#spell shield type-8

[yugiohcardsdaily]

Spell Shield Type-8

"Activate 1 of these effects.

When a Spell Card is activated that targets exactly 1 monster on the field: Negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it.

When a Spell Card is activated: Send 1 Spell Card from your hand to the Graveyard; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it."

[caffeinec0rpse]

20 day challenge for beginners to witchcraft

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***this challenge may be valuable to experienced witches who wish to brush up on their basics

there are a few things to understand before we begin:

⛥you will need a journal to record your findings each day. this can be physical or online. i recommend physical because you remember things better when you are writing them down, but either is fine.

⛥it is of utmost importance that you understand the difference between good sources and bad sources, and are able to locate the original source where your information is coming from

⛥ this challenge involves lots of self-guided research as well as applied practice so be prepared to put the work in

⛥this challenge will not teach you everything there is to know as a beginner, but i think it will be a good jumping off point.

⛥don't worry about it if you miss a day or take multiple days to complete one of the prompts. you can take this challenge at your own pace, or do it for 20 days straight. however, i do not recommend that you attempt multiple days activities in a single day. take it slow so you can dedicate the time to fully learning, and aren't overwhelmed.

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okay! let's begin :D

**remember to write everything down in your journal!!!! dont worry about "getting things right" just try your best!!!

Day 1: Find 3 different spells (online, in a book, anywhere). Try to figure out why the creator decided to use the materials they chose. Why are certain colors, tools, or herbs being used in the spell, and what do they represent/mean? What symbolism is being used in the method/steps of the spell to represent attaining the desired effect?

Day 2: Research meditation. What cultures practice forms of meditation? What are some different types, techniques, and purposes of meditation? Why do witches use meditation in their practice? Attempt a basic meditation technique based on your findings. Meditate daily if you can for the strongest benefits.

Day 3: Find a plant or crystal. Try to feel for its energy. Write down what you sense. Research methods if you’re having trouble sensing energy. Once you feel you have everything you’re going to be able to sense from it written down, try to research current spiritual uses + historical folklore/mythology surrounding the plant/crystal. Does it match up to what you sensed? Are historical connotations important to you or do you feel your personal intuitive sense of it/personal experiences are more important to you? Or do you value them equally?

Day 4: Research grounding and centering. How are they performed? What purpose are they used for? Why do people find them important for spellwork? Attempt one or both.

Day 5: Research closed practices, cultural appropriation, and spiritual bypassing. What harm can they cause? Why is it important to avoid these things?

Day 6: Research self-love spells. What are they for? What are some ways people do them? Attempt to perform a self love spell.

Day 7: Research shielding and warding. What do they do? Why are they important? Attempt one or both.

Day 8: Research shadow work. What is it? Why do people find it important for practicing witchcraft? Does it seem like something you would benefit from? Why or why not? Find a shadow work journaling prompt that calls to you and journal freely about it.

Day 9: Research the moon phases. What intentions does each phase assist with? What does each phase represent? Think about the symbolism of waxing and waning. attracting and repelling.

Day 10: Journal freely about the following questions: Why do you feel drawn to practice witchcraft? Have you always felt connection to nature or to the spirit world? What do you think your practice will do for you or help you with?

Day 11: Research item enchantment. What that is, why someone would want to enchant an object and methods of doing so. Attempt to enchant an object.

Day 12: Choose an herb and research its current spiritual uses and historical folklore surrounding it. Look into whether it has any scientifically verified medicinal properties. Be wary of pseudoscience. Find any other information about it that interests you. Try to draw it if you feel inclined to do so.

Day 13: Try a meditation technique or guided meditation you have never attempted before. Write about your experience and how you felt before, during, and after.

Day 14: Research altars. What are they? What are they used for? Do you think you want to use one? If so, what would you put on it? Why? If you have the means to, create an altar inside or outside your house. Be mindful that if your altar is outside, what you place on it may affect the environment. Be responsible.

Day 15: Journal freely about the following questions: Do you believe in human spirits? Do you believe in non-human spirits? Do you believe deities exist? Do you believe in house spirits, land spirits, spirits of bodies of water, and/or elemental spirits? Do you believe in demons? What experiences do you have that you feel impact your answers to any of the above questions?

Day 16: Research divination. What is it for? What are 5 different methods people use to divine? What are the origins of those methods?

Day 17: Choose your own path for today! Choose any topic relating to witchcraft that you're interested in and write down as much as you can about it! Dive as deep as you desire

Day 18: Research folklore about the seasons in your region. What do the seasons represent to you? What sort of symbolism do you attach to them?

Day 19: Choose an intention and perform a spell purely based on your intuition. Don't plan anything. Just do what feels right. Feel the vibe and act.

Day 20: You did it ! Reflect on what you learned, and what you wish to learn next. Which days were challenging for you? Which days were easy? Which day did you enjoy the most? Did your findings meet your expectations?

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

TXT Thoughts on Being an Idol Part 2

Disclaimer: No facts here, just my interpretation. This one was a bit harder for me, as this group is much more protected, but I was able to break through and get some tea, especially from Beomgyu and Kai, they had no problem talking. The two eldest are definitely the most guarded, they were so hard to get through but got some stuff there too. Taehyun wasn't hard to read, but he is very to the point, doesn't elaborate much. So, hope you enjoy this one as well.

Yeonjun

Thoughts on the company? (5 of Pentacles/Queen of Swords/5 of Wands) He continuously gives me there is a lack of resources he does have, pretty left out in the cold, abandoned. He tries to make the best out of what he has. I don't see them making a lot of money with the company. I am kind of getting he is removed from the drama. He is trying to logically figure out how to come to a resolution of what is going on. He is a little more rational and smarter to kind of get involved in it. He seems pretty detached from it all. It is like he rises above that and tries to use his mind.

Thoughts on Industry? (3 of Cups/The Magician/8 of Wands) Both of these cards are giving me ritualistic vibes, there is some sort of rituals they do to reach farther advancement. There are certain things they do that get them ahead. I just keep hearing magic spells. Ugh, this group isn't as open, so I have to sit with them longer to break through. They are definitely a lot more protected then Enhypen, or the members are not as willing to communicate as much as Enhypen.

What effects has it had on him? (2 of Cups/King of Pentacles/6 of Wands) You know what he gives me, he is that person that will just go along with anything to achieve the success he wants. He wants money and fame, so whatever he needs to do to get he will do it. He's giving me he'll play the game, whatever that is, so I don't see him being distraught about things, because he understands the game of being an idol/famous. He doesn't seem bothered by it all, now that first question is starting to make sense to me. It is like he'll make nice with whomever gets him where he needs to be. I usually see the KOP's as the higher ups, but I feel it is both his energy and them. He wants that type of level of success. How he gets that with that shady company who knows.

Thoughts on fanservice/shipping? (9 of Pentacles/The Devil/The Emperor) Now, he gives me these weird ass cards, these cards should have popped out in the other questions, what is this! This dude is legit about money, that is what this is about. If any of this brings him attention and money he is down for it. This dude will sell himself for the money, fame and accolades. But why this is popping up now for this question who knows. I guess it ties into it. There is something about him being solo and standing in his own power. I feel he may prefer to go solo, but is tied to a group. Ya'll, I don't understand why this is coming up here. This shows me if shipping and fanservice benefits him, he is down for it. I also see they are obligated to do these things as well.

Well, I see this boy in another light now. I am very interested in doing his perspective reading now, which will get done soon.

Soobin

Thoughts on company? (King of Wands/The Sun/5 of Swords) This KOW's could be his energy. They seem to let him shine. They allow him to be himself, to stand out in a way. He's gotten a lot of success from them. With this 5 of Swords, it seems they give and take away things, they can make you or break you. They can take things from you. They fuel some sort of fire in him. They may also take away that fire and passion he had. They can be very sneaky, cold and callus. I am kind of getting they make you feel great and then cut you down. Okay, starting to get something. I just have to sit with this group longer, because they have more of a guard and shield on them. But I will have to be patient to gather information here, which sucks, because I have no patience lol It is like they hype them up and then tear them down. It is like they take whatever creative energy or passion they have. The Sun card also gives me stolen youth. It is like they start off energetic and passionate, but they drain they hell out of that. They are very cut-throat.

Thoughts on industry? (3 of Wands rv/The Emperor/Death) There are people that hold a lot of power. He may be constrained and restricted from moving ahead or advancing. They steal your energy, suck your soul dry. I am having difficulty understanding why he is being held back from advancing. Like there is a strong authoritative figure holding him back, he may legit be scared of this person. This Death card is not giving me great vibes, it is like you got to appease this people, if not, they can end you, be it career or something else. I just keep thinking of those death clauses that celebrities supposedly have. Moving on.

What effects has it had on him? (3 of Cups/8 of Pentacles/2 of Pentacles/Wheel of Fortune) It is like they have to come together to do some sort of casting spell or ritual to further their career. It is like he learned to go through the motions. Doing these rituals gives him opportunities, progress, money and advancement. This could also be parties and people they have to entertain to get some sort of payback and success.

Thoughts on fanservice/shipping? (Knight of Wands rv/9 of Wands/9 of Pentacles) Not sure he likes either one of them. He does it because he has to, he is a product that has to put himself out there is what these cards are giving me. On a personal level, he doesn't care too much. There is also some hesitation to fuel the fire of fanservice and shipping on his part as well.

That was one rough, on to my bias.

Beomgyu

Thoughts on Company? (The Fool/10 of Pentacle rv/Strength) He may feel the squander money, make foolish investments, step into things they aren't sure of, they take a lot of risk. They don't really invest in them too much or put much money in them, as I mentioned don't see them making lots of money with them. There is a desire to fight against them, but he tries to hold himself back. He seems to have the power of divine feminine around him, the power of intuition and his psychic abilities to help him move through the faults of the company. There is this need or desire for him to take care of things. Not sure what that is though. I wanted more cards, since he seems more open, got the KOP's and the KOW's. I feel the KOP's represent their company head/CEO, or someone of power and Beomgyu represents this KOW's, he seems frustrated with this person, this need to stand against this person. I keep getting from Beomgyu that he needs to lead the charge somehow, KOW's is a leader, someone who inspire change, I feel that is what he needs to do, will he do it, who knows.

Thoughts on Industry? (King of Wands/10 of Wands/The Tower) This boy is so interesting to me, so he wants some sort of change, he may want less of a burden on them, he may feel they should not have this much burden on them. I am struggling to understand why he has the tower rv, if he wants change than it should be upright, but maybe he doesn't want the system to break, or things to get catastrophic. But the KOW's is a leader of revolution and inspired change, so he may be conflicted here. So, needed more cards from him, got the high priestess and 2 of pentacles, this goes along with doing some rituals, or there is some hidden knowledge to how they are able to get opportunities. He may not like this aspect of the job. I just feel this burning desire to change things from him. He wants the industry to be more creative or highlight the creative aspect of the music. He may be that type of person who is like let's bring art and creativity to the industry.

What effects it has had on him? (7 of Wands/Knight of Swords/Queen of Cups) He wants to fight against it, this is crazy. This dude is such a loving soul, caring and compassionate. He doesn't like what the industry does to idols. There is this need to defend himself and the idols. He wants to fight for what is right. Man, if he could speak on what is going on, he would. Because I have no problem getting information from him, unlike the other two above. I swear he and Jungwon should join forces, like Jungwon has the knowledge, but he has the passion and creativity to make change. I feel they could be a good team lol I always get this fighter spirit from him, a need to defend and speak his mind. He may have even defending his members and other idols before.

Thoughts on fanservice/shipping? (Queen of Swords/5 of Wands/3 of Cups) He feels it creates unnecessary drama, conflict and arguments. He seems pretty matter of fact and logical when it comes to this. He feels a sense of love and community with the fans and members and other idols. He does feel people highlight it a bit too much, but companies or idols also feed off of that as well. I am getting there is a loving community here. If he shows love it is because he means it, he doesn't do it for show.

Taehyun

Thoughts on company? (5 of Pentacles/7 of Wands/9 of Wands) They be beating these boys down, once again lack of resources and money I keep getting for them, they give these boys no support financially, or lack of resources. Like Beomgyu, there is a desire to stand against them and maybe he has, along with Beomgyu. He feels worn down by them and their tactics, he has his guard up with them.

Thoughts on Industry? (Queen of Swords/Wheel of Fortune rv/8 of Wands) They will cut any opportunity for you if how they see fit. They stall their growth. They keep you very active, but there isn't much progress or money that comes his way. It is a brutal and cutthroat industry, also lots of cold and detached people.

What effects it has had on him? (5 of Swords/The Star/The Magician) People can be backstabbing, cruel and betray others to rise to fame, now is these other idols, not sure. You have to pour a lot of soul and energy into this industry, can be draining. To rise to fame you have to cut people down. You win or lose, someone has to rise to the top. He has learned his star power and potential through this process. He recognizes his gifts and talents. It is like he knows you got to be a special type of person to rise above this industry with many skills and talents.

Thoughts on fanservice/shipping? (Ace of Pentacles rv/Page of Wands/The Magician rv) He is a little uncomfortable with them both. But there is a slight desire to go with it. He is curious as to why these are important to entertain. He doesn't really see the opportunity in it, like why it matters. He isn't really here for either of them.

Hs was short and sweet, he revealed some things, but he comes off as pretty straightforward and to the point most of the time lol

Hueningkai

Thoughts on company? (Strength/5 of Wands/10 of Wands/King of Pentacles) I feel there is a strong woman who may direct them, I felt this feminine energy throughout the reading but decided to point it out now. This could also be his energy, his ability to stand strong regardless of the bullshit the company throws at him. There is a lot of conflict and competition. I feel the company may put these boys in competition or make them feel they are in one against the other. There is a lot of heavy burden and exhaustion for them at the helm of their CEO/ Company head, it is like he gets to collect all the money while they bust their asses. Damn, he isn't holding back lol Like this KOP's is just chilling and you got the 10 of wands, which feels represents him, the man seems so tired with all the wands he is carrying, that is all the weight he has to carry. I just heard while this dude sits on his fat ass, yup, I am just repeating the message. I am also getting, we break our backs, but what do they do, damn this sounds like me at my job about the higher ups, so I relate. They take all the money, but the people lower on the pyramid do most of the grunt work. Anyway, he went off here, loving it.

Thoughts on the industry? (The Chariot/Ace of Cups/The High Priestess) Why should we be surprised the ritualistic card pops up, also a card of hidden knowledge, hidden secrets, book of spells, etc. This gives me to move ahead, you got to drink the potion, not sure what that means, but the ace of cups gives me drinking something, do they have to drink something, a concoction, there is some drink they offer you, does that create the spell block they do? It is like once you are in, drink this and let's do some spell work on you, this is wild wtf is this. I wanted more cards and got the 6 of wands, it is like once you do this, you get the success, attention and accolades, yo this is wild, do they really do this shit!? What the hell did I step into.

