#roleplaying advice

[skitariiposting]

A rant about roleplaying and taking advice from goblin eratta

Look, look, I get it. D&D is famous for its goblins and whatnot. But trust me when I say, pathfinder goblins are so much better art wise and writing wise than D&D's.

For example:

This is the D&D monster manual illustration for goblins.

Firstly, orange, chunky, this guy's has the aura of "might attempt tactics" about him. He looks more like he'd try and throttle you rather than run in fear at the sight of a large sword. The head is oddly shaped as a goblin's head should be, but it looks more lumpy warrior face than gobliny. The armor is far too organized. The ears are droopy and smooth. This is not goblin, this is a small ork at best.

Yeah they've got a brief section explaining the hobgoblins and bugbear relations, a little bit about goblin language, but not much as far as flavor text.

Now pathfinder goblins...

These are the quintessential goblin.

Green, scrawny, cowardly, chaotic, looks like they scrounge their clothes from local landfills, oblong football head, big ol' perky pointy goblin ears; *chefs kiss* perfection.

Pair that with the tidbits of goblin lore from pathfinder and ough you've got something good going on.

They are afraid of and have a burning hatred for horses. They typically wield 'horse choppers,' basically big cleavers or axes, instead of daggers or shortswords like in D&D.

One of the few occasions they'll organize and come up with plans is if they're pulling pranks or massive attacks under the command of a warlord or leader, of which they will occasionally get on accident.

They don't have to be bound to a leader, though, sometimes goblin bands can manage just with cooperation alone.

Goblins are crafty little buggers, laying traps and building ramshackle contraptions to get the jump on their foes. They prefer going for sneak attacks or surprise attacks over head on combat. They know they can't win a fair fight, so they fight unfair.

If you invade a goblin dwelling, they'll usually retreat on sight, but not always because of cowardice. Sometimes, they do so to lead you into their traps or to get you into a bottleneck. They can come up with strategies, but usually only if it's below the belt and breaks all the rules of engagement.

War crimes and chaos, if they aren't committing one of the two, they must be defective goblins.

There are occasions in the pathfinder modules where it encourages the DM to have the goblins get into antics over attacking the players. One such example is during a fight at a festival, it reccomends having some of the goblins focus on the festival food over the potential threat of the player characters, since they'd find the food much more important.

Some I came up with include swinging from ropes and attempting to grab players' hats, hoods or helmets, having some attempt to crawl into the clothes of the players instead of attacking, or even just crawling and wallowing all over them like opossum babies. My personal favorite and what got a huge laugh out of my players was having one find a big cast-iron stew pot and putting it on its head. It made it blind, but it also gave it more armor, making it sort of run at the characters to attack but not being able to hit them because it couldnt see, and the swords and maces bouncing off the pot due to the additional armor made it difficult to kill him. Pair that with the constant deafening the goblin would endure with the "bong" sounds any impacts would make, causing it to panic and run around more, bumping into walls and people alike.

What I love about these little tidbits of fight modifications is that it exemplifies the "combat doesn't mean roleplaying is over" factor many players and DM's either have never considered or just miss entirely. Many people complained that "man, if only combat in D&D was like the movie," and to that, I say: it can be, if you stopped being boring and made it that way! Describe what your character does! Add flavor to it! An action is 6 seconds. You can do so much in six seconds while still attacking! Describe the actions you take! Take free actions to do little flairs or flourishes! Show off! Fight with elegance, fight with brutality, fight with conniving, fight with confidence! Spend an action doing something in character instead of attacking! Yes, it's not efficient, but it's more interesting and entertaining to take a fall for a storytelling moment instead of spending yet another turn attacking. Flawed moments are far more interesting than constant perfection, that's why you use dice instead of always having a nat20 every turn. Use the failures to your advantage, show how your character reacts to a bad situation or rough luck!

Don't just spend the time in between your turns waiting for yours to roll around. Instead, be planning the sick ass thing you'll do if the dice allow you to, or the reaction to the adversity if they don't! And, sometimes, break away from the "I swing my sword, I cast a spell, I eldritch blast" combat! Push enemies off of elevations with the push action! Flip a table over to get cover from spells and ranged attacks!Grapple them to make it easier for your team mates to hit them or use them as a human shield! Grab a big rock off the ground and chuck it at someone! Cast a spell that doesn't just do damage!

Broke:

"You shoot a fireball at the thief as he attempts to escape."

Woke:

"As the the thief runs, I go to launch the fireball at him, but notice the mirror to the left of me. My narcisim gets the better of me, and I end up taking a second to check my hair. Ah yes, dashing. Oh, wait, I was doing something. I manage to tear myself away from the mirror long enough to barely catch the thief in my fireball as he attempts to flee."

So, I say all that to say this: players and Dms alike, roleplay during combat! It's a roleplaying game, not a roleplaying game+formulaic tabletop war game any time there's combat. And hey, if you ever find yourself needing inspiration on how to make fights more interesting in your tabletop games, grab a couple low level modules off Paizo, and read up on Pathfinder goblin scenes, they pay extreme dividends.

#skitposting #dungeons and dragons #d&d #pathfinder #goblins #roleplaying advice #roleplaying #dm advice #player advice

[rpedia]

How to deal with lack of motivation to reply?

Ah, the old blank screen stare. So, for the most part I consider this issue to be several intersecting problems at the same time. Usually a lack of motivation indicates a.) a lack of fun/enjoyment, b.) low/no expectation of reward, or c.) fear or apprehension. Let's explore that under the cut.

