to how Moon dominant women are the archetypal feminine.

#44. Revati women are very sweet but can also be bullies at the same time.

#45. Jyeshta people are usually the most successful ones in their chosen fields whether it’s career, sports, etc. They are very determined and learn to become the best at whatever they choose to pursue.

#46. UBP people make for some of the most loyal, caring, and devoted spouses that if they have break up with someone, the other person will eventually want to come back to the Uttarabhadrapada.

#47. Magha people have the tendency to be very nationalistic possibly to the point of bigotry. They usually are also very proud of their ancestry/heritage.

#48. Shravana people are very good listeners, hence the symbol of Shravana being the ear. They truly are the best people to go to if you want to rant out your feelings/say something because they will truly listen to you try and understand you on a deeper level.

#49. Saturn dominant women and Sun dominant men are the definition of a love-hate relationship. Saturn hates the ego of Sun yet she knows how to cool him down whenever necessary which makes for a very interesting and balanced dynamic in the relationship.

#50. Moon dominant women are naturally very intuitive and may be psychics, tarot readers, or well versed in astrology. Ketu women have this trait too of being very spiritual.

#51. Swati women are probably the most friendly people around and these women literally have no enemies and even if they do they are usually still friendly with them and pleasant to everyone regardless of who they mean to them.

#52. Rahu people are naturally very rebellious and find faults in society rather than in themselves. This is opposite to Saturnian people generally conforming to the rules and finding faults within themselves rather than other people.

#vedic astrology #vedic astro notes #sidereal #sidereal astrology #nakshatras

[pennyblossom-meta]

A short study on the origins of Gale Dekarios

Going through some game information and Forgotten Realms lore, I found some interesting tidbits about the possible origins of Gale and the Dekarios clan. So, what do we know?

After finding Tara in Act 3, there's a dialogue tree (as of yet still bugged 08/12/2023) where Gale tells us that his surname comes from his mother, Morena Dekarios.

Gale: (...) Courtesy of my mother, the inimitable, dare I say it, sometimes unavoidable, Morena Dekarios.

There isn't much to go on from this. Other than a brief mention that Gale's parents denied him a kitten, we don't know where his father is or what happened to him. Indeed, the surname Dekarios could be inherited from Gale's mother or even his father's side — and for the latter we can assume Morena took on the surname sometime after marrying Gale's father, thus becoming her son's main reference for the rest of the clan upon her husband's absence/death.

That being said, I can't find anything about the Dekarios surname within DnD lore. What we do know, is that Gale's clan is scattered far and wide, perhaps even beyond the Sword Coast.

We also know that Gale is of full human heritage, at least from his closest ancestry.

Now, let's dig in a little deeper.

There are several human ethnicities throughout Faerûn.

As of DnD 3.5, there are seven major ethnic groups widely recognised: the Calishites, Chondathans, Damarans, Iluskans, Mulan, Rashemis, and Tethyrians.

However, as of DnD 5E, the Player's Handbook adds that there are actually nine major ethnic groups in Faerûn, including the Shou from Kara-Tur and the Turami who are native to the southern shore of the Inner Sea. In 3.5E, these groups just receive a brief mention, while in 5E there's more of an attempt on expanding their lore.

Note: If you're interested in knowing more about the different ethnic groups in Faerûn, I would suggest reading the Forgotten Realms: Races of Faerûn (2003), the 3.5 Player's Guide to Faerûn, the 5E Player's Handbook and the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide.

Here's a useful map of Faerûn from 3.5E.

It's actually the 3.5 Player's Guide to Faerûn and Forgotten Realms: Races of Faerûn that gives us more in depth information about which communities have a major presence in different areas of the Sword Coast.

For example, while Gale and his mother live in Waterdeep, we don't know whether they moved to the city when Gale was a child or, perhaps, his parents always lived there. Perhaps generations of Dekarios lived in Waterdeep — including Gale's aunt Agnes.

Without further information, it's possible that the Dekarios clan even has their ancestral roots beyond the Sword Coast. Who knows?

According to 3.5E, the recommended human subraces in The Sword Coast are the Illuskan and Tethyrian.

In Waterdeep, it's the Chondathan, the Illuskan and Tethyrian.

Given what we know of Gale, lorewise, what would be the most accurate ethnicity for the Dekarios clan? Let's see what the handbooks say about the three major groups in Waterdeep.

--

The Chondathan

Races of Faerûn (2003): (...) Although Chondathans make skilled mercenaries and cunning rogues, Chondathan culture, has not encouraged study of the Art or great religious fervor. Notable exceptions exist, particularly in the study of the Art among the Netherese influenced Chondathan cultures that lie north and west of the Inner Sea.

(...) Those Chondathans who dwell north and west of the Sea of Fallen Stars (except in Sembia) are more likely to have blue eyes and have fairer complexions and darker hair than those born in the South, evidence of a Netherese heritage. In Chondath itself, particularly in the lands bordering Sespech, a significant Shaaran influx in recent centuries has given many natives of Chondath more of an olive skinned hue.

(...) Chondathan Society (...) As Chondathans place a high value on book learning, many receive some amount of schooling while growing up.

(...) Animals and Pets (...) Chondathans favor small felines as pets and hunting companions (...). Tressyms are highly favored by those who can afford them, as are lynxes.

3.5E: Descended from the natives of the Vilhon Reach, these hardy folk have spread to settle most of the western and central Inner Sea region and much of the Western Heartlands. Chondathans form the primary racial stock of Altumbel, Córmyr, the southern Dalelands, the Dragon Coast, the Great Dale, Hlondeth and both shores of the Vilhon Reach, the Pirate Isles of the Inner Sea, Sembia, and Sespech. They are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almost black. Most are tall and have green or brown eyes, but these traits are hardly universal.

The Chondathan domination of central Faerún came about largely by virtue of extensive trade and settlement rather than by force of arms. Many Chondathans are merchants of one sort or another, and they are not afraid to take risks, travel, or settle new lands.

5E: Chondathans are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almost black. Most are tall and have green or brown eyes, but these traits are hardly universal. Humans of Chondathan descent dominate the central lands of Faerun. around the Inner Sea.

Chondathan Names: (Male) Darvin, Dorn, Evendur, Gorstag, Grim, Helm, Malark, Morn, Randal, Stedd; (female) Arveene, Esvele, Jhessail, Kerri, Lureene, Miri, Rowan, Shandri, Tessele; (surnames) Amblecrown, Buckman, Dundragon, Evenwood, Greycastle, Tallstag

--

The Illuskans

Races of Faerûn (2003): (...) Wizards are rare in Illuskan society. They are widely feared and assumed to be in some way affiliated with the Arcane Brotherhood. Of those who do study wizardry, perhaps the most common specialization is the school of Evocation. Sorcerers and bards are more common among Illuskans, as many Illuskans have a trace of draconic ancestry in their heritage.

(...) Illuskans are not inclined to keep animals as pets, companions, or familiars, as relatively few species are native to Ruathym or nearby islands. Goats, sheep, and geese do better in the cold Illuskan lands than do cattle, swine, or chickens.