What effects it has on him? ( 6 of Wands/The Chariot/Ace of Cups) It is like he learned to have this competitive, win at all cost spirit. This strength and courage to move forward and face these challenges. And once again, this ace of cups gives me drinking something, does this gives him some sort of ability, does this open something up for him, not sure what it is, so I got the message psyche, now I kind of know what that means, but when I googled it, I got the Psychology of money, wild that popped up, I go with what I get, so this may mean, that this may have opened him up to trying to understand or being aware of why people do things for money, this may have made him aware of maybe how far they, he, or others will go to obtain money. I can't really articulate this too well, sorry. I needed another card, he gave me the Queen of Cups, he may have been able to tap into some psychic abilities, or some new insight to things he hasn't had access to before. There is something about a cup of something. It is like something he drinks opens him up to something. Okay, so I asked what it opens himself to. I got the mystical realm, so he is able to tap into that to get a better understanding of the world around him, so they can access that with this drink, well I just got potion. Hmm, I am thinking it may be a psychedelic. Okay, now I am being pulled back to Heeseung's idol reading, maybe this was the drink I was talking about in his reading, he may be drinking whatever this is as well. Yo, that is wild. I was not expecting him to show me this and be this revealing. This isn't actually bad, this could be used for good, but it depends how they use it.

Thoughts on fanservice/shipping? (The Emperor/Queen of Swords/10 of Pentacles) He is pretty nonchalant about it. He likes to appear powerful and strong, not sure why that is coming up. I feel like the company does want them to feed off of it, so he does. But he is kind of removed from it on an emotional level. He doesn't care for it. But if it helps them financially, he will do, honestly, he doesn't do it for the money factor, he does it because he is told to do it. I just see someone enforcing it on them.

Okay, so glad they opened up for me, this was harder, but I got some information. I will get to BTS next but need a bit of break from this series. It can be rough. Surely, they are even more protected, so that one may take more time than this one.

[lunar-witches]

🍁🔮 10 Autumn Witchy Practices🌙🍂

1. 🌕 Harvest Moon Rites 🌾

Under the luminescent embrace of the Harvest Moon, unveil rituals of abundance, manifestation, and profound connection. Ignite candles, consecrate your sacred space, and let the moon's ethereal glow infuse your spells with celestial might.

2. 🎃 The Magic of the Pumpkin 🎃

Beyond their pumpkin spice allure, pumpkins hold an enchanting power. Carve intricate sigils, transform them into altars, or concoct elixirs infused with their mystical essence. These gourds harbor the key to banishing negativity and inviting prosperity.

3. 🌿 Herbal Alchemy 🍂

Autumn bestows a trove of botanical treasures, each brimming with magical potency. Sage purifies, rosemary shields, and cinnamon invokes warmth and abundance. Mix these sacred herbs to craft your own elixirs and brews, weaving your intentions into existence.

4. 🍂 Communion with the Woods 🌲

Step into the ancient embrace of the forest, where whispers of forgotten wisdom linger. Wander among the trees, meditate beneath their boughs, or collect leaves to attune yourself to the Earth's ancient heartbeat.

5. 🕯️ The Enchantment of Candle Magic ✨

Autumn's chill beckons the flicker of candles, a gateway to the supernatural. Harness the essence of colors and scents to amplify your spells. Pink for love, purple for wisdom—light the way to your desires and witness their manifestation.

6. 🍎 Divination with Apples 🍏

Beyond the bobbing game lies an age-old divination practice. Inscribe your queries upon apple peels, release them into a vessel of water, and interpret the apple's message as it floats toward your answer. It's like conversing with the spirits themselves.

7. 🌙 Moonwater's Mystique 🌊

Capture the moon's ethereal energy with the creation of moonwater. Leave a vessel under the moonlight to charge, and use this elixir for cleansing and empowering your magical tools. It's the alchemical elixir that bridges the realms.

8. 🍁 Tarot of the Autumn Leaves 🍂

Trade your tarot deck for the wisdom of autumn's multicolored leaves. Attribute meanings to each leaf type and let the breeze guide your selection. Mother Nature herself shall unfurl the secrets of your destiny.

9. 🎶 The Enchanted Melody 🎶

Compose a bewitching playlist that resonates with your inner mystic. Whether it's the haunting melodies of Loreena McKennitt, the ethereal ballads of Donovan, or the timeless harmonies of Fleetwood Mac, let the music inspire your enchantments, guiding your spirits as you dance beneath the moonlight.

10. 🧹 The Broomstick's Esoteric Purpose 🧹

While soaring on broomsticks remains the stuff of legend, your broom holds symbolic significance. Use it to cleanse your sacred space, banish negativity, and usher in blessings and abundance. It's the earthly bridge to the astral realms.

My Ko-Fi

[the-whatcherof-89]

Xisumavoid Aka Ih-Soo-Mah Shaahwambam

CR 20 C XP 307,200 (if used as npc for encounter)Aasimar(Angelkin) Bloodrager12(Celestial Bloodline) Draconic Disciple(Void)8 NG Medium humanoid (Aasimar) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +36 AC 40 (+3 Dex, +5 deflection, +10 natural, +11 armor, +1 Intuition) Touch 19 Flat-footed 37 HP 210 (20d12+120) Fort +24, Ref +15, Will +24 Speed 30 ft

Melee Adamantine keen brilliant energy falchion+34 2D4+16 Critical 17-20x2, Spells. Ranged Returning javelins+22 1D6+12, Spells

Racial Celestial resistances 5(Acid, Cold, Electric), Darkvision 60ft, +2 on Knowledge Planes and Heal. Traits: Ear for music, Foul brand.

Class features Greater blood rage (+4 Str Con +2 Will saves), Blood sanctuary, Bloodcasting, Improved uncanny dodge, Damage reduction 2/-, Fast movement, Eschew materials, Dragon bite 1D6 Piercing+1D6 cold, Blood of dragons, Natural armor increase +5, Ability boot(STR+4 CON+2 INT+2), Breath weapon 3/day(Con of cold 30ft 8D6 DC23), Blindsense 30ft, Dragon form 1/day.

Bloodline powers Bonus feats (Dodge, Improved initiative, Iron will, Cleave, Blind fight, Power attack) Bonus spells: Bless, Resist energy.

Spellcasting CL 18th, DC19

4th (4/day)-dragon’s breath, telekinetic charge, stoneskin, monstrous physique II, Ghost wolf.

3rd (4/day)-haste, heroism, draconic reservoir, Force punch, chain of perdition, resinous skin.

2nd (5/day)-mirror image, molten orb, see invisibility, glitterdust, blood armor, ablative barrier. 1st (7/day)-jump, mount, shield, thunder stomp, magic missile, burning hands.

Str 32, Dex 16, Con 24, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 28

Base Atk +18; CMB +28; CMD 32

Feats Strong personality, Craft wondrous magic items, Improved sunder, Spell penetration, Greater spell penetration, Improved critical, Weapon focus(Falchion), Raging vitality, Angelic blood, Quicken spell-like ability(Dragon form).

Skills Acrobatics+12, Climb+15, Craft(Stone and metal)+24, Escape artist+13, Diplomacy+13, Fly+11, Intimidate +13, Knowledge (Arcana)+10, (Geography)+24 (The planes)+10 (Nature)+5, Perception +26, Perform(Cord)+13, Profession(Composer)+11, Spellcraft +20, Survival +11, Swim +15.

Languages Common, Celestial, Draconic.

Combat gear Mithral spell storing banded mail of greater cold resistance+4, Ring of protection+5, Amulet of natural armor+5, Ioun stones(Deep red sphere, Dusty rose prism), Adamantine keen brilliant energy falchion+5, 2 Returning javelins+1, Belt of physical might+6(STR, CON), Cloak of resistance+5, Headband of mental Prowess+6(WIS CHA Geography), Sandals of quick reaction, Bag of holding type I, Potions:(4) Cure serious wounds (4)Haste, Wands(Blink, Enlarge person), Tome of leadership and influence+2(Used), Manual of bodily health+2, Manual of gainful exercise+5(used), Masterwork guitar, Bloodrager kit, 508GP.

Xisumaviod Aka Ik-soo-mah the Ender caller.

CR 20 XP 307,200 (if used as npc for encounter)Aasimar(Ember-kin, Fallen one) Oracle(Void)20

CE Medium humanoid Init +5; Senses Perception +38

AC 33, touch 17, flat-footed 32 (+1Dex, +5Deflection, +5 natural, +11armor, +1intuition) HP 141 (20d8+48)

Fort +17, Ref +12, Will +28

Speed 30 ft. Melee Adamantine keen brilliant energy scythe+26 1D10+11. Ranged Distance light crossbow+18 1d8+2 +1D8 Cold.

Racial Celestial resistances 5(Acid, Cold, Fire), Darkvision 60ft, +2 on Knowledge Planes and Spellcraft, Lost promise. Traits: Ear for music, Foul brand.

Class features Curse: Tongues, Mystery: Void, Revelations: Absence of body, DR15/force, Armor fo the void 20 hours/day, Body of the void 20 minutes/day, Commune with the void, Creature of the void, Summon the void, Stare into the abyss,Touch of the void, Visions of the void, Wisdom of the void), Final revelation, Bonus spells: Chill heart, Darkness, Ray of exhaustion, Curse of magic negation, Passwall, Gateway, Banishment, Maze, Overwhelming presence.

Spellcasting CL20 DC21 Spells per day 9/9/9/8/8/8/8/7/7 Spells known: 9-Miracle, Portal, Implosion. 8-Earthquake, Cloak of chaos, Greater planar ally. 7-Scrying(greater), Resurrection, Blasphemy.

6-Word of recall, Heal, Blade barrier. 5-Planar shift, Break enchantment, Flame strike, True seeing. 4-Summon master IV, Freedom of movement, Divine power, Inflict critical wounds. 3-Water breathing, Cure serious wounds, Protection from energy, Dispel magic. 2-Restoration(lesser), Cure moderate wounds, Find traps, Sonic blast, Hold person.

1-Cure light wounds, Shield of faith, Bless water, Sanctuary, Divine favor. 0-Detect magic, Create water, Read magic, Purify food and drink, Mending, Light, Detect poison, Virtue, Guidance.

Str 22, Dex 12, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 32

Base Atk +15; CMB +21; CMD +22

Feats Craft wondrous items, Improved initiative, Divine interference, Extra revelations(4), Weapon proficiency(Scythe), Strong personality, Quicken metamagic.

Skills Craft(Stone and metal)+24, Intimidate +13, Heal+10, Knowledge (Arcana)+24, (History)+5 (The planes)+24 (Religion)+5, Disable device+24, Perception +28, Perform(Cord)+15, Profession(Composer)+10, Sense motive+10, Spellcraft +20, Survival +11, Swim +15, Use magic device +24.

Languages Common, Celestial, Abyssal, Draconic, Aklo.

Combat gear Mithral spell storing banded mail of greater electric resistance+4, Ring of protection+5, Amulet of natural armor+5, Ioun stones(Deep red sphere, Dusty rose prism), Adamantine keen brilliant energy scythe+5, Distance light crossbow+1, 50+1 Frost bolts, Belt of physical might+6(STR, CON), Cloak of resistance+5, Headband of mental Prowess+6(WIS CHA Planes), Slippers of cloudwalking, Glyphbane gloves, Bag of holding type I, Potions:(4) Cure serious wounds (4)Gaseous form, Tome of leadership and influence+2(Used), Manual of bodily health+2, Manual of gainful exercise+5(used), Scrolls(Cloak of chaos, Reverse gravity, Orb of  the void, Blood mist), Masterwork guitar, Oracle kit, 87GP. 

Background: Xisuma lives in a faraway land famous for the various buildings that defies possibility and his hermits that build them. While it is true that he is one of them, Xisuma is not only a music composer but also an admin/steward figure of the place, ensuring both the stability and functioning logistics of the land between the various hermits. Xisuma however, has a secret: for some reason he has a connection with the Void hence, his full name Xisumavoid. Although people do not bring up his full name often, Xisuma always feels the strange call and stares at the vast sky of the Overworld or the endless depth of the End. While there was no exchange of words, he always felt something or someone calling for him, pulling, inching forward from the dark depths but he could never reply or understand, until one day he was overseeing the land from a vantage point and saw some kind of light on the horizon engulfing the world. The land was disappearing. Xisuma panicked for a moment, but then he heard a call: “My chosen. To stop this advent embrace me. I shall give you the power to save the land. Look upon me.” Xisuma looked around but saw no one, until he looked up and saw IT. His two eyes reflected his being into two and cast the now divided Xisuma in two beings in another land. Separated, the two heard again the voice: “Upon you i now bestow my powers and a prophecy:”

Swift as the wind the ground rumbles

Burn the bubble when they stumbles

With blazing storms forward they dash

Cold hearts engraved in ash

One light and secrets will be hushed

Four shadows always clashed

Ring the bell falls the hammer

Sparks dance under the burnt banner

Clad in white we slowly fade

For in twilight’s hour we were remade

“When the prophecy is resolved, come find me. And you will return to your land untainted.” The two Xisuma were separated, one in the Overworld, the other in the End but they both knew what had to be done and no one would stand in their way.

(Image made with Heroforge.)

[gurlu]

could you give me some advice on how to make a magic system>? i was inspired by you but i dont know how to start :[

Here's a mouthful of a post that I did to get some advice, but I'll try to add more to the mix to better answer you. When I was making my magic system, I was just 13. At the time I was bored, and I liked Skyrim a lot, along with Pokémon and many other things. I saw all the different elemental types that many magic systems in video games and fiction could do, and I thought : "What if I made one that blends everything, or at least as much as possible, while still making sense ?" The rest is history I guess, I just thought about the basics, then added the fact you could blend stuff together. Once I got my elements, I also tried to think about each possible manifestations a spell could have. From an explosive projectile, to an erupting pillar to a shield to a curse to a passive property. In the end, I had 20+ elements and around 30 manifestations. Now put all the manifestations in a column and elements in a row ; and you got yourself a neat little array of every single spell that could ever exist in that system. And that's how the spreadsheet came to be. The world building of it came after, and yet it helped with seeing the scope of it all so much better too. But you can see what happened here : it was gameplay first, lore second. It was the dynamic of the system first. Now all that aside, since the start I knew what I wanted : Take as much "superpower" I could think of and make it make sense in a magic system. Bonus points if it can work in an RPG context. So I think that if you want to make a magic system of your own, you got to ask yourself the correct questions first : - What's the point ? What do I want to do out of this system ? Do you want to complement something that exist ? Do you just want to have fun making it ? Do you want to make the magic system first then the rest ? Do you want to mix ideas from this media and that media ? - In what context will it be used ? A videogame ? A novel ? Tabletop RPG ? Can the system be played ? Does it need to be used ? If so, it needs rules, it needs to be understood enough so that it can be manipulated, it needs resources to limit it, whether it's mana points, spell slots or any other components.

- What's the core aspect of the system I want to empathize ?

Do you want your system to be special first and foremost ? Should it stand on its own, or should it help other things stand ? What makes my system so special to begin with anyway ? Find what you want do at the core, then make sure this aspect stands shining atop the rest. A solid core principle is much better than many smaller ones. That should be all I can think of. If you (or any other reader) got any other question, you can always DM me. I'm always available to help people create (and be a nerd).

