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New Vegas companions (+ulysses)with a teen Courier? Like how they treat the teen and such

FNV Companions (+Ulysses) With A Teen!Courier

➼ Word Count » 1.3k ➼ Warnings » None ➼ Genre » Platonic

Boone's not entirely keen on the idea of traveling with someone so young. He feels that you shouldn't be out here at all and would tell you to go home. Of course, you don't remember your home, and once you tell him as much he feels obligated to (reluctantly) take you in. For a while, it'll be you, him, and Manny hanging around in Novac, with the two of them taking turns teaching you how to snipe effectively. After a few weeks, you need to continue your path to find Benny, and Boone agrees to go with you, if nothing else, then to protect you from the horrors of the outside world. He's still set on the idea that you're way too young to be out doing things like this, but if it's something you have to do then he'd rather it be him that goes along with you than anyone who might be a bad influence on you, especially considering you've lost all you're memories. He's a reluctant father figure, who'll stop at nothing to ensure you don't fall into the hands of the Legion, or worse, die.

Arcade isn't sure why anyone who forgot how to gamble would want to travel all the way out to Vegas, let alone Freeside. You didn't even have enough money to bypass the guards to get into the Strip when you entered the Old Mormon Fort for the first time, so whatever plan you had before traveling here is lost on him. He only begins talking to you out of pity and confusion, wanting to learn more about your motivations for making such a long hike for a payout that would surely never come. His pity for you only grows, and he'll quickly agree to come along with you wherever you plan on going next. You don't seem to remember anything at all so he'll do his best to reeducate you on the basics. Medicine, survival, reading, he'll cover them all in due time. He truly does feel guilty that you, some kid from who knows where, got caught up in such a large mess of things, and hopes that by staying with you he can make up for the acts this world has committed against you. He sees a bit of himself in you: a lost kid with no more home or family to turn to, no one to confide in, and he hopes to one day take on that familial role for you.

Raul can't help but feel a little bit embarrassed that he had to be saved by a kid with brain damage, but either way, he's happy to be able to leave Black Mountain. He'll follow you out of a mixture of gratitude and curiosity as you remind him a lot of himself back when he still lived in Mexico City. That being said, he is just the tiniest bit overprotective over you. He'd hate it if you ended up with the same fate as his family and would stop at nothing to ensure he never has to go through something like that again. The longer you travel together, the more he feels like he's found a younger sibling to watch over again. He'll tease you and generally be his sarcastic self, but he's definitely a lot softer on you than he would if you'd been an adult. He almost feels as if it's his responsibility to help raise you and keep you alive and healthy, and that's exactly what he ends up doing.

Lily would consider it to be a downright sin for her to just let you wander around on your own! So, whether you agree to it or not, she'll become your full-time grandma throughout the rest of your travels. She's just as doting to you as she would be to any of her other grandchildren and always makes a point to check in on your health and overall well-being. Grandma couldn't have her little pumpkin sad or starving now, could she? That being said, she does her best to fit in the occasional home cooking she's so famous for back in Jacobstown. Not much really changes with Lily. She's still the sweet, old grandma who adopts you regardless of everything, the only real difference being that she's more stubborn with coming along with you. Kids shouldn't be out and about without any chaperon, after all!

Cass doesn't really have much of an opinion on it. You're a kid, so what? Everyone around you was a kid at some point. She does, however, have a small soft spot for teens who aren't afraid of what the waste has to offer, and you've had to make it all the way out to the Mojave Outpost from somewhere, haven't you? She'll pat the barstool beside her, gesturing for you to come and sit down before (secretly) sliding you a glass of whiskey that the two of you share. She wants you to start from the beginning: what are you doing here? And where are your parents? She grows to respect you quite quickly and finds herself feeling some kind of connection with you. Maybe it's because you're a lot rowdier than most others your age, maybe it's 'cause of how unbothered you appear, or maybe it's the determined way you carry yourself? Either way, she's taking her place beside you to get revenge on whoever was fucked up enough to try and kill a kid.

Veronica gets a bit excited when she sees a teen approaching her at the 188 Trading Post. She thinks you're the cutest thing and would love to come along! She's constantly thinking up outfits she thinks you'd look great in, just little accessories here and there to really spice up the 'vengeful vibe' you seem to be going for. She's like the sister you never had, or at least never remembered having, and she takes that role very seriously. You need dating advice? She's your girl to go to. Want to be a better fighter? Allow her, you're amazing new best friend, to offer you some pointers. You want a group to back you up? She'll bother the Brotherhood for as long as she needs before you're accepted into their bunker. Honestly, she couldn't have asked for a better person to come along and break her out of her boredom. The two of you will cause problems like no other, but that only means you both know how to have fun and make the most of your situations.