When you are roleplaying and you're not enjoying yourself explicitly, if the journey to a finished post is not fun itself, we're kind of fucking ourselves over. Creation of these words, excitement at turning a phrase or approaching an idea you really want to explore is basically the whole gist of it. It is a hobby, and loving what you write and laughing at your own jokes is important! You are your own first audience, and if you're not impressed or pleased with what you're writing, it becomes an endless Sisyphean task where you unhappily struggle to write something, anything, to just get through it.

In this case it may be a lack of inspiration. With no structure, or core, we can really easily lose sight of what kind of play we're looking for. What are your goals? Are you here for plot, or character? For smut, or a quick playful bit of banter? Do you want to fight, or are you reaching for some overarching thing? Hell, do you know where THIS scene is headed, or does it feel like an endless trudge? These ideals disappearing or falling to the wayside for someone else can really fuck the vibe!

How are you supposed to know what to write, if you don't have any plans for the character, or don't know where they might potentially go? Like it doesn't have to be hard and fast, but understanding your characters own personal goals, fears, joys, and secrets (entirely different to you, the player) can help with motivation in writing them. I like to explore these by playing games with myself, and daydreaming about scenarios and possibilities that aren't "canon" to my character, but just let me know more about them if a similar situation were to come up. Having a library chock-full of potential what-ifs can help a ton in figuring out how to approach any actions or direction a partner may push you towards. Be excited to explore your character, and to show them off to others! This journey is soooo important to love for itself!

Like with any piece of art, not enjoying the process is a quick short-cut to burn-out and misery. So, if this is happening you might want to adjust some things if you're sitting there upset and bored instead of enjoying what should be a fun pastime you can lose yourself in! So instead of beating yourself up about posting, figure out why it's a chore. Are you taking care of yourself? Have you met the S.H.R.E.K. criteria for the day? Is this post not something in your wheelhouse, or do you feel like you could be doing something else and getting more fun out of it?

Before I get ahead of myself, let me address the truly horrific acronym I just threw at you. S.H.R.E.K. criteria? Who would inflict this on you? Well... me, because it's so memetic and stupid I remember it way better than most acronyms, so buckle up buttercup. It stands for:

Socialization: Have you talked to someone or had meaningful interactions with others for the day? Depending on your needs, you may need hugs, touching others, chatting with loved ones, or cuddling. Some people literally need to be touched, held, hugged, and talked with the thrive, and others can do just fine with a little less. Listen to the monkey studies: Don't be a wire mother to yourself, let yourself have cloth mother sometimes. Hydration: Have you been drinking enough liquids to be hydrated and keep your piss from being too yellow? No liquids means your body starts sucking at everything from getting oxygen to the brain, to making food into energy. Make sure you balance hydration with salt and food intake, but never underestimate what a good cold cup of something can do. And yes, any liquid works. Coffee is dehydrating, so is soda, but their hydrating effect is way bigger than how often they make you piddle so it balances out. Still, water is best but don't beat yourself up about it. Rest: Have you slept enough in the last 24 hours? I know you think 4-6 is okay, but it's really not, it will actually cause you to behave like an alcoholic and lead to later insomnia, mental issue worsening, and health problems like heart issues. Nip that in the bud, sleep full 8-10 hour nights. Or nap if you're just sleepy! Eat: Have you shoved nutritious food in your gob or are you dying from scurvy, beri-beri, and malnutrition simultaneously while depriving the lil dudes who help you write a good lunch? Don't starve your lil neuron folks, they need a good meal too. Even if it's just ingredients for a meal, anything is better than nothing and you deserve food. Kinetics: Have you moved around? Stretched? Walked or played? Sometimes if you're starting out from zero, you might try just standing up and sitting down a couple times to help get bloodflow going! Getting active at whatever level you're at is good for the brain.

Anyways after that interlude, back to basics. At the lowest tier we want to be having fun. If we're not, it might be us, or it might be a boring lackluster partner. That's where a lack of reward comes in. If the partner is, bless them and their hard work, just not giving you the thrills to pay the dopamine bills? That just might mean you guys aren't a good match! This is not the end of the world, it just means you might need to stop playing with them.

Step back, consider if roleplaying with their style and output is worth your time and effort, and do BOTH of you a favor if they aren't. Set them free to play with other players who love their writing and can't get enough of it, and stop grating your teeth across cement trying to come up with something to keep things you don't even like going. This is the communication part, remember how I used to harp on that? Well old Uragani still thinks it's super important. So discuss that 'hey, we might not be a great fit for writing together' and come up with solutions. Maybe finding new partners, and just staying friends, or just waving goodbye to each other and hitting the road.

Here we find ourselves looking at challenger #3, the good old fear and apprehension. This comes up more than I'd like to admit. Are you worried about what's happening next? Or how you might portray something? Have you worked yourself up too much, and now you feel like you can never meet your own expectations? Are you scared of letting down a partner, and not giving them your best? Do you feel like your post might go over an unwritten line, and leave people upset with you?

Congrats! I hate that shit too! I do not know why brains do this to us! I would like to sue!

Anxiety is a hell of a beast, so is Impostor Syndrome, and fear of letting people down, and all the other fun goodies in that bag. They can be worked on at home, in small doses. You gotta learn to sit back, and be able to talk to yourself. Why are you feeling this way, and finding the name for your emotional state, accepting it, and letting it pass through can help. In major situations, you might need to find yourself a good old Common Sense Dispenser, better known as a therapist. They have the tools you need, and yes, roleplay can be a play you find out what you need. It's not dumb, it's useful.