[sweet-chimera]

Character Dossier

Basics

Full name: H-0434

Known aliases:Honey Suckle Reject, Mead florere rejecto

Age: 3,219

Gender: Female presenting or Demi-Female (uses she/her pronouns)

Birthcreationdate: April 1st

Heritage: Gladen

Religion: Polytheistic considering gods and deities are real

Sexual and Romantic orientation: Demi/pan sexual and panromantic

Status: Currently a free monster, court officer, in the Miracle territory

Residencies: In the Reject Estate located in Kevin the forever forest

Highest level of education: Greek Gymn school, monster quality assurance training, The Nursery, Godly and royal etiquette training, Greek monster and spartan training

Occupation: Public servant, court officer (she's their lie detector for sentencing)

Physical examination

Facial features: Round eyebrows. Rounded goat nose, tusks protruding from mouth, four sets of eyes (White pupils, usually red and green), 6 distinctive facial stripes

Face-claim: Herself. I draw all my own stuff

Voice: She has a (more mild now) scottish accent and a deep, feminine voice

Voice claim: Bronagh; Sound of the Sea

Eyes: She can have up to 8. All looking like colored rings, in the following colors:

Hair: Old burgandy, dark brown hair with a slightly redish-purple hue

Body type: She is a curvier, larger women with wider hips, and fat deposits on her body (shes had many kids)

Distinguishable Marks: double stripes on her shoulders, a serial number fur pattern in her fur, and 6 stripe markings on her face

weight: 285 lbs give or take

Height: Fluctuates, but remains around 5'7" for the sake of being approachable to most species

Mental Evaluation

Mental illness: PTSD, Hypervigilance around others, Not technically DID but she is a single body housing many creatures mentally, emotional affluency

Psychological profile: ESFJ

Positive traits: Empathetic, perceives needs, practical, caring

Negative traits: Detached, self deprecating, Assigns values based on usefulness

Alignment type: She can not perceive morality but based on action alone, True neutrual or lawful neutrual

Meyer-Briggs Personality type: (S/N)

Phobias: Afraid of technology, Frogs

Mannerisms: One set of eyes will avoid eye contact, one set will stare. Finger taps. Tail buzzing. Frog blinking.

Hobbies and Interests: Horticulture, Potion craft, baking, weaving, national parks, child rearing (yes), Tailoring.

Strategic analysis

Combat style: She avoids fighting at most costs, and if she does get into one (Not relating to damage mitigation or calming down a rampaging friend). Her motto is destroy them, everything they hold dear, and 5 generations of their blood line. Or pawn the problem off on someone else (still usually resulting in death) Since fighting is looked unfavorably upon. But other wise, mid to long ranged attacks with close range hand to hand being for when you want to get messy

Weapon of choice: She personally is a pole arms user, spears and pole axes when its not her magic or body as a weapon

Hand to hand Combat efficiency: Extremely competent considering she spent actual decades in a spartan military against other monsters

Tactical strength: Reconnaissance and small precise strike teams (herself and her parts). Honorable mention being honey potting or espionage

Tactical weakness: Lack of external leader ship, the cold, salt water, lead (lead is the only thing that works on the whole body and not an individual part

Signature technique: Plant, fungus, and moss roots forming spell circles underground and releasing a powerful (long set up) attack without the enemy ever knowing it was being set up.

Pain tolerance: Extremely high to everything but ice and lead. And even then she's willing to turn pain receptors off. (And risk not even registering when her body is beyond the point of no return)

Defensive skills: Classical shield training, turning big, using more hard wood and fiber plants. Running away

Relationships and affiliations

Family: She has 31 siblings. But the most notable are Nectar (the sphinx), Pollen (eastern loong), Heat (Chimera), Rika (Daughter. 100% honey's, but biologically black dragon)

Allies and associates: I haven't discussed relationships with muns that much. I know that shes on familial standing with some muses, but as far as allies or associates. No one really has her loyalty nor do I really have mains like that or overlapping canons with other muns. But from story canon there Persephone, and Queen Mab.

Rivalries: Honey has no one she's in competition with

Enemies: Honey has no one she despises or is on sight with

Romantic histories: Honey has no explicit ships or romantic history with any muses with active blogs. (Like puppy crushes are different from a bonafide ship). But from her Story canon, theres Cerberus, Rika's father, and a few other monsters from history (at least sexually. Romance is stretching it)

Notable friends: Alex, Hax & Eath, Gritt, Hook & terrance, Olgan, Frost, Crowley & Mack, Rachel, Kairi, Heiron, The fizz bots, and I'm sure others I can't think of.

Habits and life style

Daily routine: Honey Wakes up at sunrise regardless of when she went to bed, especially because Rika is Nocturnal and Is going to bed at that time. She makes herself tea and breakfast by 6:00 am or at least an hour after she's woken up which ever is earlier. She'll check on all of her Nymphs and forest creatures. Then she'll go into town to check on her neighbors. Then she'll go into work doing essentially odd jobs for the colony because they haven't had need for the court in ages. Then its the daily shenanigan with what ever muse she's seeing that day, and usually shes back home in time to wake up Rika, feed her, help her with homework and send her off to her training.

Diet and nutrition: She's Vegetarian. And won't eat meat. being part plant. She consumes alot of sugar and needs access to sunlight to feel okay

Exercise habits: most of her exercise comes from Sparring woth some of her coworkers and physical labor.

Grooming habits: She tries to bath no less then once a day. But considering how often shes running for her life or in someones shenanigan it's at a different time each day. Every day her horns and fangs grow to a point so she'll file them down back to being round and non threatening. As well as pluck any flowers Alluria sprouted out of her skin.

Substance use: She doesn't. Unless she's at like a party. But 9 times out of 10. Straight edge.

Sleep patterns: She doesn't unless something puts her to sleep.

Personal aesthetic: Cottage core, little house on the prairie, dark academia

Favorite book: Before the law by Franz Kafka, Frankenstein by Mary shelly

Favorite music genre: Blue grass folk

Favorite Art/Architecture: neo-classical

tagged by: @feelinsheepish and technically @xxlordalexanderxx

Tagging: anyone

[mansion1of7]

Wooden Ocean & games as entities

For the last 41 days I've been obsessed with Wooden Ocean, cause this project speaks to me on so many levels and is an extremely interesting, ever evolving piece of art that I think should be studied and paid attention to, so, here's a rant that'll probably end up way too long w/ heavy autistic overtones!!

Warning: There will be light spoilers, but this post will not be about lore. I will make reference to story elements at times, but I will be examining more the creation of it, the magic of it, or maybe more accurately what it makes me feel and some mentally ill ramblings about how games are complex and beautiful art

Part 1: A Wocean of Content

Wooden Ocean takes place in, well, a sprawling "ocean" of forests (as well as some actual ocean too). This Wooden Ocean is ridiculously densely packed with content. It's an extremely big game to the point I doubt anyone will ever see everything in it with a single playthrough. That's cause this game has been getting constant work and updates almost every month for the last 9yrs, and is designed in a very open "find your own path" kinda way, making it easy to just stuff and expand every corner of the map with new things and introduce new sets of enemies, loot, quests, stories, dungeons, etc.

I was introduced to this game, like most of the recent fans, when a small YouTuber, Worm Girl, dropped an almost two hour long video covering it. I watched about 5min and decided to stop watching and delve into it myself, and I don't regret that for a second (though I highly recommend the video too, it's amazing)

I'm an indie nerd for sure, and I love unique takes and invention in the (J)RPG genre specifically. Probably cause my brain got infected by Undertale as a kid, but there's always something so special about the stories these solo/small team devs tell. I'm a massive Indivisible defender despite the fact ik these kinda projects ain't for everyone, but there's a very unique kinda passion and soul you can find in these type games, so obviously when this absolute gem and constantly evolving work of love and dedication was just handed to me on my feed I felt genuinely blessed

Cracking open and exploring this game is a fucking experience. It's definitely overwhelming, but despite how much stuff there is and how many systems and mechanics there are, the game is still very simple. It's a JRPG. You walk around, you talk, you fight, you loot, you get stronger, you probably fight some deities at some points, and you get attached to the characters you're traveling with. Sure, the text on your starting skill might be something like:

[Magic x 1.5 + Luck x 3 - Enemy Luck x 5]

But that just means "if you have more luck and magic, skill do more damage", so it's one of those things that can look intimidating, but is actually very simple and even helpful. A lot of the game at a glance might seem difficult to get into, but through different difficulties and a big variety of play styles, you can kinda choose if you wanna push yourself to the absolute limits, or if you wanna make damn near every fight end after 2 button presses and fully focus on the exploration and story instead. It's a game you can approach in so many ways, so let me get into that, cause this will be important to the overall point of this chaos

Part 1.1: Variety in Wocean, Elements, Expression

15 elements

8 weapon types + shields

Armours and other equippables with effects ranging from giving you access to new elements, buffing certain stats, trading stats for others, resistances, etc, etc

You choose two elements for the main character (Violet) when starting a new game, and you get to choose one element for each party member (2 by default after the prologue, 2 optional unlockable ones). All these elements are surprisingly distinct and unique. While they follow a formula of "x amount of attack spells, x amount of buffs, x amount of healing spells, x amount of debuffs" that are unlockable, they still all serve different purposes (which is helped a lot by the fact different elements are tied to different stats) and are good at different things with very distinct themes, like "Carbon" which is themed around using flesh and blood magic to make your body stronger or give your enemies an aneurysm, or "Gravity" which is themed around using the defense stats of both you and your target offensively against them

The weapons are all distinct as well, all serving different roles and with different upgrade paths you can go for with it's own synergies and gimmicks. Like great swords that have a lot of attacks that hit multiple enemies, some with different elemental damages (like fire or lightning) attached to them, and self-buffs to make those hit harder, or bows which reduce your chance of being targeted, are great at debuffing single targets in various ways and can spend a turn taking aim for higher damage and critical chances

So combining these things, especially when taking into consideration that you can find weapons and equipment that give you access to extra elements when worn and weapons that got the skill sets of multiple different weapon types + accessories that can have a massive impact on your build, suddenly you have crazy amounts of customisation and options for super personalised builds

Due to the ever changing nature of the games combat with the constant balance patches and updates adding new content and the dev taking player feedback very seriously and acting based on it sometimes the very same day the feedback is given, and the extreme variation, the builds you end up with are an expression of your personal journey through the game, your adaptation to this ever changing and never fully knowable meta, and probably also just something you made cause it's just what spoke to you the most

Despite the game being like an exploration of this one passionate artists mind across years and years, it's still a game where you can heavily express yourself through how you approach it and interact with this world and it's simple at a surface level but complex mechanics, OR you could just buy some very big, infinitely reusable bombs and play the game how the proffesionals do it

Part 1.2: Murda Mentality

So that brings us to Amelia "Murda" Baker and the concept of murda as a lifestyle, spiritual practice and political identity

Amelia is one of those 2 initial party members, the other one being her brother, Alex. They make for an interesting and engaging dynamic with Violet, cause while Violet, a highly skilled witch, is very powerful in her own right, she knows very little about the true nature of the world she exists within, most likely less than the player. But these siblings in contrast have knowledge way beyond what the player does, but not necessarily the desire to sit the player or Violet down and lore dump all at once. This leads to storytelling that kinda naturally lets the player in on things about the world through dialogue, slowly peeling back layers of the mysteries and hinting at new aspects as you explore the game, talk to NPCs, play through quest lines, etc

The writing is also just genuinely hilarious. Dialogue is often written in a way that feels very authentic and natural, despite how absolutely unhinged some of the shit said in this game is, and I think based on having spent time in the community that most players would agree the funniest character in this game, if there was a vote had, would be: Amelia "Murda" Baker

She's a character who treats the game like, well, the game that it is. While she has genuine and emotional moments, a lot of the time she just responds to most situations with the word "murda" with varying tone and facial expressions, and sometimes also with the action of "murda"

You could call her just a comedy character, but I think that'd be unfair as this character and characterisation perfectly represents the kinda attitude you should have towards this experience. Don't take it overly serious, have fun with it, fuck around and find out, kill shit, get loot, explore, murder symbols of authority for being shitty people representing and upholding shitty systems

Now, I'm not saying Amelia "Murda" Baker is The Anarchist Messiah, she can't exactly be said to care too much about the good of the people, in the sense that she eats people, and her catch phrase is "murda", cause she does that to people. A lot. But what I am saying is that she's like a constant reminder to not be taking this world too seriously and have fun first and foremost, without diving fully into a nihilistic "nothing matters" mentality as there are genuine stakes, things and people to be cared about, interesting topics explored and working classes to protect (or alternatively fascist police states to be established if you're a fucking weirdo ig, personally I have nobody working at my town's pig pen and I'm keeping it that way)

Taking things not too seriously, fucking around, experimenting, having fun, enjoying this vast, layered world however you feel like in the moment, is core to keep in mind for:

Part 1.3: Layers Beneath a Vast Wocean

The Wooden Ocean, as I've mentioned, is massive. It's the kind of thing where even going into it expecting it to be big, you'll still be shocked at the size of it. Even if I tell you that the game starts you off on a huge landmass stretching every direction, with multiple layers of interconnected dungeons, caves and sewers all forming a sprawling underground network, and multiple islands and other places to travel I haven't even talked about yet (and I probably haven't found all of myself yet), I would still confidently bet the amount of areas in this game would surprise you if you played it

So far, the only real detailed maps of this game that are available are the ones showcased in the Poetry of Exploration series of guides by the incredible Inky (aka. The Crime Boy), which covers the overworld of the game and is being actively worked on by them with the help of other community members to have more area covered and more detailed information for those areas

In addition to everything I said already, this dev shortly after the recent boost has implemented and will be actively working on a mega dungeon, the most difficult area in the game, that he will develop on a one floor per year schedule, adding to, refining and expanding that one floor throughout the year until it's time for the next one. A dungeon so high level and challenging that it's set to not reset upon entering New Game+ so you can work your way through it over multiple playthroughs

Oh, and that's not even mentioning the couple places you can go in the world where there very clearly will be a lot of stuff, but gives you the message "future content" when interacting, so, as you can see, this game is constantly expanding in every direction at an honestly concerning rate (please take care of yourself too man goddamn)

Now this might again sound overwhelming, but if you apply some Murda Mentality you'll find an experience in some regards reminiscent of Yume Nikki or LSD: Dream Emulator. While this does in some ways have a more coherent world as well as progression systems, clear goals and all that, it's still a very dreamlike, entrancing, free form exploration that's easy to get lost in, with plenty of weird and beautiful visuals to admire and different concepts and ideas explored in a variety of different ways

Now though we're starting to get into the topic of

Part 2: Magic is Real; Art as Spellcrafting

It's not just witches and warlocks!! You too could be eligible for magic!! Find out today, or at your own pace I guess, whatever, idc..

You've probably noticed by now that I might fall within some people's definition of "pretentious", but if I had a great sense of self importance I wouldn't be writing an entire essay on Tumblr about an RPG Maker game at 4am or admit within it that after years of being nameless after coming out, this game is what introduced me to the name that's now me

So, clearly this game has left a very big impression on me and resonates with me on a deeper level than most things. These qualities can be found in all art though, and that's part of the broader point I'm making with this. Emotion is magic, art is made with, inflicts and inspires emotion, you have magic in your veins!! The beautiful chaos at display in The Greatest Expression will force you to face these truths!!

Okay nevermind! Not at your own pace! Not at any sane humans pace! Calm tf down man...

Part 2.1: The Basics of Spellcrafting

Expression is a form of magic that's to an extent innate in humans. While every craft takes practice, even a toddler will have ways in which it expresses itself. Expression is emotions channeled into something that can affect other people, and the most common way humans express emotions, aside from basic communication, is through art

From placing words in specific ways to draw out emotion in text or verbal form, translating the (inherently abstract) images, concepts and ideas in your head into real life using lines on paper, combinations of sounds, movements, personas, working of fabrics or materials, using tools or machines in specific ways, personal fashion, all of this is art, all of this is expression, you all do magic to some degree in your life (even if you're not classified as a witch, warlock, wizard or other similar entity!!)

And now its stealing my lines too... I'm done, I'm leaving, I don't need this rn...