Ulysses holds a lot less resentment toward you as he believes you're naivety was abused by the NCR. That being said, when you come wandering into the Divide, he definitely puts it in your head that the NCR isn't any good and that you're a victim to this world as much as he, and the rest of the Divide, were. He'll try to brainwash you into viewing the world the same way he does: a cold and heartless mess. He takes you under his wing in a sense, raising you to be a strong and determined warrior against both the NCR and the Legion. He's invested so much energy and thought into you that he feels it'd almost be a waste if he doesn't. If you decide you're not going to follow his path and carve your own, he wouldn't have any qualms about fighting you the same way he would had you been an adult, he'd just feel it'd be a misuse in potential. He'd be a mentor figure to you, a dangerous and smart one, but a teacher nonetheless. There's no room for compromise, and he'll turn you both into a two-man army to ruin the two flags that run rampant throughout the Mojave.

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Thinking about Deep Sea Gangrel Mariners - ones that have somehow found their way down into the deepest reaches of the ocean and almost never breach the surface of the water again.

A lone diver in an ancient suit walks along the bottom of the ocean, kicking up the white marine snow that coats the ground. Their oxygen tube drags along behind them, tattered from wear and encrusted with small molluscs. Red light pours out from the helmet’s front face, shattered glass fracturing the light into jagged rays. Light catches the floating particles in the water, exposing hidden prey and predators. 

A child in a tattered Victorian nightgown crawls through the porthole of a sunken ship. Long, scythe-like fangs jut out from her distended jaw, almost translucent in the pale green light emitted by flashing photophores dotting along her dark skin. Unimpeded by the crushing weight of the ocean, she darts out with startling speed - catching the gills of a passing hammerhead shark. She pulls away, sated. The hammerhead thrashes to escape, leaving behind an inky trail of blood.  

Suspended in the darkest parts of the deepest trenches, where oxygen bubbles are forced to fall instead of rise, a creature waits. What had been hands, what had been arms and legs, and fingers and toes, are now long, spindly tentacles. The limbs trail even further below, dragging on the ground and trapping anything in their way. The ancient mariner’s scalp is transparent, their bare skull still white. Their eyelids are closed, squeezed shut and withered away. Sitting at the top of the elder’s forehead, two bright green eyeballs scan the ocean above, always watching for an attack from above. 

Deep Sea Mariners, DSMs, are basal creatures more often then not. Driven to diablerie to stave off the hunger when prey is more scarce than usual, they are not a communal people. There are very, very powerful vampires in the deep sea, their generations Methuselah equivalent, perhaps lower. But they can never leave the deep.

Some are embraced as their ships begin to sink, some are dragged from oil rigs in the middle of the night and not fully drained, some are divers who met an unfortunate end and rebirth. 

You will find the majority of deep sea mariners alone in shipwrecks dotted across the aphotic zones, curating shark populations to feed from. Though some will claim the temporary domain of a whale fall, defending it fiercely from other mariners and harvesting blood from the scavengers attracted to the carcass. One elder occupies an underwater volcano, skin grown heavy with iron sediment. 

They feed off the blood of sharks, deep-diving aquatic mammals like whales and seals, and the blue blood of horseshoe crabs, which seem to fortify them. They make famuluses from the sharks with which they share prey, with hagfish that take tentative bites out of the mariners and ingest their vitae, with elephant seals that dive deeper than their cousins. 

Fortitude stops the DSMs from being crushed immediately, but it’s a wasteful endeavour. Soon their vitae and feral marks adapt to better tolerate the conditions without fortitude. Or perhaps fortitude is leavings its marks on these Gangrels: they don’t know and don’t care. 

The pain, hunger, and stress of the DSM’s environment makes for a much higher relative number of frenzies, slowly warping the Gangrels with more and more feral marks better suited for the ocean floor: bigger eyes, bigger teeth, fins and tails where legs once were, longer limbs and talons; anything to further their survival. Mariners grow to be massive, exhibiting deep sea gigantism.

The better suited they are for the deep, the more hostile above ground will become: their increased size, massive eyes, tails, and new fangs no longer appropriate for the Masquerade, even for Nosferatu standards.

They would no longer be able to walk on land, their skeletal composition changed to become softer, requiring much higher pressures to keep their bodies togethers. Hunting on land is no longer an option. They experience a ‘shrink- wrapping’ in which muscle and organs are absorbed by the body, leaving bone, connective tissue, and fat.

It is best to leave them there, in the deep. They are the lords of Hades; curating the corpses of fallen whales and laying claim to the shattered hulls of sunken ships. They rule it with vicious, iron fists. 

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if lady dimitrescu wrote a poem about Heisenberg:

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Keep a Good Man Down (Muken!Aizen x Reader)

Request:

Word Count: 566

Tags/Warnings: None?

Notes: I don’t even remember this arc. I read Bleach a long, long time ago. If I get details wrong, eh, sue me. Why are all the titles to my Aizen fics so long? And why are Aizen’s lips so thin?

继续阅读

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Mushroom Smaugust 2020 by Xavier Collette

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"Stay for me."

"You remember the drill?"