Working through this can be as simple as discussing your fears with your partner and making sure everything is kosher. It might need you to look at a worst case scenario and then planning an exit strategy for that, even if it never happens. Sometimes, you just gotta heft yourself up, and push through the fear. There's a million ways to get through it, and I'm not the person who can tell you which will work for you. But I can tell you, it gets better the longer you work with it. Confidence comes from experience, the more you work at it, the more it feels like second nature.

But that brings with it the last beast, the hidden #4. Burn-out. Sometimes, when we delve too deeply into something we love, we ignore the signs of burn-out. Losing interest in things we once deeply enjoyed. Feeling exhausted at the thought of starting a post, or writing anything. Feeling like we've lost touch with what we used to be good at. Burn out can be a miserable thing, because it stand between us and our goals, our happiness, and it keeps them behind the thickest glass, so we can see them, but getting them feels impossible. The harder we push, the thicker the glass becomes.

In cases of burn out, like the kind I've experienced, sometimes you need to take a step back and just do something else. Go on hiatus. Maybe it's hooked to a character, and you simply have to play with some other muse. Maybe it's with another player, and finding a new fandom without them in it can help. Maybe it's with writing at large, and you need to go find some other outlet to explore while this one heals. You cannot do the same thing forever, you will lose touch with what makes it special. Believe me.

But after healing, which can take years if you keep pushing it like some idiot who wrote RPedia long after you should stop, it'll be fun again. You'll want to come back, and do the thing you were good at, and loved again. The spark will return, and things just... settle and feel better. I promise. Just let yourself have that time to recover without pushing yourself somewhere you aren't meant to go right now.

Naturally there's other stuff too. ADHD/Autism/other issues could be throwing the executive dysfunction ball into your lap and suddenly doing the thing you've done a thousand times is impossible. Stars aren't in alignment. Maybe you're stressed out because of an external force and need a break. Maybe the thread you're in has been going on too long in the same scene, and you need to cut and start a "fresh episode" before everything stays stale forever. Maybe you just aren't in the mood! There's a million reasons, but all of them come down to figuring out what the problem is, and engaging with ways to break that problem down into bits. Find your fun. Look for partners who make you feel like writing with them is worth it. Work with your fears, and express yourself about them and let them past through you. Find external help if needed, and take care of your body while you're at it.

And hey, remember, I am not the end all be all of advice. It could totally be something outside of these circumstances, but I'd like to think that in my experience these are the major factors that I keep coming across. If any of this has been a help, I can only be happy to have said it. Thank you so much for reading!

#ask rpedia #anonymous #roleplaying #rph #rpedia #passion #writing #roleplaying advice #personal help #hey uhm #im back #oop #We'll see how long before I burn out again #hi guys though! #I'll post once every Friday until I lose steam

[the-stanley-parable-roleplay]

The Stanley Parable Worldbuilding

How do you worldbuild for your TSP blog? Remember that these are all just guidelines NOT rules. You can change anything, twist things around, delete or add stuff to your heart's content!

Important Note: You do not have to know all of these things immediately. Take your time discovering who your muse is and the world around them, answers might come to you hours, days, weeks or months after you started roleplaying!

Let's start with the basics. There's

The Protagonist (usually but not always Stanley)

The Narrator

The Story (add/change it as you wish, more endings, less endings, make it spooky, silly, romantic, weird)

The Office (feel free to add, delete or change as many rooms as you like)

Who is your protagonist? If it's not Stanley, did they replace him or has Stanley ever existed to begin with? How did they end up here? How much do they know?

Who is your Narrator? Why do they narrate? Do they have a choice? Did they write the Parable? Are they the only Narrator? What is their relationship to the Protagonist?

What is your Story like? Is it the same Story as the Game? Is it a Game, a Story, a TV Show, a dream, a pocket reality? Does it have more or less endings than the original? Is it about Stanley? Is there a Story at all or did the Narrator stop telling it?

What is your Office like? Is it a normal Office? Does it restart people who have died? Does it wipe memories from its inhabitants? Does it have a Line™? Is it sentient? Does it open doors on its own or does the Narrator control everything? Is it like a video game or like a haunted house? Does the exit work? Can people leave whenever they want?

If you want, you can also go into more details such as

Do you have a second Narrator (female or otherwise)?

Is there someone controlling the Parable and the Narrator(s)?

If it's a game, are there developers? Players? An audience?

What happened to Employee 432?

What happened to the Protagonist's coworkers?

What is the driving force behind the Parable, if there is one at all? Does it demand to be told?

Does your world crossover with any other fandoms or ocs?

More worldbuilding help

#the stanley parable #the stanley parable roleplay #tsp rp #the stanley parable rp #tsp rp community #tsp rp help #roleplay help #roleplaying advice #rp advice #worldbuilding #the stanley parable ultra deluxe

[skeletonwalksintoabar]

It’s funny, as a player character, to ask your fellow players to make a check. Want a character you’re hanging out with to notice your cool new coat? “How about you make me a perception check”. Costs you nothing. Cuck your DM. You’re in my world now.

#dnd #dungeon master #Roleplaying advice

[rootintootinhighfalutin]

what if

i told you that you're allowed to write a canon character any way you like? that roleplaying is a hobby and it's for fun, and it's not that serious? that the only 'obligation' you have to anyone else is to respect their time and let them know if your character is wildly canon divergent? that it's not wrong to write what you enjoy?