Not all expression is art, but all art is expression, and whether it's corporate copy-paste shit or boundary pushing, inventive indie shit, the creation of art is a form of spellcrafting

There's an endless variety of ways people choose to craft their spells, often combining several of the forms of expression I mentioned (among plenty other ones!!) and often honing their skills at and learning new things about the art(s) involved in crafting that spell during the process. A painter will have a deeper understanding of a brush than anyone without that experience can fathom, the language of it integrates and becomes part of their instincts, the minute movements of it registering in their subconscious which acts accordingly, as extensions of themselves

Now of course that don't mean every painter can use, wants to use or even likes every brush, but just the fact that they can often tell those things just by holding (or even just looking at) a brush shows how this spellcrafting process has become natural to them. Their preferences in tools and the ways they use their tools might change over time, or they might stick to something super specific, but regardless it will become more and more a part of them. Their craft, understanding of it and methods for it will evolve and change as long as they continue to express themselves

Part 2.2: Vessel of the Gods

One of the most important tools in the process of crafting a game, is the engine it's made in. Different engines have different languages, quirks, strengths and weaknesses, so what engine is used and how you modify and alter it is something that will affect the entire work. The engine and how it's used determines what boundaries and restrictions you're working within during the process of turning these smaller pieces of art into a cohesive, interactable realm

It's the vessel through which you get to be the creator of this interactable art piece, so obviously we need to talk about this developers game engine of choice, the legendary:

RPG Maker VX Ace

RPG Maker is a series of game engines designed for making JRPG style games, and are designed specifically to be easily accessible, with little to no programming needed to make a JRPG. They're both beloved and infamous at the same time. On one hand they're the easiest way to make a JRPG thanks to having all the basics already in place for you, and plenty of hit games (at least within gaming spheres) have been made using these engines, proving they can produce great results and that there'd be an audience for the result. On the other hand though, due to being so specialised for that specific purpose, they got a lot of limitations on what's possible to do within them, and due to the engines having such a "low skill floor" so to speak some people have an inherent bias towards games made with them, in some way putting a limitation on the size of the audience too

RPG Maker VX Ace, the 33rd engine in the "RPGツクール" franchise, is the engine this man has been spending so many years of his life learning, working with and using as his main spellcrafting tool while creating The Wooden Ocean. I won't pretend to have a deep understanding of it, cause I really don't. I've played around a little with RPG Maker MV before, but just my knowledge on that one is extremely basic, I couldn't even tell you a single one of the differences between them

While I might be ignorant, after a conversation with Errantstar, an active community member who's been delving into and documenting the inner workings of Wocean (as well as showcasing a whole bunch of obscure games on Twitch), I've become somewhat educated, and the knowledge it provided me during our talk will be woven into things moving forward

The same way an artist shapes their work with their tools, the tools shape the work just as much. While a spell cannot exist without a caster, a caster cannot cast without it's spellcrafting tools. It's a symbiotic, or maybe more accurately a codependent, relationship. Spellcrafting requires metaphysics of a mind merging with the physics of a tool, coming together and forming

Part 2.3: The Shape of Expression

An author writing a novel for publication is restricted in their craft to placing letters within the confines of pages. Those restrictions contribute heavily to the shape of that work. Those restrictions are what make it a novel. An author can use those letters however they want though, and the pages can have variations and alterations to them, like the controlled chaos of the formatting in House of Leaves

So, you remember how big, open, dense and interconnected Wooden Ocean is, yh? And the varied and unique combat system? Well, that combat and the game as a whole has a bunch of complex systems and mechanics I haven't even mentioned, and as we know, RPG Maker VX Ace isn't exactly made for all that

In order to create Wooden Ocean, this developer has had to modify the engine, push and expand it's limits, work within the restrictions while challenging them. In order to follow his vision he had to create makeshift solutions for increasingly more problems, but the further the engine gets from it's inteded purpose, the more volatile it becomes, and suddenly every change he makes or thing he adds could have uninteded consequences affecting other aspects of it

There's been plenty of things he's had to solve, things he's had to just roll with, and there's several upcoming challenges on the horizon. One of those being that he's nearing the maximum amount of things (everything from items to rooms to enemies, etc) the engine allows you to put into a game. Everything he adds comes with something the engine added in a sense, his actions cause both predictable and unpredictable reactions from it, which he in turn has to respond to

This back and forth between this caster and his tools is what gives Wooden Ocean it's shape

Magic is real, art is spellcrafting, and the story of a spells creation can be felt within it

With everything from the beginning to now in mind, let's enter the final stages of this chaos

Part 3: The Greatest Expression

The Wooden Ocean is sometimes referred to by the inhabitants within as The Greatest Expression

How couldn't it be if it's all you know?

But this piece of expression being great wouldn't be incorrect. Despite the chaotic process projects like this go through it's a (mostly) very smooth and engaging experience that clearly has something to say and is one of the most unique and refreshing things I've played in recent memory. The passion on display revealing itself more and more for every step of every cycle across such a vast and intricate journey is an amazing thing to witness and why I love this expression

Something core to every spell is the caster, something core to every world is the creator, so it's time we talk about the deity of this realm

Part 3.1: God

Leif Ian Anderson is the mad god behind this beautiful chaos known as Wocean. A being that can be spotted in places like the Steam forums talking about "murdas" and "blood altars", who shows no semblance of sanity in the inhuman speeds he works at and how he fills the game with characters like this

Fr though, this man deserves his flowers. His dedication is more than paying off. Call it recency bias if you want, but after over a month of playing it almost every day, after having beaten it, I'm still just as excited and filled with wonder jumping back in. Thank you for this expression, thank you for this experience, and thank you for my name Sincerely

Now, I won't pretend to know much about the guy. He got a Scandinavian name and lives in Florida, he makes Wooden Ocean, he probably still works a regular job and that's about all I'm aware of. His presence is very heavily felt throughout all of this game though, naturally, as it's his expression. A display of concepts, ideas and views in the form of a digital museum with an addictive gameplay loop

Despite the heavy use of altered free assets his creativity is on constant display in every corner of the world, in every line of text, in every mechanic. In fact the altered free assets and how he uses them is a big part of what gives it such a unique aesthetic, and even ties into and heightens the narrative and concepts at the core of the experience

This is a god who cares a lot about his world and the people who interact with it. He will respond to (and if possible fix) any problem or bug reported. Almost to a fault as he's known for sometimes over correcting too much, like when a complaint about gravity attack spells being too strong resulted in gravity now being one of the weakest elements in the game. To me though, this is a big part of the charm of this game. It's unpredictable, and everything in it has a story behind it

Despite being the god of this world, his work has a lot of humanity in it. A lot of soul. He might joyfully make some sadistic design decisions from time to time, but simultaneously he will do anything in his power to make this experience accessible to as many people as possible

A merciless and mysterious god

A merciful and transparent god

Part 3.2: Mezra

Mezra is a lot of things in the Wooden Ocean

Mezra is a religion, and also a chara- or, well, several characters. We got Mezra (the witch), Mezra (the architect), Mezra (the angel), Mezra (the artist), and then there's some Mezras not explicitly named Mezra but their names are definitely Mezra, you got an Ezra in there as well for good measure, oh and then there's also Mezra (the author) and, shit, even my name is Mezra!!

Now I won't get into the lore on any of these characters, but I want you to note the hilariously excessive amount of Mezra there is in this game. The game is very self aware of this ofc, with some characters in the game drawing attention to it and finding it just as confusing as anyone would. While it's a good bit, it's also a lot more than that in several ways. The most relevant one to this topic being the theme of self-observation

While these may be different characters, there's always a Mezra observing a Mezra. Deity Mezra is always watching down upon the mortal Mezras, the mortal Mezras are ofc aware of the religion of Mezra, a Mezra might interact with a Mezra, you get the picture. Mezras on every layer, with different viewpoints, observing eachother

If we were to view the different Mezras as one, if we were to think of them as a collective, then the idea of "Mezra" is a perfect representation of Leifs role in this world. He is a deity, a creator, but also an observer to this game. In many aspects he has knowledge way beyond anyone else about his artwork, but in some regards he might know less than a player would about something within it

The unpredictable nature of the spellcrafting process and vast amount of content with so many ways of interacting with it leaves him in a space where he's both a deity and mortal within

Part 3.3: The Entity Known as Wocean

Expansive, ever changing, unpredictable, filled with magic, expression, never fully knowable even to the artist, caster, creator, god of this realm, The Greatest Expression, Wooden Ocean is an entity more than it is a static interactable artwork

Expression is done through it, both by the player and the developer, but it also expresses itself back in a sense. Not to say it's alive or has a mind, but conceptualising it as it's own entity gives a clearer picture of what this work feels like to interact with

It's got a personality that goes beyond what deities and mortals intentionally imbue it with. It's a creation participating in it's own creation. Forever changing itself for as long as the process continues, forever having left an impact on itself whenever it comes time for the process to end

Wooden Ocean isn't the only game with these characteristics, but it's a perfect example, no?

Never before have I seen a game that exists as an entity to this degree, never before have I seen a game that exists as an entity where that fact ties so beautifully into the intended expression

This has been my first love letter to and one of many reasons why I'm so obsessed with

Final Words (Process & Credits)

That number you see in the very first sentence of this post was originally 26. Partially due to being a slow writer, but also due to feeling it would be in the spirit of this expression, I been taking my time with this. 15 days to be exact. Which, like, this shit's extremely excessive ngl lol, but spending my spare time the last two weeks exploring the game further and interacting with and learning from the community while occasionally opening this up in the drafts and putting down some words has honestly been super fun!! I hadn't even beaten the game or watched any Wocean content yet during the writing of anything before Part 2.2, while now I'm fucking around in NG+ and on higher difficulties, still constantly discovering new things, places, quirks, mechanics, etc

Cause of this, in some parts, there might be some small inaccuracies or things left out (like the talent system I never mentioned) and in the latter half some lore nerds might feel a bit peeved with parts of 3.2 for example, but I have it like this intentionally. I've gone over this whole thing and made little edits here and there throughout the entire process, but this ain't a review or a lore discussion, so I decided against being neurotic or adding new info and am embracing the chaos and quirks left over from the process instead of making it just a knowledge dumping post

I wouldn't have nearly as much knowledge of this game as I do if it wasn't for the incredible and welcoming community it has though. Talking about and shitposting about this game with the people over on the Discord has definitely deepened my obsession with and heightened my enjoyment of this experience. Y'all are great, and I'll continue delving into the Wocean with y'all at the very least for the foreseeable future. So, while I'd like to put a spotlight on each individual person I've been interacting with, for my own health and the health of the community I'll stick to just crediting and linking to the people who's contributions I've linked/referenced throughout this somewhat controlled chaos:

Worm Girl as I mentioned is an amazing YouTuber and the one who started this current Wocean wave. Very much recommend her videos on Fear & Hunger and various LISA fangames too

YouTube

Rilks wrote the weapon and element overviews/guides I linked, and has a good little YouTube channel dedicated to Wocean content!! Its also the owner of the current Discord and shows a lot of genuine care for the people in the community. He's almost at 400 subscribers, so go check her out and subscribe pussy!!

YouTube

Deesppumb tbh idk much about, haven't seen em around a lot, but seems very chill and has made some very good funnies (like the one displaying how the proffesionals do it) and got a couple more funnies on this YouTube channel, so, check it out!!

YouTube

Inko, again, is the legend who's been (and still is) putting in work mapping out this chaotic realm, and they been really sweet and helpful in my experience, so go further the Woceanisation of Tumblr by following them on here pls 🙏🙏

Tumblr

Ster was very kind for taking the time to answer several questions (most requiring long answers) just to indulge this bullshit, and does so much to help out the community by dissecting the game and being the closest thing to a Wocean wiki. They also stream very regularly, both Wocean and a bunch of other interesting and barely known RPGs, so go watch and follow you fuck!!

Twitch

Then, of course, Leif Ian Anderson. I've already said a lot there, but fr, like, show this guy some love. He's made something extremely special with this project and it's impossible not to respect his unrelenting dedication to this entity, so, obviously, play the game or at the very least check him out Wooden Ocean is on -25% sale rn until July 19th, so, perfect time to be getting into it now!!

Wooden Ocean | Twitch | SoundCloud | Patreon

Ty for reading!!

[i-have-ideas-they-go-here]

Arcane DnD: Jayce

S1 Act 1

Level: 3

Class: Artificer

Subclass: Battle Smith

A Battle Smith is a magical engineer who serves as both a protector and a healer, skilled at defending allies and repairing weapons, armor, and even people. They are accompanied by a steel defender, a loyal mechanical companion they created to shield and assist others in battle. Known for their quick thinking and life-saving abilities, Battle Smiths are often remembered in stories of soldiers narrowly escaping death thanks to their efforts.

Magical Tinkering:

At 1st LV you can use tools (like lockpicking or crafting tools) to give ordinary objects magical properties. For example:

Light: The object can glow like a flashlight.

     Message: If someone touches the object, it plays a short 6-second message you recorded.

    Smell or Sound: The object can constantly give off a smell (like flowers or smoke) or a sound (like birds or waves).

    Picture or Text: You can put an image or up to 25 words on it, like a magical sticky note.

The maximum number of objects you can affect with this feature at one time is equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one object). If you try to make more, the oldest magical property disappears.

Spell casting:

As an Artificer, you’re a type of magical inventor. Instead of casting spells in a traditional way (like waving your hands or reciting a spell), you channel magic through tools or gadgets. To outsiders, it might look like you’re using clever inventions or simple objects to create magical effects.

    Tools Required

        To use your magic, you need tools like lockpicking gear or crafting tools. These act as your "spell focus," meaning you need them in hand to cast your spells. You have to be skilled with these tools to use them for magic. Later, you can even use magical items you've created as a focus for your spells.

    Cantrips (Basic Magic):

        At the start, you know two simple magical tricks, called cantrips, from the Artificer spell list. As you level up, you learn more cantrips.

    Prepared Spells:

        You have a set number of spell slots (basically, a limited number of times you can cast stronger spells). At the start of each day, you decide which spells you’re going to prepare by spending a little time tinkering with your tools. You can prepare a number of spells based on your Intelligence and your level.

    Artificer Magic:

        When you prepare or cast spells, it’s as if you’re building or activating cool magical gadgets. These details don’t affect the spells themselves—they’re just a fun way to make magic feel unique to the character.

    Spellcasting Ability (INT):

        Your ability to cast spells depends on your Intelligence. It affects how hard your spells are to resist (saving throw difficulty) and how accurate they are (attack rolls).

            Spell save DC: 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence mod = 13

            Spell attack rolls: your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence mod = +5

    Ritual Casting:

        Some spells can be cast as rituals, meaning they take a little longer but don’t use up a spell slot. If you have a ritual spell prepared, you can cast it this way without using up a spell slot.

Infuse Item:

At level 2, Artificers can create temporary magical items by imbuing ordinary objects with magic. Think of these as "prototypes" of real magic items—temporary, but very useful. You can only make a few magical items at a time, and the magic fades if you stop knowing how to make that specific item.

Artificer Infusions:

Infusions are magical upgrades you can add to regular objects, temporarily transforming them into magic items. Each infusion specifies the type of item it works on (like a weapon or tool) and whether it needs to be "attuned" (a special bond with the user).

Some infusions can only be learned at higher levels. You can't learn these until you meet the minimum level required. Unless stated otherwise, you can only learn an infusion once.