3.5E: : The seagoing, warlike people of the Sword Coast, North, the Trackless Sea, and the Desarin river valley, Illuskans are tall, fair-skinned folk with blue or steely gray eyes. Among the islands of the Trackless Sea and Icewind Dale, their hair color tends toward blond, red, or light brown. On the mainland south of the Spine of the World, however, raven-black hair is most common. Iluskans are proud, particularly of their ability to survive in the harsh environment of their northern homelands, and they regard most southerners as weak and decadent. Illuskans make their livings as farmers, fishers, miners, sailors, raiders, skalds, and runecasters.

5E: Illuskans are tall, fair-skinned folk with blue or steely gray eyes. Most have raven-black hair, but those who inhabit the extreme northwest have blond, red, or light brown hair.

Illuskan Names: (Male) Ander, Blath, Bran, Frath, Geth, Lander, Luth, Malcer, Stor, Taman, Urth; (female) Amafrey, Betha, Cefrey, Kethra, Mara, Olga, Silifrey, Westra; (surnames) Brightwood, Helder, Hornraven, Lackman, Stormwind, Windrivver

--

The Tethyrian

Races of Faerûn (2003): (...) In recent centuries, these disparate groups have gradually coalesced into a relatively new ethnic group known as Tethyrians, occupying a vast territory stretching from Calimshan to Silverymoon and from the Sea of Swords to the Sea of Fallen Stars. After centuries of enslavement and oppression by one group or another, Tethyrians are fiercely independent, protective of their freedoms and suspicious of threats posed by powerful kingdoms and empires. Given their disparate ancestry, Tethyrians have never developed a unique language of their own, instead adopting the language of the latest wave of conquerors or refugees. Today most Tethyrians speak Chondathan.

(...) Outside Calimshan, many Tethyrians are craftsmen or caravanners, while others find employment as mercenaries in the employ of other realms. Tethyrians make skilled fighters and rogues, reflecting the struggle to survive successive waves of conquest and generations of warfare. Tethyrian culture has a long tradition of bardcraft, reflecting the absence of a Tethyrian empire at any point ni history and the corresponding reliance on itinerant bards to preserve and spread Tethyrian oral history.

(...) Tethyrians view life as a struggle to be survived through ties to Family, clan, and tribe. To a Tethyrian, freedom is the most precious gift, and the enslavement of another is the greatest sin.

(...) The paths of the loremaster and archmage are both attractive to Tethyrian wizards.

(...) Aside from bards, Tethyrians have not traditionally had access to book learning, although those who do are much esteemed by their peers.

(...) Familial, clan and tribal bonds require that adults look out for one another, so the elderly and those who cannot earn their keep turn to relatives and friends for support.

(...) Tethyrians have strong arcane and divine spellcasting traditions: Bardcraft is revered, and many master bards are of Tethyrian stock. The varied mature of Tethyrian heritage has produced many sorcerers as well. Likewise, the strong influence of Calishite and Netherese cultural traditions has echoes in the large numbers of Tethyrian wizards, although most learn their craft through a traditional master-apprentice relationship, not by attending a formal school.

(...) Animals and Pets (...) Tethyrians are partial to canines, particularly those bred for herding, hunting, or working. Falcons (treat as hawks) and swamp ferrets (treat as weasels) are commonly employed in hunting and often serve as familiars. Ravens are also favored as pets or familiars, particularly in the vicinity of the High Moor.

3.5E: The Tethyrian culture is a melting pot of Calishite, Chondathan, Illuskan, and Low Netherese elements. This unique background makes Tethyrians among the most tolerant, though fiercely independent, ethnic groups in Faerûn. They inhabit a vast territory stretching from Calimshan to Silverymoon, and from the Sea of Swords to the Sea of Fallen Stars. Tethyrians are of medium build and height, with dusky skin that grows fairer the farther north they dwell. Their hair and eye color varies widely, but brown hair and blue eves are the most common. Tethyrians are proud of their diverse heritage and protective of their freedom, so they tend to distrust powerful kingdoms and empires.

5E: Widespread along the entire Sword Coast at the western edge of Faerun, Tethyrians are of medium build and height, with dusky skin that tends to grow fairer the farther north they dwell. Their hair and eye color varies widely, but brown hair and blue eyes are the most common. Tethyrians primarily use Chondathan names.

--

Verdict

After analysing these descriptions, I would say that it makes sense that Gale Dekarios can be of either a Chondathan or Tethyrian heritage — though I'd venture a guess that there's a fair mix of both.

Given that the Dekarios clan is "scattered far and wide", it could imply that they're of a mercantile affinity (Chondathan) and thus have settled in various cities along the the Sword Coast and beyond for trade purposes. Further migration patterns veering west, towards the Sword Coast, and an affinity for magic that can be related to Netherese ancestry (Chondathan and Tethyrian) are valid backgrounds for what we know of Gale.

Some things to consider:

The Tethyrians have more of a natural arcane leaning than the Chondathans (Gale was casting accidental fireballs at the age of 8, among other funny accidents).

The Tethyrians form strong familial and clan bonds (Gale has strong ties to his mother, is very family oriented).

Gale has more of an olive skinned hue, brown eyes and hair, as the combo is more common with the Chondathans ethnicity in contemporary Faerûn. It speaks of a Mediterranean background, if we were to compare it with Earth.

The Chondathans also have an affinity with felines, while the Tethyrian veer towards employing animals for hunting and favor birds of prey as familiars.

The Chondathans place a high value on book learning.

Both ethnicities have ties to the Netherese, which creates a compelling narrative device — especially after Gale's fallout with Mystra due to the Netherese orb incident. However, opportune irony aside, I think that what we see of Gale points to a mix of both heritages and that they reflect different sides of him that go beyond ethnicity, as they also affect his background from a socio-economical standpoint.

#bg3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #baldur's gate 3 #tara the tressym #forgotten realms #bg3 meta #morena dekarios #bg3 spoilers #faerun #dungeons and dragons

[zwedexx]

AWFC x English-Italian Reader - Introduction

Summary: Reader is playing in a champions league game and get severely injured

TW: Injury?

WC: 645

A/N: Injury won the polls so injury it is. Nothing is proof read. The angsty and more serious stuff starts with the Chapters. Also this is my version of the Arsenal-Lyon game (December 15, 2022). I think the 1 or 2 next chapter will go from December 2022 to ~December 2023. Anyways, share your opinions and suggestions. Also requests are open and I'd really love to try my hand at requests so please submit some.

You joined Arsenal at a young age, 17 years old. You were a bombshell when you landed in the WSL. You might have grown up in England but you were Italian by birth and ancestry. You brought 3 Italian things with you, your defensive style, hand gestures and a last name no commentator could pronounce properly.

You quickly gained a reputation for being fearless LB, you weren’t necessarily a dirty player but you had being compared to Katie a few times. You were willing to make a risky tackle or sacrifice your body if it meant you’d stop a goal. You were never the tallest on the team, that distinction going to the Swedes and you weren’t the biggest but you had heart and stupidity. 