"I want to protect you."

"Over my dead body."

"You're in danger, but don't worry – I won't let anyone hurt you."

"How can you look so good while eating a chicken wing?"

"I'd like to take you to dinner. Please."

"Tonight, you have my full concentration."

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75 random dialogue prompts.

feel free to change pronouns as you’d like; no need for credit.

“Why…why did you just take off your shirt?“ 

“Please don’t scare me like that ever again.” 

“I couldn’t live without you.” 

“As long as you’re breathing, standing here with me, nothing else matters.” 

“You see, this is the part where you tell me you’re proud of me.” 

“Why’d you run away?”

“Do you need anything else?” 

“Say something. Are you hurt?” 

"God, I’m so angry I could just hit someone.”

“I’m yours, in every way possible.” 

“I don’t need anything more from you.” 

“He has his heart set on it, trust me." 

"You…do not look happy." 

"If you truly believe you can get me out of bed before ten a.m. then you’re delusional." 

"You’re all drugged up. You don’t know what you’re saying." 

"Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

“Funny. And by funny, I mean not funny at all." 

"God, why couldn’t I have taken more weight lifting classes.”

“He’s always done his best to keep your hands clean, keep that innocence intact." 

"You’re not making it easy on me right now.”

“Sometimes I think you have a deathwish." 

"Your idea of torture is withholding dessert after dinner." 

"I’m kidding, sheesh." 

"Well done, you." 

"You have until the count of three to remove your arms from my person, or so help me…!" 

"Yeah, like I haven’t heard that one before." 

"I know where you sleep.” 

"You keep him on his toes." 

"Hello, nice to meet you…sort of." 

"That’s unnervingly on point." 

"You two are the closest thing I have to a television." 

"Stop! Please, stop! You’re going to kill her!" 

"I’d be safer facing off a pack of wolves." 

"If you’re going, I’m going.”

“Whoa. Easy, easy. I’ve got you.”

“When I say run, that means keep running." 

"You got me, and I’m not so bad, right?" 

“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” 

"Come back here. Don’t do this… Come back here right now! Come back…" 

"Thought I told you to stay by my side, eh?" 

"It’s like watching a chihuahua provoke a rottweiler." 

"She has the heart of a lion." 

"Come on, it’s me. I’m good at this sort of stuff, remember?" 

"That is my choice! My decision to make, not yours! Not anyone else’s! Mine!" 

"Now, before you get upset, I didn’t lie to you. I just…failed to mention it." 

"You are out of your mind.”

“Tell me what you want me to do." 

"And even if you don’t feel the same, that’s okay - I’m always going to be here for you." 

"And before you say anything, a ‘no’ would be a very poor answer.”

“God, I love you.”  

“What? You want my heart? My soul? Go head, take them. Take everything I have.” 

“Does my being half-naked bother you?” 

“I wasn’t going to do anything until you wanted me to.” 

“Wh – what? [Name], this is serious!" 

"Hush, now. He is a nice boy, but a boy he still is." 

“I can’t willingly or unwillingly ever bear to leave your side.” 

“You’re trying to distract me.” 

“Well, this moment certainly got away from me.” 

“You can’t do that to me.” 

"You move, he moves.”

“You can have it, because I don’t want it without you." 

"Take it, it’s fine.”

“If you need it, you take it. What’s mine is yours.”

“I am very young, very foolish, and very in love with you.” 

“Of course you’re tired, you haven’t slept in two days.” 

“And when I come back there better not be so much as a scratch on her body and a hair out of place.” 

“Speak for me again, and I’ll punch you in the throat.” 

“You have me right in the palm of your hand and you know it.”

“You and I are not finished.”

“You know what? Never-mind, you’ll know I’m lying to you anyway.” 

“How’s the weather down there, babe?” 

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop wanting to learn things about you.” 

“All my best parts come from you.” 

"You make me brave.”

“Just jump, I’ll catch you.” 

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75 random dialogue prompts.

feel free to change pronouns as you’d like; no need for credit.

“Why…why did you just take off your shirt?“ 

“Please don’t scare me like that ever again.” 

“I couldn’t live without you.” 

“As long as you’re breathing, standing here with me, nothing else matters.” 

“You see, this is the part where you tell me you’re proud of me.” 

“Why’d you run away?”

“Do you need anything else?” 

“Say something. Are you hurt?” 

"God, I’m so angry I could just hit someone.”

“I’m yours, in every way possible.” 

“I don’t need anything more from you.” 

“He has his heart set on it, trust me." 

"You…do not look happy." 

"If you truly believe you can get me out of bed before ten a.m. then you’re delusional." 

"You’re all drugged up. You don’t know what you’re saying." 

"Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

“Funny. And by funny, I mean not funny at all." 

"God, why couldn’t I have taken more weight lifting classes.”

“He’s always done his best to keep your hands clean, keep that innocence intact." 

"You’re not making it easy on me right now.”

“Sometimes I think you have a deathwish." 