    Infusions Chosen:

        Enhanced Arcane Focus:

            This item gives a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls and allows the wielder to ignore half cover when casting spells. At level 10, the bonus increases to +2.

        Mind Sharper:

            If a creature fails a Constitution saving throw to keep concentration on a spell, it can use its reaction to succeed instead, but this uses one of the item's charges.

        Enhanced Weapon:

            This weapon gives a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. The bonus increases to +2 at level 10.

        Enhanced Defense:

            While using this armor or shield, the wearer gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class. At level 10, the bonus increases to +2.

The Right Tool for the Job:

At 3rd level, you gain a handy ability to make whatever tools you need:

What You Can Do:

    Using your thieves' tools or artisan's tools, you can magically create a set of artisan's tools of your choice (like smith's tools or alchemist's supplies). The tools appear in an empty spot near you (within 5 feet).

How Long It Takes:

    It takes 1 hour of focused work to make the tools. You can do this while resting (like during a short rest).

Important Notes:

    The tools are nonmagical, meaning they work just like regular tools. They disappear if you use this ability again to create a new set of tools.

Tool Proficiency: Mason’s tools

Battle Smith Spells:

3rd Spells: heroism, shield

Battle Ready:

Your combat training and your experiments with magic have paid off in two ways:

You gain proficiency with martial weapons.

When you attack with a magic weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls.

Steel Defender:

At 3rd level, your tinkering has borne you a companion, called a steel defender. It’s friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands.

You decide how it looks (e.g., a robotic dog, bird, or humanoid), and you can choose whether it has two or four legs.

    In Combat:

        Initiative: It acts right after your turn in combat.

        Default Action: It defends itself by taking the Dodge action unless you use a bonus action to command it to attack or do something else.

        Reaction: It can impose disadvantage on an enemy attacking someone else nearby, making it harder for them to hit.

    Healing and Repair:

        You can heal it using the mending spell (heals 2d6 hit points).

        If it’s destroyed, you can revive it within 1 hour by using your smith’s tools and spending a spell slot.

    Durability:

        Armor Class: 15

        Hit Points: 2 + your Intelligence modifier + five times your artificer level

        Immunities: poison damage, can’t be charmed or exhausted

        Darkvision: 60ft

    Attacks and Abilities:

        Force-Empowered Rend: It can attack with a magical melee strike.

        Protect your team: It’s great for soaking up damage or protecting allies with its reaction ability.

        Combat help: Use your bonus action to command it to attack enemies or assist in battle.

        Utility: Use its repair ability to fix items or heal constructs during downtime.

        Repair (3/Day): It can heal itself or other objects/constructs nearby.

Proficiencies:

    Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields

    Weapons: Simple weapons

    Tools: Thieves' tools, tinker's tools, Smith’s tools

    Saving Throws: CON, INT

    Skills: Arcana, History

Stats:

STR: 15 (+2)

DEX: 11 (+0)

CON: 14 (+2)

INT: 17 (+3)

WIS: 9 (-1)

CHA: 13 (+1)

Hit Points: 24

Armor Class: 14

Initiative: +0

Passives:

Perception: 9

Investigation: 13

Insight: 11

Base Info: Jayce

[the-mic-drop]

Building Link in BG3- Ranger

Ok, this Link is more thematically fitting, but as a recreation of him it's less accurate. Also I don't have as good a grasp of the Ranger class, so this one is likely more flawed.

Hero of the Wild

This is the Link we play as, the wild child, the serial arsonist, the pun maestro. The amnesiac that saved Hyrule on instinct.

Background

Race: Half Elf (Wood Half Elf)

Background: Outlander

Race stays the same, but this Link is no knight, this is him in his second life. Living in the wilderness, exploring the countryside, traveling the land.

Abilities

Strength: 17 (+3)

Dexterity: 16 (+3)

Constitution: 13 (+1)

Intelligence: 8 (-1)

Wisdom: 10 (0)

Charisma: 10 (0)

Str, Dex, Con, and Wis stay the same, but we switch Int and Cha because this Link is the more animated and less... bright version.

Class & Levels

Class: Ranger

Proficiencies: Nature, Animal Handling, Perception

Favored Enemy: Ranger Knight

Natural Explorer: Wasteland Wanderer: Cold

Nature because duh, Animal Handling because he can ride anything with a natural seat, and Perception because he's used to being on the lookout for danger. Ranger Knight because that's really what he is. You get proficiency in History which makes no sense, but you also gain proficiency in heavy armor which makes plenty of sense, so it evens out. Wasteland Wanderer: Cold because freezing temperatures is the most common environmental danger you can come across in Hyrule.

Level 2

Fighting Style: Archery

Spells: Hunter's Mark, Goodberry

Archery because it's the most appropriate choice, Hunter's Mark because of BotW's targeting mechanic, and Goodberry because of the metric tons of apples Link tends to carry with him at all times. The fact that this Link can use spells at all is a big reason as to why this build doesn't sit right with me, but I digress.

Level 3

Subclass: Hunter

Spell: Ensnaring Strike (Ranged)

Hunter's Prey: Any

Hunter fits because whenever we play as Link, he's always searching for something and usually has to fight something big and legendary before getting it. Unless the big legendary thing is what he was looking for. Ensnaring Strike is an equivalent to stun locking in my mind. As for Hunter's Prey, you have three choices and they're all equally fine for Link. Colossus Slayer gives you extra damage to enemies not at full health. Giant Killer lets you use a reaction to attack an attacking creature that's large or larger. Horde Breaker lets you attack multiple targets if they're standing close enough to each other. They all make sense and I leave this one to you.

Level 4

Feat: Shield Master

Although the Ranger class is typically Dex-focused and Link is a capable archer, our hero is more likely to get up close and personal. So we'll go with the same policy as the Fighter build; max out Str with Ethel and Oblodra so you don't need to use a feat on Ability Improvement. Unlike the Fighter class we only get 3 feats, so we can't give him all the weapon-type feats, so take Shield Master and keep this Link with a classic sword & shield kit. With a longbow for range, of course.

Level 5

Spell: Cure Wounds

This one is just a stand-in for Link's meals and that one(?) time he cured a group with his competent cooking.

Level 6

Favored Enemy: Sanctified Stalker

Natural Explorer: Wasteland Wanderer: Hot

Sanctified Stalker doesn't make much sense outside of how he's always going on quests with god-level involvement. Another Wasteland Wanderer for the Gerudo Desert and Death Mountain.

Level 7

Spell: Lesser Restoration

Defensive Tactics: Multiattack Defense

Lesser Restoration has the same rationale as Cure Wounds. Multiattack Defense is because Link only takes hits one at a time. Enemies can't just wail on you, and now Faerun's dastards have the same issue now.

Level 8

Feat: Durable

Another returning feat from his Fighter build. Link doesn't need much time to recover. Except that one time it took a century, but that's an outlier.

Level 9

Spell: Lightning Arrow

Shock arrows.

Level 10

Favored Enemy: Bounty Hunter

Natural Explorer: Wasteland Wanderer: Poison

Bounty Hunter is just the last remaining choice that makes any sense for Link. This Wasteland Wanderer doesn't make a ton of sense because of how relatively scarce wetlands are in Hyrule, but all the eldritch goop that's been sapping his vitality over the years must make normal poison a cakewalk.

Level 11

Spell: Conjure Barrage

There's... I had a reason for this right? Oh yeah! The bows that let you shoot 3 or 5 arrows at once. Sidenote, Level 11 gives you Whirlwind Attack which is essentially a spin attack. If for no other reason, this makes Ranger Link make sense.

Level 12

Feat: Sharpshooter/Great Weapon Master

We've all had to shoot at something way above us, right? And aiming your bow is tougher than swinging a sword around, so Sharpshooter works on both levels! If that doesn't gel with you, GWM is a classic.

Ultimately, while Fighter Link is easier to play, Ranger Link is more accurate to the Link we know and gives him a couple signature Link things that can make it a unique challenge.

[monstersdownthepath]

Herald of Torag: The Grand Defender

CR 15

Lawful Good Huge Construct

Inner Sea Gods, pg. 310

Among the strangest (and least creatively named) of the Heralds, the Grand Defender is one of the rare few Heralds that did not begin their existence as a mortal follower or an elevated celestial, instead being literally crafted by their god's own two hands. In this case, if you couldn't tell by the title nor his physical appearance, the God of the Forge (and of dwarves in general), Torag. He's even stranger than most other divine constructs, though, because the Grand Defender was built with an explicit and bizarre purpose: as a tomb for the bodies of Torag's chosen dwarven heroes.

Given how the Defender is Huge, and dwarves are Small, one can only come to the conclusion that they're all jammed into its limbs and torso to form into some kind of corpse Voltron. Just... rattling around in there as it moves, hopefully so secure they don't actually move that much when it attacks. What do you think happens if it loses and then regains a limb? Does it teleport the bodies back into itself? Does Torag launch a rescue mission for what is essentially one of his most holy relics to inter them in his Herald again? Did he ever consider a less risky location? Who's to say; the poor thing's lore block is literally a sentence long, and it hasn't appeared in any AP or module, thus our information on it is tragically limited.

But if its lore block is tiny, that must mean its statblock is impressive, right? Well...

It's just an Iron Automata with some extra bells and whistles. Before you go clicking off this page, please know they're amusing bells and whistles... but it's a little disappointing to see "this ability works like it does for the Iron Automata" be pasted onto two of its four unique powers. It's an Automata Except Bigger, and with sapience so it can adjust its tactics on the fly.

It should give you a fair idea of what to expect from it, at least: A smash mook with no magic and very little defenses besides those conveyed by its Construct typing. It's got pathetically low saves (+6/+5/+8), low HP for its level (157 while most other Heralds are pushing 180 or 200), and no immunities or resistances besides it gains by being a Construct... oh, and the Iron Automata's complete Immunity to Magic, making it significantly more resilient than its statblock would suggest. Suddenly, its low saves and zero elemental resistances make a little more sense, as few offensive spells can actually pierce this impervious shield, and almost no common debuffs can work on a Construct. Electricity damage from a magic effect may slow it and prevent it from using its Full-Attack, but any magic trying to bring fire against it heals it instead, turning the most popular damage type against its holders.

It's got DR 15/Adamantine as its standard, but it's got an amusing ability called Ablative Armor that turns it into a towering, hammer-wielding matryoshka doll: As a standard action, the Defender can shed its outermost layer of metal to reveal another, very slightly smaller version of itself underneath that's made out of a different metal, swapping its DR to another source to thwart attempts to damage it. It can swap between DR 15/Adamantine, /Cold Iron, or /Silver at will, and whatever damage type its DR is bypassed by is also what types of DR its own weapons can bypass, letting it pierce several common resistances. Ablative Armor also shields it from the same death most Constructs would suffer at 0 HP, shutting down but not dying unless its body is fully destroyed and torn to pieces. 1d4 hours after it's slain, its armor automatically triggers, revealing yet another Defender under the first while restoring half its HP and allowing it time to either retreat and recover or stalk after its destroyers to end them.

Fun fact: Any armor shed from its person crumbles to powder 1d4 minutes later to prevent it from just generating infinite raw material. The only way to stop it from dissolving entirely is if the Grand Defender eats it, but we'll get to THAT tidbit later.

For now, the Grand Defender is tremendously resilient and doesn't die unless you take special precautions to put it down permanently... but on the downside, it's also the slowest Herald by a country mile, having only a 30ft movespeed. This is somewhat made up for by its immense 15ft space and 15ft reach, but its ability to keep enemies in that range is extremely limited. Stand Still is reliable due to its +31 CMB, but it can only use the feat once per round, because despite having Combat Reflexes, it has a Dexterity score of 9, meaning it can't even use the extra Attacks of Opportunity! It's got to be really choosy about when and on whom it uses Stand Still, if it even gets to do so in the first place because, again, it's got no mobility beyond its 30ft movespeed, no magical movement methods, and no capacity for Stealth beyond its ability to look like a statue when it doesn't move, so its options for getting the drop on the party are also limited. If someone doesn't want to be in melee with it and it can't catch them in its radius during the surprise round, there's virtually no way for it to force them back towards it.

And you don't want to be nearby, in case it wasn't obvious. That massive hammer deals 3d6+11 damage upwards to 4 times a round with accuracy that's a step above most of the other Heralds, allowing it to sacrifice some of it to pour into Power Attack. Its warhammer deals triple damage on a critical hit, and four blows a round make it likely to see one every odd round, or even every round if you're especially unlucky. That immense threat radius also means its Great Cleave feat can make its turns look down right comical if it's got enough targets around to let it spin and spin and spin.

Besides its hammer, it's got the poisonous cloud of an Iron Automata, exhaling a 10ft cloud of toxic gas into an adjacent space once every 1d4 rounds as a free action. Anyone who enters or begins their turn in the cloud must make a DC 19 Fortitude save or take 1d4 Con damage a round for 4 rounds... but that's not the only weapon it's got coming out of its mouth, which is an admittedly unusual sentence. Even more unusual is the Defender's novel breath weapon: Hammer Storm. This 30ft cone is made up of, as the name suggests, warhammers, blasting everyone who fails a DC 19 Reflex save for 15d6 damage and sending them flying directly away from the Defender, potentially pushing them into hazardous terrain.

These regurgitated warhammers are perfectly mundane in function and, interestingly, do not disappear, allowing creature to pick one up and wield it (the ability specifically creates 24 hammers). These leavings are what the Grand Defender uses as its ranged option, its Throw Anything feat letting it huck the weapons like lawn darts at distant or airborne foes. Hammer Storm is normally only usable once a day, but the Defender can recharge the ability by taking a minute to consume the regurgitated warhammers or an equivalent amount of metal from any source (including the shell that drops off of it when it uses Ablative Armor), allowing the Defender to recycle metal scraps or the armor of its foes into weapons for its people. One must wonder if the dwarves interred inside are actually dead and not just banging away on tiny forges to create the hammers or the next layer of the Defender.

You can read more about it here.

[rosymourning]

The Eldritch Druid - a Jaheira build

"War is an old woman's game."

Jaheira is a Circle of the Land Druid and Eldritch Knight Fighter, relying on spells and swords to get the job done. The High Harper can certainly hold her own.

[check out my other builds!]

Gameplay Notes

We’re leaning heavy into the build disclaimer I mention at the end of all my posts with this one. My priorities with this build are to get as close as I can to Jaheira’s original character… which was designed for 2e DnD and is basically nonfunctional in 5e. The best, most optimized multiclasses with Druid and Fighter all use the Circle of Spores subclass, but I will very much not be doing that (more on that in the Lore section at the end). Basically, this build is objectively not very good, but it feels right and that’s what I care most about.