Now here you were a full year, 4 goals, 5 yellows and 1 red later standing in the tunnel of a group stage champions league match against Lyon. 

You felt this odd sense of nervousness, this was your first start in a champions league game but it was unusual for you. You were taken out of your thoughts when you felt Viv’s arms on your shoulders as she guided you out of the tunnel. 

The match was quite uneventful for the majority of the first half, Lyon had some good chances and so did Arsenal. Your nerves had calmed down, you were focused. You had even stopped a breakaway from Malard. 

Lyon’s best chance was in 45’+1. Bacha had a free kick from right before the halfway line. She passed it to Morroni then it came back to Bacha who launched the ball over the crowd. You had been tracking Gilles, the Lyon centerback, you knew she was excellent with her head and if it touched the ball it was sure to be a goal. You saw the ball fly over, hit Horan and go back up into the air. You jumped high, trying to reach the ball before Gilles can get a head to it and you succeeded. You felt the ball hit your head and you loosed up a bit, forgetting that the opposing player head was still in motion. Instead of heading the ball, Gilles collided with the side of your head. You feel a sharp excruciating pain, something you’d never experienced before then nothing. You were out. 

“Y/N.” You could hear a faint sound of someones voice shouting your name. 

“Y/N can you hear me.”

You tried to move, tried to open your eyes but you felt trapped in your own body. Nothing wanted to work. It’d take a few moments before you’d gotten some control back and you were able to open your eyes. 

You were completely surrounded by medical staff, it was sort of overwhelming but you were able to spot the voice calling you, Leah. You could see the worry and panic in her face, you wanted to give her a smile or a sign that you’d be okay but it was hard enough to keep your eyes open. The medics were attempting to speak to you but their words were just faded noises and before they were able to finish you felt your eyes roll to the back of your head and you were out once more.

The next you remembered was machines beeping. This incessant beeping that made your head hurt each time it went off. Waking up this time was far easier, you had more control and you felt a little more awake. 

“Y/N, for the love of god please tell me something. “ Leah had notice you’d woken up, Jordan had also been in the room but was asleep on the couch next to 4 other bags likely from other teammates that had stepped out.

“Y/N, can you understand me.” Leah asked again, hoping, praying for any response. 

“Leah… What- What happened” you croaked out.

Leah face lit up from your response but there was pain behind eyes. You could see tears begin to well up.

“Too much, Y/N/N, too much.” 

#woso one shot #woso #woso x reader #arsenal wfc #arsenal women #woso fanfics #woso community #woso soccer #womens football #engwnt #woso imagine #woso couples #leah williamson #ol féminin #olympique lyonnais #vanessa gilles #vivianne miedema #selma bacha #perle morroni #lindsey horan

[offurandfeathers]

Don't take this the wrong way, but you're quite large for an elf.

"Who is to say ? Perhaps there's a half-orc buried somewhere in my ancestry ?" - Halsin Silverbough

I think there is definitely something buried deep in his ancestry. But not half-orc, as Halsin seems to think.

Human.

Specifically a human of the Uthgardt, a folk of barbarians of the North, probably of the Tree Ghost tribe.

And here is why I think that might be the case.

(tldr; at the end)

Size:

Source: Storm King's Thunder adventure module for DnD 5e, page 65:

"The Uthgardt barbarians are a black-haired and blue-eyed people - large, hale, bloodthirsty folk [...]."

It is safe to assume that the word "large" here indicates that the Uthgardt are larger than most humans, since it is one of the barbarian distinctive traits.

Uthdardt barbarian genes could explain Halsin's exceptional height and broadness, since both characteristics are uncommon for wood elves.

Hairiness:

Source: D&D 4e Player Handbook, page 41

"Elves have little body hair [...]. "

Source: D&D 5e Player Handbook, page 21

"Elves have no facial and little body hair."

Halsin has body hair. Without being extremely hairy, he definitely has more than your typical elf. (Astarion has virtually none, in comparison; same goes for elven Tav/Durge.)

Human genes in Halsin's ancestry could explain his characteristic hirsutism.

Eye color:

Source: D&D 5e Player Handbook, page 24 , Wood elf subrace

"Their eyes are green, brown, or hazel."

Halsin has hazel eyes. But his eyes are blue hazel, rather than the green or brown hazel that is typical with wood elves. as can be noticed from this screenshot taken from the game:

Then again, Uthgardt barbarians were known for their blue eyes!

Source: Storm King's Thunder adventure module for DnD 5e, page 65:

"The Uthgardt barbarians are a black-haired and blue-eyed people - large, hale, bloodthirsty folk [...]."

It is not so farfetched, then, that Uthgardt blue eyes turned blue hazel somewhere down the line, especially if there has been mixing with wood elves.

Family's resting place:

According to Halsin's in-game dialogue, his family as been laid to rest near the Grandfather Tree, in the High Forest.

Uthgardt barbarians inhabited the High Forest. The Tree Ghost tribe, specifically, appointed themselves as the Grandfather Tree guardians; the Grandfather Tree became their ancestral mound, and is where some of them, if not all, are buried after passing.

Source: Storm King's Thunder adventure module for DnD 5e, page 86, Grandfather Tree:

"Buried beneath the outermost ring are the moldy bones of long-dead Uthgardt barbarians, most of them from the Tree Ghost tribe."

Perhaps Halsin's close relatives have been buried there by tradition, as were his Uthgardt barbarian ancestors.

tldr;

Halsin might descend from Uthgardt barbarians, as is supported by:

his height and size

his body hair

his eye color

his family's resting place

#hc #theory #halsin #halsin silverbough #bg3

[thechekhov]

In your opinion, do you think there’s a language that’s the most difficult to learn? Is there one that’s the “easiest”?

Not a single one, no.

There are, however, relatively harder or easier languages - depending on what languages you already know.

Because of course, the difficulty level of learning and acquiring new skills will heavily depend on the skillset you already have. Snowboarding is a skill that takes time to learn, but someone with, say, a skateboarding background may have an easier time than a basketball player.

Many native English speakers cite Mandarin Chinese as a particularly hard language to learn, but that's not because Mandarin is inherently confusing. It's because English, their first language, is very much UNLIKE Mandarin. They have to therefore learn more new skills and create new ways to think about language.

This is contrasted by a Japanese person learning Mandarin and finding it easier because there is a level of similarity and shared ancestry between kanji and Chinese characters.

Or, say, a French speaker learning Italian. Those two are cousin languages, and they, too, share ancestry and many similar grammatical features and many of the same root words which will make learning new vocabulary easier.

So - is there a "most difficult" or "easiest" language to learn? Sure. For YOU.

Someone else who doesn't speak the same languages as you do, however, may have a very different experience.