"Your idea of torture is withholding dessert after dinner." 

"I’m kidding, sheesh." 

"Well done, you." 

"You have until the count of three to remove your arms from my person, or so help me…!" 

"Yeah, like I haven’t heard that one before." 

"I know where you sleep.” 

"You keep him on his toes." 

"Hello, nice to meet you…sort of." 

"That’s unnervingly on point." 

"You two are the closest thing I have to a television." 

"Stop! Please, stop! You’re going to kill her!" 

"I’d be safer facing off a pack of wolves." 

"If you’re going, I’m going.”

“Whoa. Easy, easy. I’ve got you.”

“When I say run, that means keep running." 

"You got me, and I’m not so bad, right?" 

“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” 

"Come back here. Don’t do this… Come back here right now! Come back…" 

"Thought I told you to stay by my side, eh?" 

"It’s like watching a chihuahua provoke a rottweiler." 

"She has the heart of a lion." 

"Come on, it’s me. I’m good at this sort of stuff, remember?" 

"That is my choice! My decision to make, not yours! Not anyone else’s! Mine!" 

"Now, before you get upset, I didn’t lie to you. I just…failed to mention it." 

"You are out of your mind.”

“Tell me what you want me to do." 

"And even if you don’t feel the same, that’s okay - I’m always going to be here for you." 

"And before you say anything, a ‘no’ would be a very poor answer.”

“God, I love you.”  

“What? You want my heart? My soul? Go head, take them. Take everything I have.” 

“Does my being half-naked bother you?” 

“I wasn’t going to do anything until you wanted me to.” 

“Wh – what? [Name], this is serious!" 

"Hush, now. He is a nice boy, but a boy he still is." 

“I can’t willingly or unwillingly ever bear to leave your side.” 

“You’re trying to distract me.” 

“Well, this moment certainly got away from me.” 

“You can’t do that to me.” 

"You move, he moves.”

“You can have it, because I don’t want it without you." 

"Take it, it’s fine.”

“If you need it, you take it. What’s mine is yours.”

“I am very young, very foolish, and very in love with you.” 

“Of course you’re tired, you haven’t slept in two days.” 

“And when I come back there better not be so much as a scratch on her body and a hair out of place.” 

“Speak for me again, and I’ll punch you in the throat.” 

“You have me right in the palm of your hand and you know it.”

“You and I are not finished.”

“You know what? Never-mind, you’ll know I’m lying to you anyway.” 

“How’s the weather down there, babe?” 

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop wanting to learn things about you.” 

“All my best parts come from you.” 

"You make me brave.”

“Just jump, I’ll catch you.” 

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Some words to use when writing things:

winking

clenching

pulsing

fluttering

contracting

twitching

sucking

quivering

pulsating

throbbing

beating

thumping

thudding

pounding

humming

palpitate

vibrate

grinding

crushing

hammering

lashing

knocking

driving

thrusting

pushing

force

injecting

filling

dilate

stretching

lingering

expanding

bouncing

reaming

elongate

enlarge

unfolding

yielding

sternly

firmly

tightly 

harshly

thoroughly

consistently

precision

accuracy

carefully

demanding

strictly

restriction

meticulously

scrupulously

rigorously

rim

edge

lip

circle

band

encircling

enclosing

surrounding

piercing

curl

lock

twist

coil

spiral

whorl

dip

wet

soak

madly

wildly

noisily

rowdily

rambunctiously

decadent

degenerate

immoral

indulgent

accept

take

invite

nook

indentation

niche

depression

indent

depress

delay

tossing

writhing

flailing

squirming

rolling

wriggling

wiggling

thrashing

struggling

grappling

striving

straining

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Music of the PHB races

I saw a wonderful post by @noodledog that was talking about the music of different d&d races, and I wanted to make a post about my own interpretation of what kinds of music the races in the Player’s Handbook would write.

Dwarves:

The race of Dwarves is known for its courageous warriors, miners, and skilled craftsmen. They live for centuries, but not as long as elves, and have an unyielding devotion to culture and tradition. Their music is inspired by the ringing of pickaxes and the drums of ancient battles and heroic deeds that have been recounted through the ages through song. Dwarven music is percussion based and built off of layers of rhythm. Craftsmanship is valued in dwarf society, and that applies to their music as well, resulting in respect from all musical communities for their complex understanding of rhythm. When Dwarves sing, they tend towards classic styles of work songs like shanties and mainly sing in unison. Ships will often hire dwarves to lead their shanties because they are masters of consistent rhythm.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Elves:

Music is of paramount importance to Elven culture, with a series of ancient ballads and choral pieces chronicling their whole recorded history. With their long lives, composers have been known to spend upwards of seventy years perfecting their symphonies. Intricacy of melody and harmony is considered the height of sophistication, and Elven choirs and orchestras are an exciting event when they pass through towns of other races. Many notable Elven composers produced fugues, a style of music with a melody that interlaces with itself as it develops creating echoes through the score.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Halflings:

Halflings value the comfort and support of a community, and while they are not listed among the greatest composers or musical artists, even the stuffiest of guests in a halfling community will find themselves stomping along with a drinking song resounding through a tavern or an impromptu jam session around a campfire. Their love of new experiences has led halflings to combine elements from many different musical cultures, and this variability has led them to develop an eclectic style of music that mirrors how bluegrass developed in our world. The most popular halfling songs are jaunty and can be sung or played in large groups easily, but during times of grief even the most stone faced adventurer will shed a tear to the mournful songs of a halfling funeral.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Humans:

Humans are known as innovators and as an ambitious creative force. The traditions of the other races are more established, so humans will often train with musicians from other races, but will always bring their own spark to the techniques and pieces they create. Human music is a blending of the different styles that other races bring, and has been widely appreciated by all the races. The songs humans write cover any and all themes imaginable. They sing and play songs about love, war, disasters, adventure, and anything else that sparks their inspiration. Human sailors are prized for their ability to bring emotion into the songs they sing to the crew, helping bind the crew together.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Dragonborn:

The strict clan structures of the Dragonborn have specific places for music. Music is the way that the Dragonborn chronicle their clan’s history, and thus it must be protected closely. Individual families in Dragonborn clans are designated lorekeepers and are the only ones allowed to practice traditional music. Songs are passed down through the generations, and the family of lorekeepers is fiercely protected by the rest of the clan. The Chronicle is generally a ballad that outlines the history of the clan and teaches important lessons to the children. When members of other races are allowed into a performance of a Dragonborn Chronicle, the reverence and honor displayed in the music is something they can feel in the air.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Gnomes:

Gnomes and humans share a love of exploration and discovery, and have been known to create new and interesting instruments to experiment with. Their music tends to be instrumental and magically infused (creating a sound similar to the electronic music of today) or performed with an instrument of the gnome’s own making. Seldom will you find a gnome tinkering without music being played in the background either by magic or by a network of clockwork machinery that plays instruments hung from the rafters.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Half-Elves:

Half-elves will generally gravitate towards whichever culture they were raised in. (See Humans and Elves)

Half-Orc / Orc:

Orcs and Half-Orcs tend towards music that has a power behind it. Choruses of voices singing about displays of power or accompanying hard work appeal to them. Orc music is loud and forceful, and can be a force of intimidation in battle. Oddly, the music written by the Orcish races has found its way into popularity among certain groups of Humans, Half-Elves, and Tieflings who feel downtrodden.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Tieflings:

Tieflings exist on the fringes of society, and are often shunned or oppressed for their heritage. Their music is reactive and electric, bolstered by their opposition of the society that hates them and tries to sweep them under the rug and their innate ability to amplify and alter the sounds they make with the Thaumaturgy spell. Tiefling concerts are rare, and when they do happen are a spectacle. Clouds of darkness, flames bursting from the stage, and every instrument and voice amplified to near deafening levels.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

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Spellcasting Combat Narration for D&D

image credit: Ben Wootten

So I was gonna include this in my other article on narrating combat, but it proved far too lengthy, so I made this into part 2! 

Combat is easy to describe compared to narrating spell attacks. I ran into this problem last session when I was getting into detail telling the barbarian how they tore off an ogre’s head but then the druid just kept using Fire Bolt and I kept defaulting to “you shoot a bolt of fire at his face.” I’m going to try and vary things up with these lists and help everyone else in the process! I am organizing them by energy type.

Mode of Attack

Half of a spell’s attack is how the caster shapes their spell. The same spell can look very different with every casting if you have a creative DM. Feel free to switch it up each time it’s cast, or vary the same spell when cast by different characters of different classes.

Attack Words

Generic shapes and terms that will launch from the caster’s hand.

Helix, Spiral, Beam, Erratic, Mote, Bolt, Stream, Blast, Burst, Blade, Arc, Miasma, Cloud, Eruption, Wave, Cone, Missile, Rune, Glyph

Class-Based Ideas

Bard

Energy manifests from thin air a foot in front of their instrument as they play

Energy is shaped like ribbons of written music that ripples towards enemies

Several tiny motes of energy appear with each note sung or played. Each point of damage comes from a mote hitting the opponent (rolls a 4 out of a d6, 4 of the 6 note-motes hit)

Cleric

Energy falls from the sky or emerges from the ground as the cleric prays

Beam of energy originates from holy symbol

Spell attack should highlight that the cleric is granted their powers from a greater power, don’t have the energy come from their hand/finger. Have the energy come TO them, and then be thrown at the enemy.

Druid

Energy is shaped like an animal.

Energy rushes forth from the surrounding wilderness and zooms past the druid and toward the foe.

Much like Cleric, energy shouldn’t come from the caster. It should come from elsewhere before being thrown at the enemy.

Fighter (Eldritch Knight)

Energy blasts from their bound weapon pointed at the enemy.