Stats and Leveling

Final build: Level 7 Circle of the Land Druid, Level 5 Eldritch Knight Fighter

Jaheira’s (default) stats: STR 10 / DEX 14 / CON 14 / INT 8 / WIS 17 / CHA 12

Level 1 - Fighter Level 1

Fighting Style: Two Weapon Fighting

Level 2 - Fighter Level 2

Action Surge [nice]

Level 3 - Fighter (Eldritch Knight) Level 3

Cantrips: Ray of Frost and Shocking Grasp

1st Level Spells: Shield, Magic Missile, and Longstrider [these will use INT as the spellcasting modifier, so make sure not to pick something that uses the spellcasting modifier]

Level 4 - Fighter (Eldritch Knight) Level 4

Feat: ASI+ DEX>16

1st Level Spells: Burning Hands

Level 5 - Fighter (Eldritch Knight) Level 5

Extra Attack [now we’re at two main hand attacks and an off hand attack]

Level 6 - Druid Level 1

Cantrips: Guidance and Thorn Whip

1st Level Spells

Level 7 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 2

Wild Shape

Cantrips: add Resistance

Level 8 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 3

2nd Level Spells [would recommend Spike Growth]

Land Type: Coast

Level 9 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 4

Feat: Alert

Cantrips: add Produce Flame

Level 10 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 5

Wild Strike [aka Extra Attack but for Wild Shape]

3rd Level Spells [Plant Growth is my favorite]

Land Type: Coast

Level 11 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 6

Wild Shape: Panther [Jaheira famously loves turning into a Panther]

Level 12 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 7

4th Level Spells [the levels in Eldritch Knight will mean a total spellcaster level of 8, fyi]

Items

Armor - Armour of Agility (3 Stormshore Armoury) or Sharpened Snare Cuirass (2 Moonrise Towers) [pick which you think looks the coolest - one leans more into fighter aesthetic, and one more into druid aesthetic. they both have the Exotic Material property, and the other bonuses aren’t central to the build]

Melee Weapon -

Belm (3 Jaheira’s Basement) [this weapon is from previous games, fyi]

Sylvan Scimitar (2 Jaheira) [she’s already holding it!]

Ranged Weapon - Spellthief (1 Emerald Grove) [ok don’t judge me - obviously, this is a weak pick, but I tend not to stack my most powerful items on Jaheira… :/ sorry!]

Amulet - Khalid's Gift (3 Jaheira’s Basement)

Helmet - Helmet of Arcane Acuity (2 Mason Guild’s Basement) [this is not an Arcane Acuity build, so if you want to put it on another party member, do it — it’s not essential to the build at all. another option that will help the Eldritch Knight spells using INT is the Warped Headband of Intellect (1 Blighted Village). I also like the vibe of Scabby Pugilist Circlet (3 Rivington) and Browbeaten Circlet (2 Moonrise Towers) for Jaheira]

Ring 1 - Ring of Elemental Infusion (1 Crèche Y'llek)

Ring 2 - Explorer’s Ring (1 Dread Hollow) [not a great pick, but seems like the type of thing Jaheira would like]

Gloves - Unwanted Masterwork Gauntlets (3 Forge of the Nine) [something about these gauntlets feels SO Jaheira to me, I can’t get over it]

Boots - Boots of Elemental Momentum (1 Rosymorn Monastery Trail) or Boots of Genial Striding (1 Myconid Colony) [again, a fighter aesthetic option and a druid aesthetic option - I’m partial to the druid!]

Cloak - Vivacious Cloak (2 Grand Mausoleum)

Lore and Flavor

Jaheira is one of the most recognizable characters from previous games of Baldur’s Gate. ln the decades in real life and century in game, she has changed a lot in BG3 — and so has Dungeons & Dragons as a whole.

Multiclassing in DnD 2e is a whole different ballgame than multiclassing in 5e. Without diving into too many 2e mechanics, it was essentially possible to be fully leveling both classes at once, without missing much when compared to monoclass characters. These mechanics made Jaheira’s Fighter/Druid multiclass not only functional, but strong.

In 5e, multiclassing necessitates foregoing powerful abilities, and so multiclass builds that shine are the ones with high levels of synergy — which Fighter and Druid do not have. And yes, I recognize that Circle of Spores Druid functions better in melee than Circle of Land or Circle of Moon, but absolutely no line of dialogue from Jaheira from the past, present, or future would suggest that she should be a Circle of Spores Druid, and I cannot accept using that subclass. So we’re left with a disappointing lack of synergy.

At the risk of undervaluing Jaheira and getting way too meta, there is an argument to be made that her sticking with a build that is outdated and underutilized makes character sense, given her age and years spent as a high-profile adventurer.

Eldritch Knight might seem like an odd choice, given how strong Battle Master is. To be completely honest, adding Manoeuvres into Jaheira’s repertoire makes a lot of sense, given her background as a leader and commander. The reason I went with Eldritch Knight was basically just to have access to utility spells that would help plug the gap for a few of this build’s main weaknesses. If you wanted to use Battle Master instead, very little of the rest of the build would change. Also, I never played 2e so I might be wrong, but my understanding is that subclasses are a more recent creation, so there isn’t an obvious answer regardless.

[check out my build disclaimer for info about how and why I don't min/max or completely optimize builds, prioritizing lore and vibe instead]

[billsanscipher888]

(4/15)

History of my Bill Sans Cipher AU

History of AU Under dimension merveilles

( 4 ) power and ability

If outside the dimension

Bill will be weak in battle.

Only 8% of power remains.

But this 8% power can Anti ink Sans and Error Sans

can resist both at the same time.

and equal

No one loses, no one wins.

Just enough for Bill to protect himself.

It doesn't mean to kill them both.

Just enough to handle or resist temporarily

- - -

Bill Sans Cipher has a limit in combat which is Unable to kill or cause death, there will be certain types of groups, such as viruses and errors and Bug

Including those who are more powerful than Bill.

and those people

Couldn't kill Bill to death either.

But Bill was able to injure them.

that is, causing serious injury

or frighten

until you don't want to be involved and don't want to get close

And expel those people

Or exile the enemies from Bill Sans Cipher's dimension.

- - -

Bill can conjure baster ×30

or more than that can be ×90 ×150

But there are limited quantities.

If Bill is outside AU

But if Bill is in his own dimension, there are no limits.

- - -

Bill chose to fight.

If the enemy is not Rival

Bill will stop fighting immediately.

Because Bill already knew that he would definitely win.

And don't like to fight. blindly

If don't have a problem with anyone

But if it is necessary to fight Bill will fight hard.

In another case, Bill will fight for

protect yourself If threatened

and fight to get something Bill want

- - -

and has the ability to separate bodies and change each shape into many forms to stun the enemy confused

and more difficult to attack

He could make his body expand and shrink as he wished.

When outside his own dimension, he will shrink his height to 168 centimeters to communicate with others conveniently.

But in some cases, he will keep his height the same, which is 188 centimeters.

- - -

and can hypnotize others

He was able to create a computer capable of mass hypnosis with the help of programmers in its development by committing suicide.

Can absorb the blood of readers through Bill Sans Cipher's books.

- - -

and make meteorites fall

Or can conjure many things

according to Bill satisfaction

But there were still things Bill couldn't use his powers to conjure.

Bill can't use his powers to conjure everything.

Because there is a limit to the use of some powers.

- - -

and Bill magic wand

If it's black, it means protection or can create a shield to protect yourself.

If it's yellow is attack power

Can cause damage to objects and living things.

It is a powerful magic wand.

Can conjure regeneration power

help Repair broken things

or injured living things

Things that were broken then returned to normal.

Anyone who is injured will recover.

Anyone who is sick will get better.

Bill can use his wand to conjure the death of anyone.

Or use a magic wand to bring dead people back to life.

But Bill wouldn't normally use his wand to revive someone. If the creature was of no importance to him or of no value to Bill at all,

Bill would also not use his powers to revive dead things that were no longer necessary to him.

And Bill has limits on using his wand to bring the dead back to life. This cannot be done with everyone and everything for some reason.

but cannot be used

with those who have viruses and errors

and Bug and those with more power

Can't cast a spell to cause these people to die.

But it can cause injury.

- - -

Bill saliva is medicine.

and can heal wounds

And can also make the face more beautiful and handsome.

And when Bill was attacked

or until injured

Bill can restore

and repair physical wounds

quickly except the eyes

- - -

His real name can drive humans crazy.

Can summon DARYLL, the creature who destroyed Atlantis and sank humanity.

And, he could eliminate all the oxygen on the planet leading to global asphyxia.

Able to absorb millions of souls.

- - -

has yellow bone power

If anyone is attacked with a bone yellow

It will feel like you've received an electric shock

There is a blue magic chain.

Has the power to change molecules

and move mass of matter

Has a magic eye on the left

eyes fluorescent yellow bright

Can teleport and Can disappear

and Bill Can resist gravity

That is, Bill can float at any time

and Bill Can control gravity

- - -

He withstood the onslaught of his mother's shoes.

Good at playing chess

- - -

Attack skills are not very effective.

But the attack damage is very strong.hit

If serious in fighting

Will have skills that are much better at attacking enemies.

If it is in its own dimension, it will be very strong.

Attack power limitless ♾️

Defense power limitless♾️

Bill can do whatever he wants.

and will cause a lot of damage to enemies

If an enemy enters Bill territory

and can also weaken those who are more powerful.

Because they won't be able to defeat Bill.

If you want to fight with Bill

have to fight outside the dimension, AU

will can defeat Bill

The best way is not to get in trouble with the bill

If still in the dimensional space of bill

Because it is too dangerous and very risky.

and those who are stronger

will be sent outside the AU

is Well, Bill kicked them out of the AU dimension. of bill

The stronger ones You shouldn't fight in Bill's dimension.

- - -

If you're wondering why

When Bill was in his own dimension

Why does it have so much power?

and overwhelming power

Because it is a nightmare dimension.

And it's Bill's area.

and the center of evil power, a terrifying nightmare

and chaos chaotic turbulent all

As a result, Bill absorbed an enormous amount of energy.

and make it stronger

If anyone still can't picture it.

Try observing Bill Cipher

The episode that connects the dimension of the nightmare world to Gravity Falls.

It will be easier to understand.

- - -

Bill can pause time to communicate with the person who made the contract with Bill.

Or stop time to communicate through psychic powers.

or stop time to attack enemies

- - -

And Bill can also look back on past moments.

to view various events

of the past, present, and future.

and can see the near future coming

Unaffected by the time loop and unaffected by the time conflicts he created in other dimensions.

- - -

super genius and Extremely genius

It can process enormous amounts of data, such as infinitely different futures.

Able to see directly within reality using his symbols or paintings as peepholes.

Clairvoyance knows many stories.

Various important events

about the universe and everything

The one who knows all the answers

Can answer all questions

Because Bill has lived for millions of years

So he knows a lot about history

- - -

Bill Sans Cipher is a nightmare dimension demon in the world of the mind

and the Bill Sans Cipher takes place in the 3rd dimension and can perceive 4th dimension, 5th dimension, or more.

Unlike Bill Cipher who was born in the 2nd dimension.

But Bill Cipher can sense 3D just like Bill Sans Cipher.

And they both had their own nightmare dimension territory.

Both are the same nightmare dimension, but may be slightly different.

and Bill Sans Cipher

Can create different dimensions

For example :

Can change from 3D to 2D

and Bill Sans Cipher

Able to perceive the existence of many other dimensions.

- - -

Can erase the victim's memories if necessary

- - -

Temporarily reduce the Mindscape to a white void. make the ability of Enemies that trouble him are ineffective.

can enter dreams and

enter the world of the mind

To see the memories of the victims

When entering the dream world

or common sense

or in the subconscious mind

Bill will be a mind control god.

Or dictate dreams immediately

Can create dreams and illusions

Scams come in many different forms and can create nightmares.

Terrifying and the worst

or control the world of dreams

will create nightmares

or create a good dream

Can do everything

But most of the time Bill likes to create nightmares and haunting images To bully and frighten people Mostly

But sometimes it makes people Unable to control consciousness to the point of hurting yourself or become insane

To the point of committing suicide

- - -

and can possess others

If that person shakes hands with Bill

or make a covenant with bill

Bill will control the body.

of the possessed person freely

and the spirits of the people who were possessed

will be pulled by Bill

or pulling the soul out of the body

and become a ghost for a moment

- - -

And Bill can still see ghosts. or spirit

or subtle dimensions

And Bill Can see in the dark

Infrared heat waves can be seen.

- - -

and Bill's hands

There will be a blue light.

or blue flame

If you make a covenant

And when Bill uses his powers

- - -

Bill rarely kills anyone.

But he likes torturing his victims more.

and listen to the screams of the victims

abused Crying in agony agonizingly

It will please Bill and very happy

and burst out laughing

With Satisfied and scary

like a crazy person

Bill is a violent type. sadism

Looks like a psychopath

limit of power Bill can only use some of his powers If outside AU

Dimensions of nightmares

But if Bill is in the nightmare dimension space Snow Weirdmageddon Or in his own AU area, Bill can use his full power.

- - -

Whatever powers Bill Cipher has, Bill Sans Cipher has all the same powers Bill Cipher has.

And Bill Sans Cipher has exactly the same cheating powers as Bill Cipher.

And the Bill Sans Cipher also has the same powers as Sans.

[djgamek1ng]

Magic The Gathering x Final Fantasy - Spoiler Season Part 23 (16/05/2025)

And now we're moving on to the spoilers of the 16th of May. Let's get to it, starting off... with disappointment. Let's talk about Paladin's Arms.

3 mana for an artifact equipment. Job select, so you get a 1/1 colorless Hero creature token and this equipment automatically equips to it. The equipment self gives equipped creature +2/+1, ward 1 and makes it a Knight in addition to its other types. It also has an equip cost of 4. This... is pretty bad. Well, the first token it creates is a 3/2, so that's pretty alright, but the equip cost of 4 for what is +2/+1 and ward 1 is really not great. If this had better protection or better stats, this would've been a pretty neat common, but otherwise... meh.

Now for the art. Credit to Immanuela Crovius. Link to their Twitter. A blue skinned Roegadyn woman using Passage of Arms. Looks pretty neat, however... why did they use the worst FF14 Paladin artifact gear? The Endwalker artifact gear is so bad... Anyway, the art is really good. Passage of Arms is looking really good as well. I'm just disappointed it is Lightbringer and Hero's Shield. Oh well.

Next up, another FF14 card, Summon: Primal Garuda!

4 mana for a 3/3 is behind rate, but not to a too terrible degree. She does have flying, so she will be evasive. As for her abilities:

Lore counter 1: This creature deals 4 damage to target tapped creature an opponent controls. Just removal, neato. Damage based, so the worst type of removal, but 4 damage is nothing to scoff at.

Lore counters 2 & 3: Another target creature you control gets +1/+0 and flying until end of turn. So she makes another creature evasive and gives it a small buff. That's... actually pretty dang solid, can be a genuine way to get some scary damage in. Generally, you'll have ways to make creatures evasive in your deck, but this isn't a bad fallback plan, assuming she survives for these abilities.

Pretty solid, but at most takes the spot of a spot removal spell. Even then, 4 mana is a good amount of mana to have to save to use this for spot removal and seeing as she doesn't have flash, you'd be casting it during your turn. However, it can genuinely be an option for spot removal, while also being a flying blocker for 2 turns and making your creatures evasive. You probably won't see this in 60 card formats though.

Now for the art. Credit to Madeline Boni. Link to their Instagram. That sure is Garuda using some sort of wind blast, probably the mentioned Aerial Blast. Neato, looks pretty good.

As for the alternative art:

Credit to Tokima. Link to their website. That sure is FF14's Garuda. Yeah, looks pretty good in this style.

Let's go to Machinist's Arsenal!

5 mana for a job select Equipment. Equipped creature gets +2/+2 for each artifact you control and is an Artificer in addition to its other types. Equip 4. So this is hard to rate on its own. On its own without any other artifacts, this is quite behind rate. In artifact heavy decks, this can be kind of nutty, especially if you are also rocking artifact creatures. Also just good for general artifacts deck. 5 mana does ensure it won't see play in 60 card formats though.