#chekhov answers

[mcflymemes]

IN-DEPTH HEADCANON QUESTIONS * collection #1

when your muse enters a grocery store, what's the first section they walk to and why?

what would your muse describe as their "essentials" for life?

is your muse a note taker? list maker? do they keep their life organized, or are they more of a go with the flow type of person?

how passionate is your muse about recycling, and to what extent do they enforce this passion (i.e. never drinks out of plastic water bottles, has a reusable straw, etc.)?

what's one thing your muse has too much of but can't stop buying?

does your muse collect anything? where do they keep their collection?

if your muse could pick a song to play at their own funeral, what would it be?

how does your muse store and display memories? do they have a shoebox full of photos, polaroids hanging on the wall, etc.?

does your muse own and/or trust devices like alexa, siri, etc. and use them regularly? why or why not?

describe your muse's handwriting. do they prefer using pens or pencils? is their handwriting neat or messy? do they use all caps?

what's a quote that best describes your muse?

what's a quote that your muse tries to live each day by?

does your muse keep track of their family ancestry? why or why not? how much do they know about their family history?

does your muse have a green thumb, or are they a notorious plant killer? what's their experience with plants like?

what's one memory your muse wishes they could forget forever?

what's one memory your muses wishes they could relive over and over?

who is your muse's favorite person and why?

how does your muse prefer to listen to music (headphones/earbuds/record player, etc)?

if your muse could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they choose and why?

does your muse have any routines or expected behaviors throughout the day? if not, why do they avoid following a routine?

is your muse interested in celebrity gossip? why or why not?

what's your muse's niche interest that they could talk for hours about?

what are some popular foods that your muse hates?

what's your muse's favorite zoo animal?

what kind of texter is your muse? do they send multiple messages at once? do they forget to respond to messages often? do they use gifs? emojis?

what's your muse's favorite physical aspect of themselves?

what's your muse's favorite aspect of their own personality?

did your muse ever have an imaginary friend growing up? what were they like, and how long did they have them?

does your muse regularly check the weather, or do they play it by ear? do they keep an umbrella on hand? do they love storms, or fear them?

how would you describe your muse's aesthetic?

if your muse was handed a $100 bill and told to buy anything they wanted at the store, what would they get?

does your muse run hot or cold? are they always in jackets, or always sweating and asking for the air to be turned on?

at restaurants, does your muse prefer to eat inside or pick something in the outdoor seating section?

how are your muse's table manners? do they sit a napkin on their lap? do they know which forks and spoons to use? do they have any particular preferences at the dinner table?

#rp starters #rp memes #rp prompt #rp meme #rp musings #roleplay memes #roleplay prompt #roleplay meme #askbox meme #ask memes #rp asks #ask meme #inbox meme #inbox prompts #inbox prompt #rp inbox meme #sentence starter #sentence starter prompt #sentence starters #headcanon questions #headcanons #hc questions #inbox questions #rp questions #muse questions #headcanon #mcflymemes

[padraigshomebrewworkshop]

Ancestry: Heraldic (V0.1)

Alright, this time I'm going to try my hand at making a ancestry/lineage. I'll first explain the general concept, give a short lore explanation/example, and then provide the preliminary features. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

General Concept: This is actually, in a sense, my response to the Ardling that was playtested not to long ago for One D&D. It felt like they had an element missing in both versions they presented, for one. It also felt like they just ended up being less interesting versions of already existing ancestries (aasimar for the first version and general beastkin for the second). So, I decided one way you could make a divine beastkin sort of ancestry more interesting is to A) give it a more flavorful ability to represent their divine origins and B) embrace the otherworldly by making them a representation of fantastical and even divine hybrid animals like the mushussu and even unicorns in certain depictions.

Preliminary Lore: This actually still being worked out, but I have two paths to follow so far:

Option 1: A heraldic is born in response to the presence of a powerful celestial being known as a heraldic beast (name not final). Heraldic beasts are charged with protecting a certain group of people, family, or even piece of land from potentially malevolent entities like fiends and aberrations. Heraldics themselves are born into said group of people, often looking like their parents associated ancestry before beginning to develop more beastly features, eventually fully becoming a heraldic. Seem more common in places where a heraldic beast died trying to protect its charges, likely as some way to ensure someone will be there to protect them in its absence.

Option 2: Heraldics themselves are created to protect a group of people, a family, or piece of land. As such, they often become the de facto protectors of their charges. They often end up sharing the same appearance as their predecessors, but on occasion will manifest different abilities, likely with a different animal influence then others of their clan/tribe.

Appearance: Heraldics end up looking quite otherworldly, and not just because of their inherent chimeric nature. They often possess unusual coloration when compared to the common appearance of their component parts, such as having pearlescent fur/scales or golden eyes. More often then not, they possesses coloration that represents their apotropaic function, typically having coloration that their "wards" associate with good fortune or prosperity. Obviously, they end of being a humanoid mish-mash of various beasts. However, this can manifest in various ways, with the combinations of beasts varying from as little as two to even five or six in rare instances. These features often grow and manifest overtime, with usually only one beast component being fully developed at maturity. As more components reach "maturity", it can drastically change a heraldics appearance in chaotic seeming ways. For instance, a heraldic may start with a small set of bird-like wings fit only for gliding, then suddenly manifest a large set of bat wings later on in life that are capable of flight (while still keeping the smaller bird-like wings). Or perhaps the features will merge, becoming entirely unique in appearance (though perhaps a bit unsettling).

Creature Type: Humanoid (possibly Celestial)

Size: Medium or Small

Speed: 30 ft.

Age: Either around 200 or 300 if lore option 2. Longer when compared to their parents ancestry if lore option 1.

Natural Weapon: You possess a natural weapon associated with one of your beastly components, such as claws or horns. Your unarmed strike becomes 1d6 + Strength for damage and can be either Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing (you choose at character creation). When you gain another Chimeric Form option, you can choose another one of the provided damage types to be an option when you make an unarmed strike with this feature, representing another natural weapon manifesting with your further development.

Chimeric Form: Choose one of the following options, representing the beastly component that first fully manifested. You choose another option at 3rd and 5th level. You can choose an option twice, with it becoming more powerful in certain ways:

Aquatic (shark, dolphin, plesiosaur, etc.): You gain a 15ft swimming speed and can hold your breath for 1 hour. If chosen again, the swim speed equals 30ft and you can breath both air and water.

Flyer (hawk, butterfly, pterosaur, etc.): When you fall at least 10ft and are not incapacitated or restrained, you can spread your wings and glide a number of feet equal to half your walking speed per and take no falling damage. You also only take half the fall damage you would normally take, even if incapacitated or restrained. If chosen again, you gain a 30ft flying speed.

Agile (leopard, rabbit, velociraptor, etc.): You add an additional 10ft to your walking speed and you have advantage on saves against being knocked prone. If chosen again, you gain a 30ft climbing speed and can add half your walking speed when making a running long or high jump.

Sturdy (elephant, tortoise, ankylosaurus, etc.): Your hit points maximum increases by 1, and increases by 1 again each time you level up. You also count as one size larger when determining carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. If chosen again, your hit points maximum increase by 2 instead of 1 each level up and you have an AC of 13 + Dexterity when unarmored.