Energy fires from their mouth as they yell.

Energy surrounds their weapon and is used in tandem with it (if close enough)

Monk (Way of Four Elements)

Literally just watch Avatar: the Last Airbender and do that.

Paladin

Most Paladin spells are smite-based, so they usually happen when an attack hits. Otherwise, let the energy come from a higher power like the Cleric.

Energy bursts forth from within the creature hit

Energy surrounds weapon right as the strike lands

Energy falls from the sky or erupts from the ground

Ranger

Honestly, most Ranger spells often seem a lot like man-made traps like Cordon of Arrows (arrow traps), Fog Cloud (smoke grenade), or Grasping Vine (slipknot trap). But otherwise, Play it like the Cleric where the energy comes from a higher power.

Energy takes the form of the Ranger’s animal companion or an animal they associate with.

Spells seem to cast automatically whenever the Ranger is in a tight spot, almost as if nature itself is protecting them. The Ranger gives an approving nod whenever this happens in thanks.

Rogue (Arcane Trickster)

Energy is always accompanied by a shimmer of glitter

The Rogue plays with the energy over their fingertips as they whistle before casting the spell.

Energy enchants one of the Rogue’s daggers and casts the spell by tossing the dagger at the intended location or target.

Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline)

Energy takes the shape of a dragon of your bloodline.

Energy surges forth from your breath

All energy takes the shape of your bloodline dragon’s energy type, regardless of the actual energy type. For instance, a sorcerer of a blue dragon’s bloodline that casts Burning Hands or Cone of Cold keeps the energy type but shapes the fire and cold damage into the form of a bolt of lightning. 

Sorcerer (Wild Magic) 

Energy takes on many random forms, never under the full command of the Sorcerer.

Energy erupts from random places in the environment when the Sorcerer calls upon them.

Energy bubbles and fizzes with all energy types (but mostly the one called upon), as if a piece of Limbo was thrown at the enemy.

Warlock (Archfey)

Your energy shimmers with iridescent colors and showers enemies with sparks of glitter.

Warlock (Great Old One)

Your magic corrupts and twists the flesh of the target of your spell, regardless of the energy type.

Warlock (Fiend)

Energy takes the shape of the unholy symbol of your patron.

Wizard (Abjuration)

Energy shoots forth from your magical wards, arcing towards your enemies.

Wizard (Conjuration)

You conjure a short-lived elemental of the energy type you need. It soars at the enemy.

Wizard (Divination)

You weave the glowing threads of fate in the palms of your hands, tweaking reality to cast your spell.

Wizard (Enchantment)

You enchant an object to exude the energy and toss it at the enemy.

Wizard (Evocation)

I mean, you just sorta blast them. That’s what this school’s about.

Wizard (Illusion)

Your spell usually spawns two or three illusory copies. When the attack misses, the enemy simply managed to dodge the right duplicate.

Wizard (Necromancy)

Your energy takes the shape of a skull screaming as it flies toward the enemy

Wizard (Transmutation)

You transmute the energy out of the surrounding environment and fire it at the enemy

On-Hit

So if half of a spell’s attack is the shape and travel of the spell, the other half is when the spell hits. I organized this list by energy type, as different energies will do different sorts of things when they hit a creature. This is mostly a collection of interesting effects, colorful language, and examples.

Fire

Your bolt of fire singes their armor (burning cloth, blackening leather, discoloring metal)

A tiny bead of fire explodes on contact

Showers them with red sparks

Your attack leaves behind a billowing trail of smoke

A fast-travelling meteor of flame soars from the sky towards the enemy.

Your flames leave blisters and cracked skin in its wake.

Your fire blackens the enemy’s flesh

Cold

You freeze the moisture in the air into icy daggers that fall onto your enemy

You freeze the water in their blood to damage them

Their skin turns blue and numb

You literally hurl a snowball at them.

Your spell leaves them covered in a layer of frost

A buildup of ice covers where your spell hit. (it’s easily shattered once they move, though)

A blast of icy wind and rain leaves them shivering.

Thunder

A crack of thunder pummels your foe

A high-pitched, deafening shriek focuses itself on the target

A thin trail of blood races from the foe’s ears from a sound no one else can hear

The enemy falls to their knees cupping their hands over their ears, gritting their teeth

You buffet the target with waves of thunderous sound

The ground shakes with the force of your spell. Brittle glass objects nearby shatter.

Lightning

Lightning comes from the sky to smite your foe

You all smell the faint odor of ozone before a bright bolt of lightning streaks toward the target of your spell

Before your enemy can blink they are showered in electrical sparks followed by crippling pain

The enemy’s back stiffens as the powerful current of lightning surges through them

Your attack leaves a permanent web of lightning shaped burns all over one side of their body

Your blast of lightning causes their skin to rupture as it travels through their body

Acid

Your acid sizzles as it burns a new, unnatural color into their skin

The attack melts their flesh, leaving them permanently disfigured at the site of the spell

Your spell’s acid causes blue fire to burn where it hit their skin, and bleaches their armor and belongings

A rancid smell fills the foe’s nostrils as the acid bubbles on their bare skin, burning through the simple cloth of their shirt.