Now for the art. Credit to Thanh Tuan. Link to their ArtStation. That's a dope Hyur woman with the auto crossbow and the Automaton Queen. Also, GIVE US THAT HAIR STYLE IN FF14, WHAT THE HELL? That's such a cool hair style! D:

Next up... another summon. A super cool one. Summon: Knights of Round!

8 FLIPPING MANA FOR A 3/3. HOLY CRAP, THAT'S BELOW RATE. That's freaking awful. However, it is indestructible, so... that very slightly makes up for it... very slightly. Let's go over the abilities:

Lore counter 1 - 4: Create three 2/2 white Knight creature tokens. So a total of 12 Knight creature tokens. I'm sure that that isn't a reference to anything :) Anyway, pretty good for token decks, creates a whole bunch of tokens, assuming this thing doesn't reduced to 0 (or less) toughness or exiled.

Lore counter 5: Other creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn. Put an indestructible counter on each of them. This is basically "I hope you guys have Farewell or a way to keep exiling things, otherwise the game is just done" if this resolves. This also makes it so you have to protect this summon until it resolves, because my golly gosh, this is JUICY to get going.

This is definitely great to either Knight typal or for just token strategies, because at minimum you'll be getting a few Knights from this. No need to really run heavy protection, just need a way to get hexproof on this and then you are golden for the most part to let it resolve. This will never see play in 60 card decks, it is so hilariously expensive that you'll be 3 games in before you could've casted it once.

Now for the art. Credit to Toshiaki Takayama. Link to their pixiv. That sure is Knights of the Round from FF7. Not much to say, it looks pretty good. Very green though, with that light also being a green tint.

As for the alternative art:

Credit to Hisashi Momose. Link to their Twitter. That sure is Knight of the Round, but in a bit more classic Japanese style. Neato.

We've got Reno and Rude up next!

Black for Reno and Rude make sense. The Turks just in general are quite Black aligned and Reno and Rude don't do anything super special to fall outside of that. Maybe they'd be Black/Red or something, but oh well.

2 mana for a 2/1 is slightly below rate. Also... how... do two people only have 1 toughness shared between each other? :o That's kind of funny. They also have menace, which is also funny and makes sense. Block one, the other could get through, so you have to block both. Their ability is that whenever Reno and Rude deal combat damage to a player, exile the top card of that player's library. Then you may sacrifice another creature or artifact. If you do, you may play the exiled card this turn, and mana of any type can be spent to cast it. This is not a too uncommon effect, but this is definitely more limited than the usual effect is. You need to hit with combat damage, then sacrifice a creature or artifact and then are you allowed to play the spell.

Unironically, I think in 60 card formats, these guys are probably at their best. While they don't do anything turn 1, they will be able to disrupt an opponent's gameplan. Probably a side board piece though, not in the main deck. For commander... definitely not as your commander. They don't do anything aside from stealing cards, which is nice, but makes them a huge target and this card will feel awful to cast for 6 mana or more. Plus, even if you get a card stolen... you have to jump through way more hoops. I'd say put them in the 99 of a theft deck.

Now for the art. Credit to Maji. Link to their Twitter. Reno and Rude coming to beat you up towards the end of the Midgar section (or the end of FF7 Remake just in general). Looking pretty cool, love how the fire is done and the lightning from Reno's truncheon.

Next up the last summon of the post, Summon: Anima!

6 mana for a 4/4 is definitely behind rate. Menace does allow Anima to connect more, though. Her abilities are:

Lore counters 1 - 3: You draw a card and lose 1 life. Not a bad effect to have, makes this card neutral on turn 1 and card positive from turn 2 and 3 after being summoned.

Lore counter 4: Each opponent sacrifices a creature of their choice and loses 3 life. Neato, though not super powerful. 1 creature to be sacrificed that is super telegraphed isn't super impactful and 3 life loss can matter, but often doesn't.

This is... not great to be honest. 6 mana is a lot and it doesn't have the most impactful set of abilities. I guess you can use it as a potential finisher, but even then... you'd have to already have them clear their boards before the final ability kicks in. Unfortunate, but it really isn't great... in constructed formats. For limited, where the power levels are much lower, yeah, this will be threatening enough to warrant using.

Now for the art. Credit to ESUTHIO. Link to their BlueSky. That sure is Anima. Do like the magical effects though, those look really cool.

As for the alternative art:

Credit to KOTA NAKATSUBO. Link to their Instagram. That is Anima in a more classic Japanese style. Dope.

Let's talk about the burning of Nibelheim and a certain silver haired prick with Nibelheim Ablaze!

4 mana for a sorcery that makes you choose a target creature you control. It deals damage equal to its power to each other creature. Neato, a damage based board wipe that you can control depending on how big the creatures on your board are. Oh, and it has flashback for 7 mana that also enables that if this spell was cast from a graveyard, discard your hand and draw four cards. So, board wipe + mini personal Wheel of Fortune effect if it was cast from a graveyard. Yeah, this is pretty good, just expensive to cast from the graveyard via flashback. Keep in mind if you have another way to cast it from the graveyard, that will count.

Now for the art. Credit to AROU. Link to their Twitter. That sure is Sephiroth walking into the flames of Nibelheim. Looks cool, if a bit monotone but that's what you get with such a big fire.

Now for the alternative art:

Credit to Karasuba Rindo. Link to their Twitter. That sure is Sephiroth walking into the flames of Nibelheim, except then in a more classic Japanese style. Also, yeah, that fire that is there on his back representing the one wing? That's pretty cool, that is a slick detail. Good art!

Up next, Sazh Katzroy!

Green for Sazh makes sense. He probably splashes White, but Green makes sense as his primary color.

4 mana for a 3/3 is below rate, but not hugely so plus we'll get that. His abilities are:

When Sazh Katzroy enters, you may search your library for a Bird or basic land card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. So a tutor effect for any Bird in your deck or for a basic land... definitely go for the Bird in most situations, though a basic land can also work out, especially if you run him in a mono Green deck.

Whenever Sazh Katzroy attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, then double the number of +1/+1 counters on that creature. This can be Sazh himself and would make him grow quite quickly. Also, this is just a good way to do +1/+1 counters in a fast way.

So yeah, Sazh is pretty good. Definitely a bird typal commander if you run him as such, but also good in the 99 deck of such a deck or in a +1/+1 counters deck, maybe even a mix of the two! For 60 card formats... 4 mana is a bunch. He does immediately tutor for something, so that's at least better, but I don't think he stands much of a chance.

Now for the art. Credit to Colin Boyer. Link to his ArtStation. That sure is Sazh and his adorable baby chocobo. It's a nice artwork, just a bit... dark? As in, the lighting could've been brighter. It is also almost a bit cartoon-y for Sazh, but I think it doesn't look that bad.

Next up, another FF13 character, we're talking about Serah Farron and Crystalized Serah!

Serah makes sense for Green/White from the little we got to know about her in FF13. As crappy as it sounds, she was basically a plot device more than a character. FF13-2 changed that, but still, only talking about the original FF13 at the moment.

3 mana for a 2/2 isn't great, but also not awful. Her abilities are:

The first legendary creature spell you cast each turn costs 2 less to cast. So legendary typal is definitely the name of the game for her. Neato.

At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you control two or more legendary creatures, you may transform Serah Farron. Alright, not too difficult to hit.

Let's talk about Crystalized Serah. She is a legendary artifact and her abilities are:

Exactly the same as the front side. However, keep in mind that if you are running her twice (or are able to copy her), you can in fact have one Serah on her front side, while the other is on her back side, without the legendary rule kicking in, so every first legendary creature would cost 4 mana less to cast!

Legendary creatures you control get +2/+2. Neat, gives a good buff to your legendary creatures.

So yeah, this is definitely legendary typal. In 60 card formats, she is probably too slow at 3 mana to work, but you could definitely give it a shot. In commander, try to somehow be able to copy her. Regardless of is she's your commander or not, with a copy, you can basically double up on her effects. Also, as a commander, she will be resilient since... she is most likely gonna be an artifact most of the game, which are generally harder to remove and, unless you are threatening lethal, +2/+2 is generally not gonna be the highest priority to remove in commander.

Now for the art. Credit to Carissa Susilo. Link to their BlueSky. I'm just gonna combine the both of them in my opinion: wow, this looks like it was ripped straight from the game. Super impressive, honestly looks fantastic. I do like the detail that it is Snow's hand reaching out to Serah for the front side, while it is Lightning's hand reaching out to the crystalized Serah. Very nice detail and very nice art!

Let's cover a very important artifact. A real... weapon of the champions. Let's talk about Instant Ramen!

2 mana for an artifact Food (fantastic flavor). Flash, so you can cast it at instant speed. Its abilities are:

When this artifact enters, draw a card. So a cantrip effect.

2 mana, tap and sacrifice this artifact to gain 3 life. Standard food token effect.

This isn't fantastic, but because it is Instant Ramen, 10/10, run this in every deck you will ever play. Seriously though, if you have a deck that cares about Food, this can see play in such a deck. In everything else... eh. 4 mana to gain 3 life on instant speed isn't good enough.

Now for the art. Credit to David Astruga. Link to his website. That sure is Gladio enjoying some not branded instant ramen. Yeah, this is fantastic. 10/10, no notes, best art in the set.

Last, but most definitely not least, let's talk about a hunk of metal on a stick.

Yeah, yeah, it was obviously going to be in the set and... yeah, it's good. Spoiler alert, but let's get to it.

3 mana for an Equipment which equips for 2 mana that says:

Equipped creature gets +3/+2. This notably pushes Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER into 7 power territory if you decide to put this into that commander deck. Otherwise, just an alright buff.

Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card, then you may cast a spell from your hand with mana value less than or equal to that damage without paying its mana cost. So uh... that's pretty good. Just casually cast a spell without paying its mana cost when you do damage.

This is definitely super pushed. However, in 60 card formats, this is going to be irrelevant unless you can cheat it onto a creature that's ready to swing. Even then, you'd ideally want to run multiple copies, but also have big enough spells to cast when you come through with damage, so this is gonna be a hard one to make work. In commander though? This is so hilariously good and well costed, you might run this in almost any deck. Keep in mind that you casting a spell due to combat damage being done circumvents casting speed limitations. Sorceries are just as viable to cast as instants are. This is a messed up equipment, I'm going to be honest. You will absolutely murder someone with this and whatever you cast from it.

Now for the art. Credit to douzen. Link to their BlueSky.

Aside from being a bit brighter and the angle being slightly different, it might as well be a screenshot from FF7 Remake's title screen. Good job.

As for the alternative art, because of course it has one:

Credit to KARUTA SHIKI. Link to their Twitter. This is way busier, what the hell. I don't hate it, but this feels like it was rejected alt art for one of the Cloud versions and then they were like "oh hey, we're also doing a buster sword card, we can use this art for that one instead!" The Buster Sword is pretty front and center, but still. Not bad, just a bit busier than I'd like for an Equipment.

And that's the lot! Next up, we have a weekend of small card reveals that will get smushed together. Till then, thank you for reading and have a nice day o/

[the-whatcherof-89]

Sir CyberKnife Herald of order.

CR 22 LG Medium Humanoid (Orc, Humanoid)

XP 614,400 (if used as npc for encounter)Advanced Half orc Bard(Negotiator)12 Paladin(Scion of peace)8

Lawful Good Medium humanoid (half orc)

Init +7; Senses Perception +39

AC 36, touch 25, flat-footed 29, (+7Natural, +5Deflect, +6Armor, +5Shield, +7Dexterity, +1Intuition) Hp 225 (12d8+8D10+148)

Fort +33, Ref +33, Will +36

Speed 30 ft. Melee Diplomat3+28/23/18/13 1D6+4, Spells. Ranged Bow of Artaphernes+32/27/22/17 1D8+8, Spells.

Racial Speed 30ft, Darkvision 60ft, Human-raised, sacred tattoo, Orc blood.

Traits Noble Savage.

Class features Hard bargain, Bardic performance(Counter-argument, Fast talk, binding contract, Distraction, Fascinate, Inspire competence, Suggestion, Dirge of doom, Soothing performance), Master of rhetoric 2/day, Well-versed, Jack of all trades, Rogue talents(Finesse rogue, Charmer, Ranged disarm, Slippery mind), Scion’s faith, Egalitarian, Aura of good, Detect evil, Smite evil3/day, Bonded eagle, Lay on hands, Aura of courage, Divine health, Channel positive energy, Mercy(Deceived, Riled), Consensus.

Spellcasting CL12(Bard) Daily 8/8/7/6 CL5th(Paladin) Daily 4/4 DC22.

Known(Bard): 0-Read magic, Mage hand, Prestidigitation, Detect magic, Repair, Message. I-Charm person, Hideous laughter, Grease, Cure light wounds, Animate ropes, Alarm. II-Cure moderate wounds, Calm emotions, Mirror image, Enthrall, Hold person. III-Haste, Good hope, Dispel magic, Charm monster. IV-Hold monster, Summon monster IV-Freedom of movement, Illusory terrain.

Prepared(Paladin): I-Bless, Lesser restoration, Build trust, Detect undead. II-Resist energy, Bull’s strength, Shield other, Zone of truth.

Str 12, Dex 24, Con 24, Int 24, Wis 22, Cha 34

Base Atk +17/12/7/2; CMB +13; CMD +20

Feats Scribe scroll, Combat expertise, Precise shot, Improved disarm, Deadly aim, Adept champion, Outflank, Leadership, Point-blank shot, Spell focus(Enchantment), Greater spell focus(Enchantment).

Skills Acrobatics+30, Appraise+11, Bluff+22, Climb+9, Craft(Calligraphy)+30, Diplomacy+46, Disguise+16, Escape artist+30, Fly+11, Handle animal+16, Heal+12, Intimidate+22, Knowledge (Arcana+29, Dungeon+15, Engineering+15, Geography+15, History+15, Local+21, Nature+15, Nobility+15, The planes+15, Religion+15), Linguistics+4, Perception+29, Perform(Oratory)+35, Profession(Ambassador)+15, Ride+11, Sense motive+45, Sleight of hand+15, Spellcraft+28, Stealth+15, Survival+10, Swim+5, Use magic device+33.

Leadership score (40)Cohort lv17th Followers I-135 II-13 III-7 IV-4 V-2  VI-2 (Special modifications due to the Kingstone)

Languages Common, Orcish, Giant, Abyssal, Draconic, Ignan, Aquan, Necril, Alko, Sylvan, Tongues(via the Kingstone).

Combat gear Diplomat3(Disarming blade+Diplomat’s traveling stick+ Defending rapier+4), Bow of Artaphernes(Adaptive Cunning Allying dispelling Longbow+5), 50+3 Arrows, Clod iron longsword, Uniform of Apollonius(Heavy fortification Iadran dress uniform+3), Ring of protection+5, Ring of tactical precision(Outflank), Amulet of natural armor+5, Quick-block buckler, Staff of bolstering, Headband of mental superiority+6(Escape artist), Belt of physical might+6(Dex, Con), Cloak of Diogenes(Cloak of the diplomat+Cloak of resistance+3), Inquisitor’s monocle, Bracers of steadiness, Bag of holding(Type I), Tome of leadership and influence+3(Used), Ioun stones(Lavender and green ellipsoid, Dusty rose prism), Potions of gaseous form(4), Scrolls: Haste(1), Heroism(1), (Summon monster IV(3), Bard’s kit, 373GP, The Kingstone(Artifact).