Nocturnal (owl, cat, troodon, etc.): You gain 60ft of darkvision and can take the Hide action as a bonus action when obscured by dim light or darkness. If chosen again, your darkvision increases to 120ft and you gain 10ft of blindsight.

Burrower (mole, fox, thrinaxodon, etc.): You gain a 15ft burrowing speed (loose earth only) and have 10ft of tremorsense. If chosen again, the burrowing speed becomes 30ft and you can now burrow through unworked stone.

Apotropaic Presence: When you are targeted by an attack or forced to make a save by an aberration, fey, fiend, or undead, you can use your reaction to make that creature roll at disadvantage for that attack or make yourself roll at advantage if they force you to make a save. You can do this an amount of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Heightened Senses: You gain proficiency in either Perception or Survival.

Again, feedback is welcome and appreciated!

#d&d #dnd #homebrew #player race #player ancestry #player lineage

[hopefulstarfire]

Do you guys want some cursed knowledge?

So I was looking at etymologies for different characters in YuGiOhs names right? And like. Obviously Zorc comes up. The Necrophades part of his name is obvious, connections to being a God of Death, essentially or at the very least a lot of death happens in connedtion to him. But Zorc is not a real name to me.

Then I found out people do have it for a last name bc there's a former German soccer player whose last name is Zorc.

And ancestry of all places had a meaning and origin for the name;

So two things;

Zorc's name is essentially Aurora Dawn Deathdeath and that is the most 2000s fanfiction name I've ever heard in my goddamn life.

Zorc is a name very close to George of all things.

WHAT ABOUT THIS THING SCREAMS AURORA DAWN OR GEORGE TO YOU

#kenz musings #yugioh #ygo #zorc necrophades

[anim-ttrpgs]

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000

Super interesting video by Questing Beast about some of the earliest ancestors to what would come to be known as a "tabletop roleplaying game," and the wargaming roots of TTRPGs as a whole.

I, the lead rules writer for Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy have been a Warhammer 40,000 player for years, and I love to brag about the way that Eureka as a TTRPG is in touch with its wargaming ancestry, both in ways you would and wouldn’t expect.

Playing Warhammer 40,000 has helped me get a good sense for dice probability, especially with regards to the D6s that Eureka uses, and is one of the things that gave me the idea for how Eureka handles firearms, particularly those with high rates of fire.

In Eureka, one single hit from a bullet is enough to incapacitate a human character, and automatic weapons can fire up to 10 or even 12 bullets in a single action. Each one of these bullets has the potential to be devastating if it hits.

Lots of factors affect the probably of a shot hitting a target, and most of them affect it by making the probability go down. Shooting 1-3 shots in a single turn will be rolled by the standard and highly predictable 2D6 that Eureka normally uses, but beyond that number, D12s are used for each shot, which not only makes the rolling of 4+ shots easier because you can scoop a bunch of D12s up in one hand and throw them all at once without having to keep distinct pairs together, but also makes each individual dice roll swingier, and slightly more likely to be a lower number.

Therefore, just like in real life, automatic weapons increase accuracy by increasing the volume of shots fired, increasing the chance that at least one of them will hit. Because any given 9mm fired is just as deadly as another, whether it’s fired by itself or as part of a large burst.

It was Warhammer 40,000’s mechanics that filter massive numbers of attacks through Accuracy, Wounding, and Armor Saves, when only a few of these attacks need to get through in order to be effective, that helped put me onto this idea.

There is also the fact that, despite primarily being a neo-noir Investigation game, Eureka’s rules also allow for players easily controlling multiple characters at a time and the potential for more militaristic scenarios, with each individual PC being super fragile with simple HP that is super easy to keep track of even across multiple character sheets.

Then, there are quite a few things about Eureka that one might not expect to have come from a wargame.

For one, we get a lot of praise for how each section of the Eureka rulebook is ended with a series of bulletpoints that summarize all the key rules and ideas in the paragraphs above. Well, I got the idea to do that from Warhammer 40,000 rulebooks.

There is also a mechanic in the past few editions of Warhammer 40,000 called “Command Points.” Command Points are a limited resource that can be spent to gain small advantages in the game, such as rerolling a single die, or activating the special abilities of certain units. There is a set of universal Command Point abilities that all factions share, as well as every faction having their own set of Command Point abilities unique only to them.

It is no coincidence that Eureka sports a very similar mechanic. You can find more information about this by reading "Investigation and the Eureka! System" in the Eureka prerelease rulebook, which you can download for free right here, but the short version is that as investigators investigate, they gain Eureka! Points. It can take an awful lot of investigating to gain a single Eureka! Point, which makes them a very scarce resource, but they can be spent on valuable bonuses, such as retroactively un-failing a previously failed Investigation check and getting the clue that would have been obtained from it (We call that a “Eureka! Moment!), or adding an extra D6 to an important roll, increasing the probability of success. Those are just the universal ones, however, that every PC has. Like Command Point abilities in Warhammer 40,000, there’s a set of universal ones, but most of them are exclusive.

Certain Traits unlock other Eureka! Point abilities exclusive to PCs who have those Traits, one of my favorite of which being the Eureka! Point ability that the Final Girl Trait unlocks, which allows spending a Eureka! Point to decrease the probably of success for an aggressive monster’s roll, helping simulate the trope of the “final girl” being able to just barely slip out from the jaws of death due to a sudden stroke of luck.

Another one of my favorites is a set of Eureka! Point abilities unlocked by the monster-exclusive Unkillable Trait. These abilities allow monsters, PC or NPC, to suddenly and unexpectedly return to the narrative after seemingly having been killed by losing all their HP. The more Eureka! Points spent, the sooner more immediately the monster can return.

If any of this sounds interesting to you, you can back our Kickstarter before it ends on May 10th and get a copy on release! We are also doing physical copies now!

Oh, and just one more thing..

Eureka Mention!

If you want to try before you buy, you can download a free demo of the prerelease version from our website or our itch.io page!

If you’re interested in a more updated and improved version of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy than the free demo you got from our website, subscribe to our Patreon where we frequently roll our new updates for the prerelease version!

You can also support us on Ko-fi, or by checking out our merchandise!

Join our TTRPG Book Club At the time of writng this, Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is the current game being played in the book club, and anyone who wants to participate in discussion, but can’t afford to make a contribution, will be given the most updated prerelease version for free! Plus it’s just a great place to discuss and play new TTRPGs you might not be able to otherwise!

We hope to see you there, and that you will help our dreams come true and launch our careers as indie TTRPG developers with a bang by getting us to our base goal and blowing those stretch goals out of the water, and fight back against WotC's monopoly on the entire hobby. Wish us luck.

#eureka: investigative urban fantasy #ttrpg #rpg #roleplaying #eureka #tabletop #coc #monsters #youtube #questing beast #dnd #dnd 5e #d&d 5e #5e #wargaming #40k #warhammer 40k #wh 40k #wh40k #imperial guard #warhammer #warhammer 40000 #warhammer fantasy #warhammer40k #games workshop #space marines #ttrpgs #ttrpg community #ttrpg tumblr #ttrpg art

[illwilledomen]

My Piglin Headcanons !