#rp positivity #rpc #writing positivity #roleplaying #what if #roleplaying advice #rp

[dungeon-apprentice]

ID in alt text. Direct link to the original artwork in the source of this post.

One of the things I appreciate most as a dungeon master is when my players not only RP (I love you for it), but immerse themselves to the degree where they try to avoid mechanical terms like "short rest" or "skill check". So here are some ways I've found that can be done, if you really want to treat your game master/storyteller/person who runs the game to some immersion they don't have to be responsible for!

Skill Checks

Instead of saying "I want to roll [skill] to..." (because, you don't get to choose your skill check - the game master does), instead explain what it is that you want to achieve:

"Do I believe what she's saying about her family?"

"I want to look for signs of hidden doors in this room."

"I am going to take the device apart to see if I can figure out how it was made."

"Does the painting look like anything I can recognize?"

Doing it like this means you hand your game master a springboard on a silver platter (unsure if that combination of metaphors work, but whatever) from which they can easily jump into a description of your efforts.

Resting

If you work with a system like D&D where you are encouraged to take frequent in-game rests, it's a lot more immersive to talk to your fellow players about your needs for rest if you do it in character, instead of saying "I'm out of spell slots" or "I want to take a short rest". Here are some suggestions:

"I really need a moment to sit down."

"Don't know about the rest of you, but I have some wounds I have to tend to."

"I can't go on like this, we need to find somewhere to sleep for the night soon."

"My head hurts from casting spells all day, I think we should try to avoid fighting until we've rested. Is there an inn nearby?"

After you've discussed it in character, either wait for your game master to ask whether you're taking a break, or tell them outright. You should always confirm that you're on the same page, but just a bit of in-character buildup is something I personally really appreciate. It also adds to the feeling that your characters are real people experiencing exhaustion, not just (video) game people.

Healing/Hit Point Loss

You can't see hit points! They're an arbitration for us as players to keep track of how well a character is doing physically, but asking in the middle of combat "who's low on hit points?" when that is not something the characters know what is kinda wrecks it for me. Instead, consider:

"I saw [character] was struck earlier, how badly hurt do they look?"

"You see how blood is pouring from a deep cut in my arm, it looks really painful."

"[Character] is a little woozy from the blow to the head he just suffered, but he'll be fine."

"I want to spend some time examining the burns [other character] suffered during our last fight - how bad is it?"

Basically, treat your player characters' hitpoints the same you do the hitpoints of an enemy: With zero idea of what the actual number is.

Melee Combat

Not gonna lie, unless you are into martial arts and such, you probably run out of ways to describe "I hit the monster with my sword/fist" fast. However, just going "I roll to hit; that's [x] points of damage" again gives that very video game-y feel that I think should really be avoided as much as possible when you sit with a TTRPG. Try one of these on occasion to shake things up:

"I take a running leap and bring my axe down hard on its arm!"

"With my legs around her throat, I slam my elbow into her face!"

"I do a series of somersaults toward the mafia don and try to kick him right in the gut!"

Just because you can't cast spells doesn't mean you can't pull some theatrical moves!

Ranged Combat

A lot of what I said about melee combat above also applies to ranged combat, I feel - and can be solved similarly.

"I point my gun and aim for the tiny gap in their visor."

"Nocking one of my enchanted arrows, I shoot at their feet and try to ignite the ground around them."

"I aim for the rope holding the chandelier in an attempt to shoot it down."

"Bracing for the recoil, I aim my rifle at the hand she has her sword in, and pull the trigger."

Maybe look up some videos of people using the weapon(s) your character uses to get a feel for how to describe the movements involved? It's certainly something I need to do more!

Spellcasting

Spellcasting is a special beast, not only good for combat but also in many utility situations. And there are a lot of ways to talk about it without referring to spell slots or class spell lists. Here are some:

"Can you cast [spell] today?" "No, I'd have to meditate on it/consult some books first."

"I bring out my magical orb, and you see how it starts to spin rapidly over my hand until it's just a blur, and I cast [spell]."

"I'm sorry, that sort of thing is beyond my capabilities. We should try to find a powerful wizard, they might know how to do that."

"Five lightning bolts shoot from each of my fingertips, right at the enemy!"

Take advantage of the spell descriptions that come with the spell to explain what it looks like when you use the various components, and when the spell takes effect - and maybe also what happens when it fizzles out for whatever reason.

If you're not super comfortable with roleplaying, but want to try doing it more, I hope you take this as positive encouragement and as an example that it doesn't have to be all that hard or elaborate all the time to increase your feelings of being immersed in the game. We can do this!

Disclaimer: 95% of my experience with TTRPGs are in fantasy settings. I'm sure someone else has much better examples of roleplaying for Sci-Fi and other genres. Please do add to this post if you have any thoughts!

#dnd advice #player advice #ttrpgs #ttrpg advice #roleplaying advice #roleplaying #d&d #apprentice posts

[peteramthor]

There is tons of advice on how to be a better game master out there. But that's only part of what's necessary for a good game. So why not advice for being a better player as well? Originally a series of blog articles from 2011 to 2012 this does just that.

Practical good advice for players, mixed with a little bit of humor and a dash of snark for flavor.

Currently on the "Christmas in July" sale on DrivethruRPG so it will only cost you 75 little cents.