The Kingstone(Artifact) Aura(Strong enchantment) CL18th Description: 

This artifact looks like a finely-carved marble sphere with runes of gold inscribed in various languages reciting poems of kings and rulers which changes every day. The stone can be carried by anyone but only those who are worthy can use its powers. Those deemed unworthy will have the stone turned into a cursed artifact known as a Loadstone. However, should one work to find a suitable user, the stone will guide the holder toward the “Ideal King” via prophetic dreams and other means granting the power to use Divine Favor upon itself once per day. Once the stone finds the “Ideal King” it will bestow its powers upon him which includes the following: 1)The user is constantly under the effect of of the following spells: Divine Favor, Tongues and Heroism. 2)All effect of auras, inspiration and Charisma-based skills, abilities and spells double the area which they cover normally, their other effects remain unchanged. 3)Finally, if the user manages to become a ruling figure of a kingdom or to be accepted as a king, the stone allows to the user to project an illusory image of the kingdoms and it will automatically know if there are enemies in the land(such as an invading army). This effect functions as the spell Sand Table. 4)All the authority bonuses increases by +3, furthermore, the user can summon an extra Monstrous Cohort of the appropriate level that serves him once per day for 1 hour which can be divided in 1 minute increments at his request(In this case it’s a Young Silver Dragon). If the cohort is killed, it disappears and can be summoned again after 24h. The more the user becomes famous, the more it becomes closer to turn into the “Ideal King” the ruler of all nations and kingdoms whom will unite all the world under a single banner. It is unknown if this is true or just a myth, but if the holder of the stone wishes to pass the torch of rulership it must find a replacement before giving it away. Common people will come flocking under the holder of the Kingstone seeing him as the true king (Regardless, such situation must be discussed by the DM). Destruction: To destroy the Kingstone it must be buried in the ground of the material plane in a land where no kingdom/nation has been established for at least 100 years and it must stay there for 1000 years untouched. When said time has passed, the stone turns into dust. However, the gods will not stay idle and a new Kingstone is sure to reappear somewhere, somehow to find a new candidate “Ideal King”.

Challenge rating modifiers +1 advanced template, Improved stats, PC equipment.

Background: Very little is known about the one known as Cyberknife(if that is his real name). From what  little snippets of knowledge some attained, he was born in the Nether as all Piglins(Orcs) does. However, as it happens very rarely, the pig inhabitants of the red wastes will give birth to a hybrid: a Hal-feh(half-orc). Even more rarely, these hybrids becomes just better than the more run-of-the-mill gold-obsessed creatures. Of course, the leaders of the various clans will see these as “impure” and/or a danger for their leadership and will most likely try to systematically eliminate the threat before it becomes a real one. Cyberknife was one such case, but as he was about to be sacrificed in a ritual for their god, he succeeded at escaping by causing a Hoglin stampede across the bastion and escaping from an obsidian portal. Although, he did heard that if one of their kin does escape the dimension is turned into a zombie, he knew he was born DIFFERENT. As he left, he felt something change but he was fine; He found a vibrant world completely different from the lava-scarred caves he used to live. He walked the land, and although he had a rocky start(not being accepted by the inhabitants of this land) eventually things took a turn when he was accepted in a traveling circus where he discovered his talent for the bardic arts. He then enrolled into a bardic academy where he was the only one of his kind, not a good thing but he did not care for he had bigger plans in mind: He wanted to change the view the world had on the Nether and reestablish a peaceful relationships with the two dimensions. This was not an easy task but he was DETERMINED. After more years, he left the academy to look for fortune as an adventurer; and one day after a long expedition in an ancient tomb he found that stone: the Kingstone. After that day, it took him little to enroll as an advisor in a battlefield and even less to rise in the ranks and become a commander. With the glory of victory he entered the kingdom a champion, then, with the money that he attained, he founded a political campaign to promote the betterment of the kingdom. The opposition attempted to destroy him, but he was always able to thwart their efforts and won in a landslide. Cyberknife became the ruler of a nation at the young age of 22 and had no intention of stopping. After 10 years of turmoil he succeeded to quell the conflict between 3 more kingdoms and unite them under his banner. Now, from his massive palace he plans for the future… but what future?

First image - made with Heroforge.

Second image - Art by the fantastic Goatfella: https://www.tumblr.com/goatfellaa/693602368642809856/cyberknife-design?source=share

[wyllzel]

🔗 Link to Google Doc.

This is how I built Vampire Ascendant Astarion in my latest Tactician playthrough. As a dual-wielding Gloom Stalker Thief, Astarion has his canon Rogue flavoring with the added bonus of the Ranger class’s Extra Attack and other sneaky, more martial abilities.

I like to run Astarion as a Thief Rogue, but Assassin Rogue also works well (though possibly with different gear – for example, you may want to use a longbow instead of dual hand crossbows).

The vibe of this example of a Gloom Stalker Thief is a stealthy, consistent damage dealer. When you reach Act 3, Astarion can focus on a 100-200 HP enemy and take it out (or at least whittle it down) easily. Or, he can spread his many attacks across lower HP minions and take out a bunch in one round.

Ranger has some good control-type spells, but I primarily run the Gloom Stalker Thief as a ranged martial.

This build is not reliant on elixirs, illithid powers, or mods. While I don’t think this multiclass is dependent on gear, the gear I’ve listed will go a long way in ensuring Astarion is a very competent machine gun. 🤗

Disclaimer: While I tried to powergame as much as I could with this build, I also wanted to keep it easy to follow and fairly thematic. I'm not claiming that this is the most powerful Vampire Ascendant build ever!

(Fair warning: Possible spoilers ahead!)

Levelling

I like to start Astarion out in Rogue for the canon flavoring and Extra Bonus Action (Thief Rogue Level 3). But once my party reaches Level 5, I’ll go to Withers and restart Astarion as a Ranger instead for the Extra Attack (Ranger Level 5).

How you progress in the levels is up to you – I recommend reading through the BG3 Wiki pages on Ranger and Rogue and see which of the classes’ benefits you think are most useful! These are just my personal preferences. I’ve also added a star (⭐) next to each of the features I tend to prioritize or take advantage of.

To start with, this is my Astarion’s base stats:

Astarion’s Wisdom Score should be higher than his Intelligence score; any spells he’d be using are Ranger spells (and Rangers cast off Wisdom).

This build guide assumes that Astarion is not the party face – therefore, it’s fairly safe to dump his Charisma stat.

Level 1: Rogue (Level 1)

Sneak Attack ⭐

Select:

Expertise: Stealth, Sleight of Hand

Level 2: Rogue (Level 2)

Cunning Action: Dash

Cunning Action: Disengage

Cunning Action: Hide

Level 3: Rogue (Level 3)

Improved Sneak Attack Damage (+1d6) ⭐

Select:

Subclass: Thief

The Thief subclass has the following benefits:

Fast Hands (Extra Bonus Action)

Second-Story Work (Resistance to Falling Damage)

Level 4: Rogue (Level 4)

Select:

Feat: Ability Improvement (aka ASI) = +1 DEX, +1 WIS ⭐

This should take his Dexterity to 18 and his Wisdom to 16.

Level 5: Rogue (Level 5)

Proficiency Bonus

Improved Sneak Attack Damage (+1d6) ⭐

Level 6: Ranger (Level 1)

Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons, martial weapons

Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, shields

Select:

1st Favored Enemy: Bounty Hunter

1st Natural Explorer: Urban Tracker

Level 7: Ranger (Level 2)

Select:

Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting ⭐

Spells: Ensnaring Strike, Hunter’s Mark

The Archery Fighting Style could also be good, but I run Astarion as equally reliant on his standard Actions and Bonus Actions – therefore Two-Weapon Fighting works for my build.

Level 8: Ranger (Level 3)

Select:

Subclass: Gloom Stalker

Spells: Fog Cloud

The Gloom Stalker subclass has some awesome benefits:

Dread Ambusher (Extra Attack during the 1st round of combat) ⭐

Dread Ambusher: Hide (Basically another Cunning Action: Hide)

Umbral Shroud (Become Invisible if Obscured)

Superior Darkvision (Darkvision is now 24m / 80ft)

Disguise Self (Gain the ritual spell Disguise Self)

Dread Ambusher, Umbral Shroud, and Superior Darkvision are probably the best features for the stealthy machine gun Gloom Stalker Thief.

Level 9: Ranger (Level 4)

Feat:

Sharpshooter (-5 to Ranged Attack Rolls, but +10 to Ranged Damage Rolls) ⭐

Level 10: Ranger (Level 5)

Extra Attack ⭐

Misty Step (from Gloom Stalker Subclass) ⭐

Select:

Spells: Spike Growth

Level 11: Ranger (Level 6)

Select:

2nd Favored Enemy: Mage Breaker

2nd Natural Explorer: Wasteland Wanderer: Fire

I selected Mage Breaker because I had Astarion’s backstory in mind – Cazador, Astarion’s ultimate antagonist, is primarily a caster during Astarion’s final quest battle. However, True Strike is a notably unhelpful cantrip, so you may want to choose a different Favored Enemy.

I selected Wasteland Wanderer: Fire because Fire is a common Damage type that enemies dole out. For the same reason, Wasteland Wanderer: Poison is also a good selection.

Level 12: Ranger (Level 7)

Select:

Spells: Silence

I picked Silence since it’s almost always useful, but if you have a Cleric (or another caster with access to Silence) on your primary team then you may want to pick a different spell.

Alternatives…

If you went 4 Rogue / 8 Ranger, you’d lose Rogue’s Uncanny Dodge and additional 1d6 damage on Sneak Attack (Level 5) – but gain Ranger’s Land’s Stride: Difficult Terrain (Level 8) and an additional Feat (Level 8).

If you went 5 Rogue / 5 Ranger / 2 Fighter, you’d lose Ranger’s additional Favored Enemy, Natural Explorer (Level 6), and additional spell (Level 7) – but gain Fighter’s Second Wind, Fighting Style (Level 1), and Action Surge (Level 2).

I picked a lot of offensive Ranger spells, but the Ranger class also has some great buff spells like Longstrider and Enhance Leap.

Final Composition

By Level 12, Astarion should have the following notable qualities:

Extra Attack and Extra Bonus Action, resulting in 4 possible Attacks per round.

Sharpshooter: On a ranged weapon hit, deal an extra +10 Damage.

Sneak Attack: On a Sneak Attack hit, deal an extra 3d6 (3-18) Damage.

Two-Weapon Fighting, which adds your Ability Score Modifier (+4) to the damage of your offhand attack.

Gear

I like to equip Gloom Stalker Thief Astarion with the following gear. The evil flavoring on some of the pieces (Helldusk, Bhaalist) definitely adds to the ambience of a Vampire Ascendant Astarion.

I’ve made a small note of why I equipped each piece of gear, but you can visit each Wiki link for the full benefits on each piece! None of this gear is really necessary (except maybe the Risky Ring), but I do recommend having Astarion dual-wield to take advantage of Thief Rogue’s Extra Bonus Action.

Headwear: Marksmanship Hat

+1 to Ranged Attack Rolls

Also, he looks cool in it. LOL.

Armor: Bhaalist Armor

Aura of Murder: Enemies within 2m / 6.5ft become Vulnerable to Piercing Damage (unless they are Resistant or Immune to it)

+2 to Initiative Rolls

Cloak: Shade-Slayer Cloak

Reduces the number needed to roll a Critical Hit while Hiding by 1

Handwear: Helldusk Gloves

+1d6 Fire Damage per Weapon Attack

+1 to Weapon Attack Rolls

Footwear: Helldusk Boots

Any boots that give Astarion the option to position himself more aptly are excellent. For example, the Disintegrating Night Walkers or Spaceshunt Boots are also very good.

Amulet: Amulet of Bhaal

On a hit, inflicts Bleeding on targets that have maximum HP

This feels very apt for a Vampire Ascendant.

Ring A: Risky Ring*

Advantage on Attack Rolls

Disadvantage on Saving Throws

*This ring is extremely important to the build, IMO! The Advantage on Attack Rolls does a lot to offset the -5 to Attack Rolls from the Sharpshooter feat.

Ring B: Caustic Band**

+2 Acid Damage per Weapon Attack

**This ring can add up to +10 Acid Damage, since you have four Attacks and an additional attack on your first round of combat from Dread Ambusher. However, this +8-10 may not be negligible by the time you reach Act 3 – instead, the Killer’s Sweetheart ring (basically one free Critical Hit on demand per long rest) may be more overall effective.

Melee Main Hand: Crimson Mischief

+1d4 Piercing Damage when you have Advantage on targets with <50% of their HP

+7 Piercing Damage when you have Advantage on a target

If you’re wearing the Risky Ring, you’ll almost always have Advantage, so the added Piercing Damages are basically a guarantee.

Melee Off Hand: Rhapsody

Scarlet Remittance: Gain +1 to Attack Rolls, Damage, and Spell Save DC for each foe you slay (up to +3)

Sweet Bloodletting: Possibly inflict Bleeding when hitting a target with this weapon while Hiding or Invisible

Rhapsody used to belong to Cazador – so I find it thematically fitting for a Vampire Ascendant Astarion to now use this knife. But if you’d rather avoid it, Knife of the Undermountain King is also a good one!

Ranged Main Hand: Ne’er Misser

Deals Force Damage rather than Piercing Damage

Gain one use of Magic Missile Level 3 per Short Rest

I like this hand crossbow a lot because some enemies are Resistant to Piercing Damage – but very few (if any?) are Resistant to Force Damage. But since it doesn’t deal Piercing Damage, this hand crossbow won’t benefit from the Bhaalist Armor’s Aura of Murder.

Ranged Off Hand: Hellfire Hand Crossbow

+2 Weapon Enchantment

Hellstalker: Possibly inflict Burning when attacking while Hiding or Invisible

Damage Numbers

After you finish leveling and equipping Vampire Ascendant Astarion, your final Damage stats should look something like the following table. When calculating these numbers, I assumed the following: 

The target isn’t Resistant to Piercing, Force, Acid, Necrotic, or Fire Damage

No conditional Damage on Crimson Mischief

Sharpshooter is toggled on

(I tried to calculate the above numbers by hand… So apologies if my calculations are fudged due to an incorrect understanding of Damage rolls, haha! This should be approximately correct, at least.)

Example: Combat Against Githyanki

For an example of how this build plays, here’s how Level 12, Vampire Ascendant, fully equipped Gloom Stalker Thief Astarion did against a group of Vlaakith’s githyanki warriors (Elfsong Tavern) in Tactician:

Here, Astarion did 43+75+26+35 Damage, or a total of 179 Damage in one round. (And that’s with four Attacks instead of five.) This is pretty standard for how my Act 3 combats tend to go, so I think this is a fair representation of this Astarion build’s abilities.

Conclusion

Of course, there are many other builds for Vampire Ascendant Astarion that can also do ridiculous (if not far more!) Damage. For example, some powergamers will class Astarion as a Monk (usually with the Tavern Brawler feat) – whether that’s Way of the Open Hand for maximum Damage output, or Way of Shadow for more vampiric vibes – with a multiclass dip in Thief Rogue for the Extra Bonus Action. This gives Vampire Ascendant Astarion a standard six Unarmed Strikes per round of combat; he adds 1d10 Necrotic Damage to each of those for an additional 6d10 Necrotic Damage total.

And, of course, even without the Vampire Ascendant trait, this build tends to do a good deal of Damage and can work for any character (whether that be an edgy Tav, the Dark Urge, or a different Companion). For example, a lot of the infernal gear might be cool for a post-Pact Ranger Wyll.

Thanks for reading, and hope this gave you some ideas for your ranged martial builds! :)