Piglins have a lot more body fat than humans as they often must go without food for long periods. This does not mean they are just blubbery however, as piglins have considerably more muscle mass as well, which makes them considerably stronger and more resilient in their environment.

Their large ears help dispel heat to keep cool, and also to detect prey and other piglin over vast distances.

Similar to how some humans developed yodeling to communicate over long distances, piglins have developed various vocal techniques to herd strider and hoglin and signal to other piglin tribes or bastions over the Nether’s large, precarious mountain ranges and chasms. Because it is an enclosed space, the sound can echo off of the walls and travel a great distance.

Piglin settlements and communes are often found nestled in valleys or banks, which are often cooler and shielded from the lava “oceans” heat. Their culture is entirely dependent on crimson fungus, strider and hoglin meat, and so they often set up camp near crimson forests.

Due to there being very few true plants able to survive in the nether, piglins cannot digest most vegetables from the Overworld. Their stomachs are evolved to mostly digest meat. Travelling groups of piglins often eat dense, highly nutritious foods similar to pemmican, but made from nether ingredients.

Piglin have a high resistance to multiple hallucinogenic chemicals produced by Nether fungus, having a far less potent reaction than one would see in a human. They are also immune to multiple toxins found in the flesh of native nether life forms, such as magma cubes.

Recreational hallucinogenic substances are very important to piglin culture, and has influenced their mythology, medicine and philosophy.

Inspired from the Farmers Respite mod, an expansion to farmers delight, coffee beans are one of the few native but rare plants of the nether. Due to this, piglins are the inventors of coffee, which helps keep them active and alert during long treks and hunts.

Like dolphins, when piglins sleep, a part of their brain remains awake. For unknown reasons which baffle Netherologists, entities which enter full REM sleep while in a dimension they do not originate from have a very high chance of spontaneous combustion. Due to their Overworld ancestry as wild pigs millions of years ago, Piglins have had to evolve to combat this.

Piglins have three main universal forms of language. Vocal language, which is both talking and non-speech vocalizing. Piglin sign language - which is used with extradimensional beings such as humans or Endermen as neither can physically speak piglin very well, as well as deaf or mute piglins. And finally, their written word, which consists of symbolic hieroglyphics. Stone tablets are typically used, and smaller tribes or communities may not use it.

Bastions are vastly different to other piglin communities, as they are closed religious groups. They only allow outsiders (piglin or otherwise) if it is by blood or formal invitation by a religious leader. Piglin of the bastion may be hostile toward humans and players, as humans have stolen from them in the past during tensions between piglins and human explorers, which occurred before the fall of the ancient humans.

Nearly all Piglin worship their goddess, a golden sow, which represents different things depending on what tribe you’re talking to, but usually power and honor. This may stem from the fact female aligned piglins are larger and thus considered more powerful in their society.

This is why gold is very important to them. Contrary to outdated beliefs held by old school Netherologists, gold is not a piglin currency - piglins trade goods for other goods amongst themselves, not with currency but with produce (there’s probably a word for this but idk it. Things don’t have fixed prices, you can buy a basket of mushrooms and pay that with some hoglin meat yk what I’m saying). Gold is rather a sign of respect and allyship, hence why if one wears it you will be allowed near hunting parties who may share some of their resources with you.

Piglins have a peculiar ability to detect disturbances in a soul. For example, they will be heavily psychologically affected (moreso than others) by soul sand, and may be wary of players (humans that have altered souls & can respawn) as opposed to normal humans (when they die, they die.)

Piglins raise their piglets communally and tribes are often led by an older female. Piglins, like all minecraft creatures, are intersex, and, again, like all other minecraft creatures, can alter their hormone levels naturally - a piglin that decides to remain with high levels of estrogen is what I mean when I say a female piglin.

#minecraft #minecraft headcanons #minecraft lore #piglin #piglins #nether #minecraft piglin #mineblr #writing #long post #my minecraft lore

[ttrpgbrackets]

Propaganda under the cut

Whale Ate My Parents:

When you kill a whale, roll +WHALES KILLED. On a 12+, you find your parents, shaken but alive, inside the whale; replace this move with another.

On a 10+, you find one parent, shaken but alive, inside the whale; replace this move with another. On a 7-9, heal all harm. On a 6-, weep into the sea and take 1 to your next roll.

What makes it cool?

Patchwork World is full of these hyper specific moves, but none of them ask the player to do something as specific as "Roll +WHALES KILLED".

Reveal Machinations:

You reveal that you played a minor but recurring role in another humanoid’s life—or at least convince them that’s the case. Attempt a Deception check against the target’s Will DC. On a success, the revelation makes them frightened 2, and on a critical success they are frightened 3. In addition, you gain information about the subject as though you had attempted to Recall Knowledge about them using an appropriate skill and received the same result on your roll. You can’t use this ability against the same humanoid again until 1 day has passed and you’ve also successfully disguised yourself as a different person.

Special - At the GM’s discretion, this feat can be used against non-humanoids if they have regular contact with humanoids or you are able to disguise yourself as a member of the target’s ancestry or type of creature.

What makes it cool?

A capstone feat for your lying, scheming character allows you to reveal that your machinations lay undetected for years and it's been Agatha all along. Terrify your opponents by revealing that everything that has transpired has done so according to your design. Dress up as someone else and do it again tomorrow. Dress up as a slime and persuade the slime that you've been manipulating it for its whole slime life. After having this feat, any game that won't enable my deceptive PC to live her Lysanderoth fantasy is a let down.

#indie ttrpg #ttrpg community #ttrpg design #tumblr bracket #round 1

[thryth-gaming]

Daggerheart - What I've Seen So Far

Template-Based Character Builds

This will be familiar to players of D&D, Pathfinder 2e, Monster of the Week and similar systems where you choose from one of several existing classes, playbooks, ancestries, backgrounds, and the like.

The selection of templates here come in three categories:

Classes

Ancestries

Communities

Classes

Classes are built along lines familiar to D&D players with the following options.

Bard

Druid

Guardian

Ranger

Rogue

Seraph

Sorcerer

Warrior

Wizard

Most of these are what they appear to be, with Fighter and Barbarian bundled together across Guardian and Warrior, with one being more tanky and the other being more damage oriented. Cleric and Paladin are represented together by Seraph.

Each of these classes has subclasses similar to D&D with each currently having two options. These subclasses start with a "Foundation" ability, moving to "Specialization" and then "Mastery". I'm curious at this moment whether in the future each subclass will have multiple Specialization and Mastery options but currently there's only one to each subclass.

Each class also has two "Domains" which determine the selection of other skills they can draw from. This has similarities to both City of Mist's themebooks, with the exception that the Domains are hardlocked to each class, and Pathfinder's Class feats, with the exception that each class is going to overlap their abilities with other classes.

For example, Warrior and Ranger each have access to the "Bone" Domain abilities while Druid and Sorcerer all have the "Arcana" Domain.