#roleplaying #roleplaying games #tabletop roleplaying #ttrpg #ttrpgs #gaming advice #gaming humor #roleplaying advice #Sale

[she-who-fights-and-writes]

MASTER LIST OF INSTRUMENTAL PLAYLISTS FOR WRITING (OR FOR STUDYING, MAKING ART, ETC.)

I find that the perfect writing playlist can GREATLY enhance the writing experience. Even if it doesn't make your writing "better" (which it can, since it helps writers with visualization, tone, and mood), it can definitely make your writing flow easier!

Personally, words distract me when I'm writing, either by breaking my train of thought or by getting me too into the music so that I'm jamming out to my favorite tunes instead of writing.

Therefore, I've amassed a vast knowledge of instrumental music across a variety of media over a course of many years. Now here I am, deciding to share all of them with you!

Maddy’s Favorite Instrumental Songs

Just like the title says. All of the best pieces of instrumental music I've ever heard, compiled together with no regard for genre. It can be a bit of a whiplash playlist, but some amazing recs in there that I just like listening to in my free time, not just for writing.

Maddy’s Ultimate Instrumental Playlist

A mega compilation of 550+ fantastic instrumental music from a variety of media and genres. Kind of a whiplash playlist if you put it on shuffle, but is a great start for anyone looking to find what kind of instrumental music they like! Playlist Groupings in Order: Independent instrumental songs, live action movies, animated movies, animated tv shows, live action tv shows, video games.

Maddy's Instrumental for Sleep

Some more chill vibe instrumental for people who either A) want to sleep or B) want a relaxed playlist that won't distract you with loud volume and sudden changes in tempo or melody.

MISC PLAYLISTS:

you're a haggard adventurer discovering worlds beyond your wildest dreams

Music to inspire wonder and wanderlust, the kind of feeling you get when you finally reach the end of a mountain hike and see the world stretching out before you.

you're a hero who's just lost everything

Basically the most sad instrumental music I could find. A playlist for grief and revenge.

more beneath the cut :)

you're a cowboy in the great American West

Cowboy instrumental for all of your ambient and writing needs. Or if you just really want to feel like a cowboy.

you're a divine witness

Epic choir music (no English). Most religious, some not, but all kind of have that eerie sacred vibe. I listen to this while writing my book about angels and demons.

you’re a scholar uncovering the secrets of the universe

Great chill study playlist! Has the kind of same exploratory/discovery type feel as the haggard adventurer playlist, but more dark academia.

you’re a villain plotting to take over the world

Villain-coded instrumental! Sinister, dark, and/or unsettling.

you're an academic weapon

HIGH BPM STUDY PLAYLIST! Keeps me focused, hyped, and helps me work faster!

you're an ancient god

Playlist that gives an ancient/eerie vibe. But some ancient gods are merciful- so there are some upbeat songs for wonder and awe!

you're falling in love

Music that encapsulates what I think falling in love feels like. Very beautiful, tender, and uplifting instrumental.

you're fighting the final battle

Intense and epic battle music for all of your fight-scene-writing needs! Good for getting shit done, but isn't necessarily restricted to high BPM like the academic weapon playlist.

you're having a tea party

Refined instrumental for a tea party, including classical, big band, and some miscellaneous goodies.

you're in a chase scene

Music for writing chase scenes. Pretty good hype music, too. Includes soundtracks from classic chase scenes in popular media!

you're in the medieval times

Medieval-sounding music for all of your ambient and/or writing needs.

you’re in your childhood room. the door is open a crack. people talk softly downstairs.

A playlist dedicated to nostalgia, to the feeling of lying in bed with your nightlight on after being too tired to stay awake at your family get-together. Could either make your day or break your heart lmao

you're the happiest you've ever been

Lighthearted instrumental meant to lift your spirits! A playlist dedicated to the joys of the little things.

#writing #writers #writeblr #booklr #creative writing #studying #writing playlist #roleplay #writing tips #writing advice #writing help #writing inspo #writing inspiration #inspo #music #music rec #instrumental music

[mcflymemes]

please don't mistake silence for hatred. please don't mistake unanswered plotting messages as indifference, or a lack of enthusiasm towards you. considering the ages of most roleplayers, many of us have bills to pay, families to take care of, medical conditions to treat, appointments to make, classes to take, homes to clean, and lives to live away from the computer that are far, far more important than writing on tumblr — life has a tendency to get in the way of hobbies and fun things like this. be patient with your fellow writers. if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. of course you can set your boundaries, keep your space comfortable, and softblock whoever you wish, but do so while recognizing it's probably not hatred or apathy that keeps them from leaping into your dms with message after message. they probably love this hobby just as much as you... but sometimes life gets in the way.

#rp psa #roleplay psa #rp help #roleplay help #roleplay advice #'the rpc has changed for the worse' that's your opinion #but have that opinion while also acknowledging the ages of those you write with #and recognize they have responsibilities and worlds to take care of #people who depend on them #financial strain. hardships. unemployment. housing problems #medical bills. local weather disasters #trauma in their life deaths in their family #you cannot expect instant messages or EXTREME enthusiasm from everyone in this community #when so many of us are also dealing with irl situations #that are MORE important than talking about our fictional characters meeting for the first time #would it be nice if we could all find a comfy balance #and put passion into this hobby like we did when we were younger? #oh sure!!!! but that's just not viable anymore

[jewishnightvale]

I posted something to r/advice on Reddit, pretending I was Martin in early season 1, and people are taking it seriously..