Poison

You spew a poisonous cloud from your mouth at your opponent

A spectral viper or insect is flung at the opponent, biting them and filling them with magical venom

Your index and middle finger each grow a poisonous fang which you sink into your opponent’s arm (melee range spell attacks only)

The enemy’s mouth fills with a foul tasting liquid which forces its way down their throat

Necrotic

Your target’s flesh bubbles and boils as a black ichor sputters from the spell’s origin

The foe’s flesh festers with magical disease as boils and wounds quickly cover the affected area

A skeletal hand wriggles free from beneath the earth, flying towards the target

An incorporeal undead shrieks as it flies from your finger toward the enemy to deliver the spell’s effect

Black energy swirls around your arm before launching towards the enemy as if it had a life of its own

Your iridescent blue magic enters the target’s body and afflicts their soul, making them momentarily dazed as their eyes glaze over.

Radiant

A holy light shines from the skies to harm your target, regardless of time of day or obstructions

A halo of radiant energy surrounds your head and blinds the target as they gaze upon it

Enemies that aren’t of your alignment hear the whispers of your deity moments before being enveloped in a blinding white light

The foe’s eyes and mouth emit warm light and they howl in pain

A blade of radiant energy slashes through the victim, leaving a trail of blinking motes of light in its wake

The enemy’s skin blisters from the raw positive energy surging through them

So essentially this whole post was a creative writing assignment for myself, but I hope that it gives you guys new creative ideas for new spells or new ways to describe existing spells! They don’t much affect the mechanics of the spell at all, so most DMs I suspect will be fine with most of these descriptions if you want your character to cast spells a certain way.

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Alternatives for 25 overused words in writing

1. Interesting- note worthy; thought-provoking; fascinating; attracting; appealing; attention-grabbing; captivating; gripping; invigorating; engrossing; engaging; electrifying.  

2. Beautiful- striking; stunning; magnificent; lovely; charming; gorgeous; radiant; dazzling.

3. Good- acceptable, wonderful, exceptional; positive; brilliant; first-rate; notable; stellar; favorable; superb; marvellous; prime.

4. Bad- awful; lousy; poor; unacceptable; crummy; dreadful; rough; inferior; substandard; atrocious; appalling; dreadful; defective.

5. Look- glance; fixate; observe; stare; gaze; peer; scan; watch; study; browse; eye; glimpse; review; inspect.

6. Nice- lovely; superior; pleasant; satisfying; delightful; likeable; agreeable; correct; adequate; swell; fair; okay; approved.

7. Very- extremely; exceedingly; exceptionally; immensely; tremendously; abundantly; particularly; remarkably.

8. Fine- satisfactory; worthy; respectable; exquisite; suitable; well; imposing; decent; admirable; praise-worthy; decent.

9. Happy- cheerful; delighted; pleased; content; amused; thrilled; elated; thrilled; ecstatic; on cloud 9. 

10. Really- genuinely; truly; honestly; actually; undoubtedly; certainly; remarkably; incredibly; downright; unquestionably; extremely.

11. Sad- miserable; gloomy; devastated; down at heard; distraught; distressed; dispirited; sorrowful; downcast; feeling blue; desolate.

12. Big- massive; huge; giant; gigantic; enormous; large; colossal; immense; bulky; tremendous; hefty; sizable; extensive; great; substantial. 

13. Shocked- taken aback; lost for words; flabbergasted; staggered; outraged; astonished; astounded; stunned; speechless; appalled.

14. Small- tiny; petite; mini; miniature; microscopic; minuscule; compact; pocket-sized; cramped; puny; undersized; limited; meager; modest; minute; pint-sized. 

15. Angry- irate; enraged; touchy; cross; resentful; indignant; infuriated; wound-up; worked-up; seething; raging; heated; bitter; bad-tempered; offended; frustrated. 

16. Know- understand; comprehend; realize; learn; perceive; recognize; grasp; sense.

17. Change- alter; transform; replace; diversify; adjust; adapt; modify; remodel; vary; evolve; transfigure; redesign; refashion; advance; transition; shift; adjustment.

18. Old- aged; ancient; matured; elderly; senior; veteran; decrepit; seasoned; venerable; past one’s prime; doddering; senile.

19. Think- ponder; reflect; conceive; imagine; contemplate; consider; determine; realize; visualize; guess/assume; conclude; envision. 

20. Funny- comical; ludicrous; amusing; droll; entertaining; absurd; hilarious; silly; whimsical; hysterical; joking; witty; facetious; slapstick; side-splitting; knee-slapping.

21. Go- move; proceed; advance; progress; travel; walk; journey; depart; exit; flee; make one’s way; clear out; get underway.