Initially, a character will have two of these abilities but they will get more as they level up, with the ability to have at most five active at any given time, with a cost to switch abilities out if you suddenly decide you need X instead of Y.

This smacks a bit of Vancian casting, spell-slots and the like, however there are two closer mechanics, one of these also from Darrington Press. In Candela Obscura you have a list of items which you can declare you have at any point, but only up to three-items. Then there's Scion 2e, where you can buy as many Knacks as you want, but you can only have a number active equal to your ranks in associated Callings.

Ancestries and Communities

These represent the character's genetic heritage, what D&D currently refers to as Races. These have a basic ability like a Daemon's "Dread Visage" helping them to intimidate others. At current moment, there doesn't appear to be a list of future abilities connected to Ancestry similar to Pathfinder's Ancestry Feats.

Similarly, Communities are similar to Backgrounds in both D&D and Pathfinder and come with a similar power to those found in Ancestries. Again, there doesn't seem to be a sign of other powers based on Community as you level up. But this is no different from Pathfinder or D&D.

Analysis

It's familiar enough to D&D and Pathfinder that a lot of people are going to be comfortable with it. The use of cards feels a bit like a gimmick, but I imagine it will make parsing through abilities a bit easier for a lot of people since you can cut down to just your abilities rather than look through the entire book. Assuming more abilities get put out as the game moves on, this is essentially not too different from D&D/Pathfinder Feats or Scion Knacks.

From a design perspective it's also a good move since new classes will only require building the basic class features and subclass features and the majority of the abilities will come from the same pool.

All in all, it's easy for D&D players to pick up and appealing enough to those of us whose home games are more of the narrative variety.

Health and Defense System

The Health System is probably the most innovative part of this game.

First, the parts of the system that are elements I've seen before:

Separate Evasion and Resilience is a thing that has been around for ages. Champions/Hero System has done it since the early 80s and it also shows up in Storyteller, Storypath, Cypher system, Mutants and Masterminds, and so on.

The combination of Stress and Wounds is also something I've seen before. Notably in City of Mist and Fate.

Armor as a resource that gets expended also is something I've seen in The Fellowship, Scion 2e, and several other such things.

Capped damage... and this is initially the one that stood out to me as the that's cool... appears in Scion 2e where the most you can deal with any attack is 2 Wounds... in a game where one Wound is enough to take out most enemies.

Low Health totals are a common build design for PbtA games, Fate, Scion 2e, World of Darkness, City of Mist, and several other games.

It's the Damage Thresholds added in here that makes this most interesting thing and where it avoids the pitfalls that affect some of these other systems (note that Fate, MotW, Scion 2e, and City of Mist are the systems I consider my "home games" so yes, I'm pointing out their pitfalls.

The Damage Thresholds allow for the fun of rolling huge numbers and building significant differences between squishies and crunchies without making balance too difficult.

Capping the damage at 3 where all players have 6 HP at base means that you're never going to have a player be one-shot. It shares this feature with Scion 2e. Though Scion 2e has the options to spend extra success on other things beside damage, so allowing for a more scenery chewing, cinematic, superheroic style of fight (the developers of the game point to the fight between Kratos and The Stranger/Baldur at the start of God of War as what they wanted for Demigod tier combat).

However, the Damage Thresholds and rolling damage are likely to be more intuitive to players only familiar with D&D.

PbtA matches low Harm/HP counts with static damage: a knife will always deal 1 Harm, for example. Similar to Scion 2e, this prevents characters from being taken out in one blow ... you know, unless the static damage is something like 6 or 8... which feels like a bad choice on behalf of the GM. But not rolling damage can be a little jarring the first couple of times you encounter it.

Those are minor issues. Scion 2e, City of Mist, Monster of the Week, and Fate were all built in a world where the big risks were already apparent and demonstrated. The differences between them and Daggerheart is significant, but which you prefer is largely going to be a matter of preference.

Hero System and old Storyteller system is where the danger of separating evasion and resilience. Hero System tanks become incredibly difficult to damage even when you do hit them because their resistances cancel out all the damage. Building attacks to get around that tends to be expensive. Likewise, high Speed or Defense characters can be just impossible to even touch... though you can counter that with area effect attacks.

In a lot of Storyteller (World of Darkness, Scion 1e, etc) systems Dexterity got marked as a "God Stat" usable for both attack and defense and where their armor mechanics were far less reliable.

Daggerheart gets around both those major balance issues. It does have the potential for some psychological downside in that rolling especially high damage rolls may feel like you're wasting effect. However, it looks like part of how they do multiple attacks or area of effect is let you roll damage and split it up between multiple attacks as you desire. So if you did a massive amount of damage, you can apply the bulk of the effect on a main enemy and scatter the remaining damage to several of the minions around them.

As far as resisting goes... a Warrior is going to be a lot harder to damage once you hit them than a Rogue, but they will still have to deal with being slowly nickel and dimed down. High Evasion characters will avoid most attacks, without the risk being pasted by a single strike.

This reduces the scenario design burden on the GM since they don't have to worry as much about overwhelming the tanks or flattening the dodgers (or casters) in a single roll.

Death Move, not Taken Out

One side note is that Daggerheart does not use a Taken Out mechanic. When your HP go to 0 you have three options:

Go out in a blaze of glory.

Risk a scar and resist death, scars are more likely the higher level you get.

Risk it all and roll hoping your Hope die is higher than your Fear die at the risk of dying flat out.

This is in comparison to Scion 2e and Fate where getting Taken Out mostly just means that you are out of the scene and death is a matter of choice and negotiation between player and GM. This presents the players from being blindsided by death and getting drama out of defeat such as being captured or separated from the group. Or... they can let their character die if they feel it is narrative enough.

Daggerheart similarly has ways to avoid death blindsiding the group and derailing campaign progress with the need to introduce a new character and the loss of story arcs that had been built up. But death still remains a risk, similar to City of Mist or Monster of the Week. (Though Monster of the Week has a significantly dramatic resurrection mechanic.)

Action Resolution System

The d12+d12 system is a bit interesting. You roll 2d12, each a different color called "duality dice". One of the dice is Hope and one is Fear. If your Hope die is higher than the Fear die, then you gain a Hope (the meta-currency of the game), but if the Fear die is higher, the GM gains a Fear (the GM's version of Hope). If the two dice are equal, that's a critical success.

They list Genesys as a Touchstone, and I can see its DNA here. Genesys uses a number of signature dice and you roll large dice pools of positive dice versus large dice pools of negative dice generating and cancelling out resources. It was not nearly as bad as I expected it to be and, in fact, I found it quite a fun system to play, but it is intimidating to a newcomer. Heck, as implied, I was doubtful of it before I played it.

This is more similar to rolling Fate dice where you roll 4d6 where the sixes are each marked with 2 blank, 2 minus, and 2 plus sides. Add those together and you get a range of effect from -4 to +4. But again, they haven't listed Fate as a direct Touchstone, so I don't think this is deliberate. If it was Hope minus Fear the comparison would be almost exact.