#the magnus archives #tma #tma season one #tma s1 #martin blackwood #magnuspod #rusty quill tma #guys i’m actually losing my shit #the people responding thinking they’re giving real advice #like girl i’m lying through my teeth rn but thank you #office job roleplay time #casually dropped the part abt workplace deaths in and somehow no one has called me on it

[flightyquinn]

thinking about how cursed objects work in most fantasy RPGs.

typically, they wind up just kind of being a big middle finger from the game master - a kind of "whelp, you should have been more paranoid, so now you get hosed" sort of deal. which includes the somewhat game-y trope of objects that you can't get rid of. it's kind of an un-fun mechanic, when you think about it, which is why in most games I've been a part of cursed items often don't see much play, unless it's as a "punishment", or part of a story arc.

...which naturally leads me to think about how to do it better. in the past, I've tried using a curse as a kind of limiter. restrictions or drawbacks to a mostly functional item that is still worth using despite being "cursed". that's good, but it doesn't let you draw on truly nasty curses, because the item needs to be worth using, but also still needs to be balanced.

so, I'm drawing from a lot of sources here, like the cursed shield in Final Fantasy VI, and especially the comics by @foldingfittedsheets, where curses exist to (literally) teach the recipient a lesson

MEAT OF THE POST STARTS HERE:

what about cursed items that have a way to overcome their curse?

it's actually a fairly common trope in classical literature / fairy tales. every curse has a way to be broken. yet in D&D and Pathfinder, most often the only way to break a curse is to find someone with the specific curse-breaking spell.

so, give each cursed item a condition. perhaps a weapon that fuels a person's rage and causes them to fly into a blind rage in battle waits for them to sincerely forgive a hated enemy. perhaps boots that slow the wearer are actually making them heavy with the weight of past transgressions and a sufficient act of atonement will free them. maybe the perpetually bloody doll that gives its bearer horrible nightmares simply waits for someone to be motivated to action by them, either to right some past wrong, or generally bring a certain number of murderers to proper justice.

...maybe a Bag of Devouring. which is technically actually a creature, not a cursed item (but usually classified with them), can be befriended by figuring out a treat it likes, and will not only carry things for the player if fed and cared for, but even cough up a few things that previous bearers had stuffed inside.

the specifics aren't too important, but the idea is that any item with a curse on it has a reason for that curse, and a way to break it. the players can drop the item at any time, sell it off, give it to someone they hate, whatever, but if they put in the time and energy to actually breaking the curse, it becomes better than it was before, sometimes simply losing a drawback, or sometimes gaining new powers.

for an example, let's look at how that doll idea from earlier could work in D&D 5e;

while the party has the doll in their possession, they will all be afflicted by horrible nightmares, seeing themselves as children being attacked by a group of eight bandits with indistinct features. the details of the dreams change each night, and the players awaken before learning their ultimate fate, but the general gist is always that they are completely helpless, and subjected to harm.

after a long rest, have them roll a Wisdom or Charisma save (challenging DC, but not too difficult), or take a small amount of psychic damage.

if the players bring murderers to justice - meaning deliver them to the proper authorities and see them punished for their crimes - the content of the dreams starts to change. one bandit gets caught or killed by the end of the dream for each real world criminal successfully punished, possibly hinting to the players what they need to do. once eight murderers in total have had their sentences enacted, the next morning the doll will be in pristine condition with a serene expression, emitting a faint glow. thereafter, any player may attune to the doll to gain the ability to cast the Guidance cantrip without components (as thought the doll's ability to project what it wants the players to do into their mind was turned to their benefit.

#tabletop gaming #tabletop roleplaying #roleplaying games #dungeons & dragons #pathfinder #game master advice #homebrew #my ideas #curses #cursed items #long post

[skitariiposting]

hiii so a friend of mine is gonna be running an only war game, and i've got an enginseer written up, and while i know the main trick is just maximizing my autism swag, i'm wondering if you've got any fun ideas for roleplaying a techpriest. thanks!

Sure! Here's a couple of neat ideas I've compiled for some of my NPCs that I might run in future Dark Heresy games. Feel free to pick and choose a couple to work into your character if you like them!

1. "Names are confusing" - This character has trouble remembering non-admech names, instead electing to call every non-mechanicus person something along the lines of "Meatbag," "Lapdog," "Biological One," "Fleshling," "Rat," "Annoyance," "Thing," and/or "You."

2. "Varience. of. PITCH! andtiming" - THIS admech has PROblemsspeaking in NORmal ScEnTeNcEs due to beING so UUUUUUuuused to SPEAKING in PROJECTED TEXT via ocular SENsoooors.

3. "Empathy" is an oddity amongst the admech. However, there are some that still cling to the likes of empathy and compassion. Steel may have replaced their hearts biologically, but even a steel heart still yearns for love. Maybe in different ways than the usual biological beings, but love is love.

4. "Strong silent type." Not mute mind you, they just don't have a lot to say. Instead of butting in to conversations, they tend to wait until someone asks them for something or until the perfect moment to say something (sometimes to comedic effect) (skit's note for Anar-kitty or any player that wants to go this route: be sure to discuss this with your party if you want to play a character like this. It helps to keep them in the know as it will allow them to be prepared to interact and bounce dialogue of your character. Also, while being quiet may be part of your personality, going out of your way to stay quiet even if it inconveniences your team may not be wise. Still talk, and be active out of character! Don't let your parry think you yourself are disinterested, make it a point that the character is quiet, either through stoicism, edginess, or even shyness! Describe body language or how your character may communicate non-verbally (examples: shrugging instead of saying "I don't know," giving a thumbs up to say okay, describing nervous fidgeting, describing facial expressions, etc. ))

5. "Know it all." Everyone around you doesn't know how to "properly" use technology, and it's driving you insane. No one is doing morning chants for their weapons' machine spirits blessings! Heck, most of them don't even know any rituals!! And they just. Point these poor machines at things and *hope* they work??? You need to whip these biological beings into shape! They need to start following proper mechanical doctrine, and it's your job to get them on the right path!

6. "Unknowable" You hide beneath a standard admech robe, only small portions of your body are visible, whether that be your eyes, hands, feet, whatever have you, or even none of the above! But whenever you have a need for something, you always seem to reveal it from beneath your cloak, as if it manifested from the void. Extra arms, weapons, tools, a tail, a data port, comms devices, you name it, somehow it all fits beneath your cloak, and nobody has seen your true form beneath it.

7. "Gullible" since you've been raised amongst the socially inept admechs for so long, your knowledge of jokes and saying are... subpar. You take things at face value or struggle to find meaning in the sarcastic or metaphoric. You prefer the literal meaning of what people say.

8. "[Statement]" (skit tip: look up videos of HK-47 from Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic talking, it'll give you an idea. )

You lack proper means to adjust pitch, leaving you to talk in a constant monotone voice. As such, wanting to show your emotions, you state what they are prior to what you are about to say.

9. "Pets." You find little biological creatures "cute" even if they are meatlings. You may take some with you to places and display them proudly to your compatriots, mayhaps even if they are ugly to them or dangerous. You may take interest in replicating their design into servitors or even converting the creatures themselves.

10. "Machines are friends, not slaves." You find the company of machines to be quite enjoyable, however people seem to view them in a different light. You find this disconcerting, as your machines are your friends, and you treat them with love and repsect! Why do others not treat theirs the same way?

11. "Death is not the end." When we pass, we continue our work for the Omnissiah, either as Servitors or perhaps the Omnissiah may take favor with your devotion and grant you the honor of becoming a machine spirit. Either way, mourn not the dead, friends. We are cogs in the machine, and cogs break from time to time. But we can always repair them so they may continue their work.

12. "Utterances." You mumble odd things beneath your breath or aloud when you think nobody is listening. You constantly seem to be planning your next move, and to others, it may seem worrying. Are you planning a contingency for if they turn on you? Are you plotting a master heist to steal xeno technologies from the inquisition? Did you just insult one of them behind their backs? Are you uttering an ancient prayer beneath your breath that may bless them? The answers could always be yes, but it is more likely that you are planning to construct a new machine from their weapons when they turn their backs to you.

Little tips:

If you are playing online, consider grabbing Voicemod or an equivalent to change your voice to sound more mechanical-y! (Be sure to set up a toggle on and off button for in and out of character, and test the voice with a friend prior to playing to make sure it won't get annoying during long sessions)

Admechs benefit from being chaotic or weird; the classic "I'm crazy or unusual" bit many players want to tap into, but struggle with capturing. My advice? Paradoxically: dont go overboard. Dont try to be the center of attention. Try to be a setup for the other characters' moments instead of the other way around. People enjoy characters like Jester from CR for her chaos, but tend to forget that she largely is used to set up other people to make a joke or to cause a problem for the party to fix, while still having her own character and story that's separate from her "I'm a silly chaotic person." Here's the biggest thing to remember:

Your randomness should be a facet of your character, not your entire personality.

Stay consistent with your randomness. Develop predictable patterns. If you just keep being chaotic without method to your madness, it becomes annoying or difficult to pin down what your character actually is, and that makes it difficult to interact with them. Have boundries your character wouldnt break, and use that to create inner conflict! (Example: I want to pie my friend in the face, but he's sad from his girlfriend breaking up with him. My morals tell me that I love my friend and always try to cheer him up, but uuuuuuugh the prank would be soooo funny to me and potentially everyone else! Ooh, but it'd likely conflict with my want to cheer him up, as it'd make him mad or sadder... How do I feel about this situation and how will it affect my decision and interaction with the other character?)

Developing a pattern to your "I am a chaotic being" helps other players to compliment your character and vice versa! Jester likes pulling pranks, so eventually the Nien figures that out and starts to keep an eye out for it. Does that stop her from trying? No! But its a predictable action that can still be chaotic, while not being uninteractable or disruptful to the enjoyment of the game for everyone at the table. Running gags, pranks or catchphrases are a good place to start, then build on it the farther you go.

My best advice I give for character development, and this goes for any kind of character you run: You aren't just playing a character. You're playing on a team of characters. Try to play to their strengths as much as your own.

There we go! I modified them a bit to be more "for a character" and not an NPC, so hopefully, there will be some interesting ideas to build off of for your character! If you have any other questions or would like some more, feel free to ask! I'm always happy to be of assistance :D

#skitposting #ask-itarii #roleplaying advice #roleplaying tips #character development #adeptus mechanicus #admech

[probablybadrpgideas]

HOW TO RPG GOOD 10 STEPS

Avoid metagaming by setting all your player's Exalted sourcebooks aflame (if you're not playing Exalted then this will fool the players into thinking you're playing Exalted, letting you surprise them)

Include player input into your game by hiding behind them when they eat dinner and putting everything they say into a game.

Stop inter-player conflicts developing by ensuring all your players already hate each other when the campaign starts.

Add tension to combat scenes by chasing the party around the room with a chainsaw during all battles.