As a note, this d12+d12 method creates a slightly higher chance of getting a critical hit. As seen here in an Anydice comparison, the chance for a critical hit on this method, where the dice roll the same number, has an 8.33% chance of success compared to a 5% chance with rolling a natural 20... and no chance for a critical failure.

The "with Hope" and "with Fear" also allows the GM to describe a success that yet promises coming danger (succeeding with fear) or a failure that yet gives a sign that all is not lost (failing with hope).

As a note, it appears that the GM rolls a d20 instead of d12 + d12. This means that they have a narrower and more swingy success rate compared to the far more consistent and reliable PCs. PCs are going to find their results cluster around a die roll of 13, making bonuses more impactful. This is a benefit of game systems that don't use a flat curve (single die).

The choice to make rolling pairs the critical hit result neatly avoids the downside of crisis resolution methods that avoid flat curves where critical hits are either very rare or else come about as a result of a player just spending tons of resources at once to turn a good roll into an amazing on as happens in Fate (granted, I love that a lot of the success and failure of Fate is hinged more on the player choice to spend resources than on random chance, but there is something to be said for the natural 20 moment).

Speaking of Fate and spending resources, this is the point where I point out that Daggerheart is a Fortune-at-the-End system. To explain this:

Fortune-at-the-End: Barring a few special abilities, the die roll is the last step of an action resolution. Spending resources comes before you roll. D&D is Fortune-at-the-End

Fortune-in-the-Middle: Rolling the die is a middle step and the player can choose to spend resources after the die is rolled. Fate is Fortune-in-the-Middle.

Fortune-at-the-Beginning: Rolling a die would come at the start of the action, generating resources which the player then spends to accomplish things. 7th Sea is Fortune-at-the-Beginning as in it you roll dice at the start of a scene to generate "Raises" which are then spent as the scene moves forward.

A good way to describe it is as follows:

In Fortune-at-the-End when you are jumping a chasm, you gather yourself up and rush forward and then leap. The die roll happens once you are in the middle of the air and unable to do anything to alter the results.

In Fortune-in-the-Middle, you move forward taking some preparations, but die roll happens at the last possible moment you have to abort the choice. The die roll then basically determines just how much success is going to cost you. Do you abort and stay on this side? Or do you risk a minor injury to hit the other side? Will you need those resources later?

In Fortune-at-the-Beginning, the die roll happens before you decide to jump and you check to see if your roll gave you enough resources to make the jump... and then judge whether making the jump would leave you vulnerable to consequences.

I tend to favor Fortune-in-the-Middle game play and have even tended to treat D&D 5e with Inspiration (when I remember it) as a Fortune-in-the-Middle situation. I also allow players to take the Help Out move in Monster of the Week in response to other players rolling poorly.

There's a psychological element to knowing that your failure comes because you chose not to use the resources to succeed and there's a question as to whether or not you made the right decision. Especially if you choose to spend and later find you lack the resources you need to follow through to completing the overall objective. To me, random chance deciding failure can feel just frustrating... but with this, it's my choice that caused the fail.

However, I'm not inherently opposed to Fortune-at-the-End.

Narrative Initiative

Daggerheart uses a Narrative Initiative style, this means that there is not a set turn order as you would see in D&D. Rather, the characters take actions as the players at the table, including the GM, feel that it makes sense for actions to occur.

Some versions of Fate use this method, but by and large the most common style of gaming that does this are Powered by the Apocalypse games and their descendants: Forged in the Dark or... it doesn't really have a generalization since only Son of Oak is designing with City of Mist's system... but lets call it "Made in the Mist".

Scion 2e uses initiative where there are Hero turns and Enemy turns, but the Heroes all choose who goes in which turn, so in one round, the players can decide the child of Kali takes the lead while the child of Loki sets up and then reverse that order next time where the child of Loki takes advantage of the set up to give the child of Kali an opening for a big hit.

This is probably where most players are going to have the most confusion about "whose turn it is". I've already seen second hand people responding to statements of "if there's no turns then it's not a game." But again, I point at the fact that there are numerous games that now play exactly this way.

Meta-Currency

There are several Metacurrencies in gaming. In fact, when you come down to it, most RPGs run on meta-currencies including D&D with it's spell-slots, hit points, and action economy, but mostly when a gamer refers to "meta-currency" they are going to be talking about points which are used to modify rolls or trigger effects.

Fate Points might be the ur-example of this type of meta-currency, but there might be something older. Fate points are used to activate Aspects either to make a task easier or harder. Both players and GM get Fate points to do this, and they can also use Fate points to add narrative elements.

Scion 2e basically does this but names the player meta-currency "Momentum" and the GM currency "Tension". 7th Sea has "Hero Points" and "Danger Points". Fabula Ultima has "Fabula Points" and "Ultima Points". But where they name Genesys, I'm suspecting they are coming at this from there and the original version of Genesys: Star Wars FFG with it's "Light Side" and "Dark Side" points.

One of the key things that make Meta-Currency work well or poorly is in managing the economy of the points.

Fate Point economy is largely controlled by the GM and players and it can be difficult to manage. Fate Points refresh at the start of each session but are also gained by suffering inconveniences based on your Aspects. However, Fate Points are so central to the game and most Fate advice points out that the game's success hinges on making sure to keep Fate points flowing into the characters as well as making it clear to the players that when they play up the downsides then they generate resources.

In Scion 2e, Momentum is gained when the PCs roll poorly or suffer consequences from their injuries or other conditions and Tension is generated when the PCs accomplish some success, keeping a good ebb and flow between the heroes and the villains.

7th Sea, Fabula Ultima, and Genesys also all have very clearly defined ways that the meta-currency is generated.

The only meta-currency strict D&D 5e only players probably have encountered is Inspiration which is basically a Fate Points poor cousin. It feels largely tacked on and the method of gaining is so poorly sign-posted that it was almost a decade of playing the game before I learned that you're supposed to get Inspiration when you play up the personality traits from your character's Background.

So, D&D players have experience with a poorly implemented, largely unnecessary to its system, and forgettable metacurrency. This has caused the idea of metacurrency to have a bad reputation with some gamers. So Hope and Fear may be a point that generates doubt and concern from some potential players.

That said, Hope and Fear are generated in very clearly outlined methods and they are both very central to the game so that they are not easily forgotten the way Inspiration is.

Overall

Daggerheart draws from a lot of sources in terms of mechanics, but it so far blends things together quite well and most of the mechanics are fairly well-trodden ground, often with at least a decade of prior history.

I've seen games that cobble together mechanics from multiple sources rather shoddily... the 1st edition of Numenera comes to mind. This beta is much better condition that that game was finished.

It looks like a good half-step between games like D&D and narrative games. Probably hitting in the same general region as three of my home games (Scion 2e, MotW, and City of Mist) but just closer to D&D than Fate (my fourth home game).

#Daggerheart #tabletop roleplaying #rpg #ttrpg #Critical role #Darrington Press #analysis