Provide atmosphere by playing "Megalovania" at full blast all game.

Deal with bookkeeping by just saying every stat is 10.

Avoid scheduling errors by overthrowing capitalism! Really someone should get onto that anyway so kill two birds with one stone

Help shy roleplayers by putting them in a box slowly filling with water and not letting them out until they RP good.

Implement every 6th house rule you hear to add variety, vetting is for losers.

Give players actual money for loot! Surprising how much this helps player retainment :)

#RPg #Roleplaying game #very sincere advice

[escapedaudios]

Hot take: I actually really like love triangles conceptually, but they're disrespected as a plot theme because they're always done in the same predictable and dull way. The triangle isn't interesting when there is always a clearly better option who is obviously going to be endgame from the outset. It's even more boring when the obvious option is always the first love interest, with the second always being a plot device for forced drama and not actually a potential partner.

Here's a fresh idea to spice up the love triangle trope: a love triangle told from the point of view not of the person being desired, but of one of the romantic rival characters, with our dear protagonist very clearly on the losing end of the love triangle. This has potential to be funny and dramatic and heartfelt all at once from the premise alone.

#I'm not waiting for someone else to make it #I'm going to be the change I wish to see in the world #writing #audio roleplay #escaped audios #writing advice

[consult-sherlockholmes]

Physics or chemistry

Oh those have the best experiments. But you should probably perform them with a teacher, or even better they perform it entirely and you just watch.

Concerning chemistry, a popular experiment is called 'The Elephant's Toothpaste'. Stupid name, but it's still interesting. Hydrogen peroxide is rapidly decomposed into water and oxygen, causing the mixture to foam up very quickly, creating a foam tower that looks like 'toothpaste'. A catalyst is added, usually potassium iodide. But caution, the created foam is very hot because it's an exothermic reaction that released energy.

Another experiment that students usually like is the 'exploding gummybear'. But it's more dangerous, should be performed in a fume hood. It's based on a rapid exothermic reaction because the sugar in the gummy bear is oxidised, creating a combustion. This is achieved by heating potassium chlorate in a reaction tube, which releases oxygen, and if the gummy bear is then dropped into the reaction tube there is a ball of fire created.

And for physics you could drop an apple and examine gravity. Just kidding, for example there is the double slit experiment examining the wave and particle nature of light. Or anything with lasers or magnets is interesting.

#but dont try those on your own #rp #roleplay #sherlock roleplay #sherlock rp #experiments #sherlock gives advice about experiments #johnlock rp #johnlock roleplay #sherlock #chemistry #physics

[pokemonpetfinder]

Breeding Safely: Swoobat

Swoobat are known to be romantics, so might as well start with them.

Swoobat are polygamous, and 1 male will often mate with 3 to 4 females, with the entire colony helping to care for the gravid females and raise their young. While they can be completely fine with just one mate, Swoobat are very social in general and do better in groups, so it is recommended you have at least 2 other pokemon on your team, even if you don't plan to breed them or they don't see them as a potential mate.

Swoobat don't have a breeding season in the traditional sense, but ovulation occurs in females around once a month, and this is where most of mating happens, so it's good to know where your female Swoobat is at in her cycle.

At the start of courting, male Swoobat will emot the ultrasonic waves they're so famous for. These waves aren't loud or painful like the other kinds of waves they use, and it is actually quite peaceful.

If the female likes the male's ultrasonic waves, she will emit waves of the same frequency at him before stamping noses together, then mating. After 1 to 2 days, when it's time to lay her eggs, the female Swoobat will go to a nesting area in their homes with other Swoobat mothers and lay her eggs with the support of her colony mates.

Laying eggs can be very stressful for first-time mothers, especially tamed Swoobat, who don't often have the support of their entire colony. To make your Swoobat feel the most comfortable, make a bedding arrangement using pillows, blankets, and other soft materials in a dark and closed off area, like a closet if you don't have a nursery. If you have another Swoobat, it's recommended to bring them in too if you think they can handle it, since to Swoobat will be able to emit waves thst can calm the mother down and ease the pain. The Swoobat will usually lay 1 to 2 eggs at a time in a process that can take up to 24 hours.

Obviously, the eggs should be handled with care. While the mother Swoobat can keep the eggs warm herself, you can put them in incubators if you feel the need to. Also, here's a picture of what the eggs will look like. It's around 5 inches tall and 6 inches tall.

The eggs will hatch around a week after they're laid, and the young Woobat will be covered in a very soft light grey down but will grow into their fur around 12 hours after hatching. The mother will feed them milk for around 2 weeks until they can eat solid food. During this period, make sure you feed them a lot of protein-rich foods, like fatty bugs and fruits.

Young Woobat will start attempting to fly at around a week old, where they might stumble a lot. Make sure you provide a safe area where they can practice, like hopping off a shelf where you can catch them, or if they fall, there's something soft to help break their fall.

At around 3 weeks old is when a baby Woobat will start learning how to battle and use its moves with the help of its parents. While you can't really help much with this, you can encourage them. At this point, you are able to take your Woobat out to do early battles.

Please remember: don't force your pokemon to breed if they don't want to! Consent is very important, even with pokemon!

#//im not an animal breeder irl this is just made for fun obvioisly dont take advice from a pokemon roleplay #pokemon breeding safely #swoobat #woobat #pokemon headcanons #pokeblog #pokeblogging #pokemon #pokemon irl #irl pokemon #rotomblr #pkmn irl #irl pkmn #pkmn #pokeblr