22. Give- grant; donate; hand-out; present; provide; deliver; hand over; offer; award; bestow; supply with; contribute to; send; entrust.

23. Get- acquire; obtain; receive; gain; earn; gather; collect; buy; purchase; attain; score; secure; take possession of; grab.

24. Easy- effortless; simple; clear; smooth; straightforward; uncomplicated; painless; accessible; apparent; basic; plain; child’s play; facile; elementary; cinch. 

25. Fast- agile; brisk; rapid; nimble; swift; accelerated; fleeting; high-speed; active; dashing; winged; hurried; turbo. 

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LISTEN. You’re a GM. You have a world. You need to give your players information about that world without info-dumping on them as the game develops.

Your campaign world needs a newspaper. There is no better way of relaying the setting’s lore and exposition than through the lens of the NPCs who live there. They can post work opportunities! They can discuss current events! They can use local lingo! They can post scurrilous lies about whatever you want!

And your players will eat it up!

Are you feeling heady with power yet? Do you realize what a tool this is?!

They will be shocked when they first realize that the papers lied to them… Or they’ll feel oh so very clever for being skeptical about what they read! Hell, they might even want to put out ads or articles in the paper of their own creation! Imagine their faces when the paper talks about them and their heroic exploits… Or attributes credit for what they did to someone else entirely! Or makes the whole thing a hit piece painting them as villains! What if the whole tone of the paper suddenly changes? What if a favorite columnist suddenly shows up dead? What if an obituary for one of the player characters gets printed? Your options are literally limitless.

Give your game a newspaper. You’ll thank me. You’re welcome.

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Gray Stone Academy // The Faculty // Part Two.

With such a large school, it takes a lot more then just the headmaster and his teachers to keep it running. There is a lot to be done and it is to be done well and, like it’s been said, only the best of the best work here. While the students focus on their studies and the teachers focus on their work, these faculty members have other jobs to see to (and everyone focuses on their darlings). Be it cooking, cleaning, or protecting the students, each has a very important job. But, of course, each finds the time to find their little darlings.

The Captain. Basta Curtis, 52. He is the leader of the security teams, having started as a grunt and risen through the ranks. For many years now, he has protected the Grey Stone Academy and its students, working to keep things under his control…and to hide the dirty truth. In the Captain’s mind, there is nothing wrong with the kind of things that go on behind closed doors. Killing, stalking, yanderes taking away darlings…it’s all just perfect.

You are perfect for him.

The moment he meets you, Basta knows that you belong to him. A wicked smile, like that of a hungry wolf’s, creeps across his face. His darling, HIS!! How exciting!! He won’t bother to hide himself nor his intentions, no, he’ll make it very clear from the moment you meet. Cornering you, with his powerful frame pressed to your quivering form, Basta will tell you all of the terrible things he’s going to do to you.

Appearance: In a word…HUGE. Half black and half white, Basta has warm brown skin and a neatly shaved head, with a groomed beard and hulking form. He’s a big, big man with bulging muscles and cruel gray eyes, a mean smile occasionally on his face (though he’s mostly stone faced). He has a prosthetic left leg, lost in an accident. The security uniform is a tight black shirt with the school symbol on the heart, black pants, and black boots.

Yandere Type: Possessive. Basta believes that you solely and truly belong to him. He is your jailer and you are his prisoner, just the way it is supposed to be. So stop whining about it! He’s gonna hurt you and love you and you’re just going to have to take it. You will be kidnapped quickly, finding yourself trapped in a waking nightmare.

Details: The captain runs a tight ship and expects only the best from his darling. You are to follow every one of his rules, obey his every command, and you are to never EVER cross him…not unless you want a beating or broken bones as a reward. Of course, he might just do that anyway, just because he likes to hear your screams.

His perfect darling is weak. Someone much smaller then him and much more weak willed, making you easy to intimated and even easier over power. Basta is the kind of person who seeks out any power in any situation and then abuses it, just as he will abuse you.

Rough is the only way he does it. He’s not a gentle lover in anyway. His kisses leave your lips bloody, his touches leave bruises, and you’ll be whimpering beneath him as he takes you. Sobbing and shaking as Basta has his way with you. As his cock rips through you, you’ll be screaming and begging for mercy…not that he’ll ever give you such a thing.  

Maybe, if you’re a good girl, he’ll be sweet to you. He’s not really romantic or anything but Basta will reward good behavior. You might get a little freedom occasionally and some gifts, as long as you beg for them and thank your master profusely.  

Soldier One. Jasper Lee, 30. If you though that the Captain was bad, well! His right hand woman is a hell of a lot worse! Jasper is perhaps one of the cruelest yanderes in the school, taking terrible pleasure in the misery of others. Twisted and cruel hearted, there is absolutely nothing that Jasper loves more then abusing her power…though there might just be one thing.

You.

Jasper just knows you are the perfect little victim! So sweet and cute…a little bunny waiting to be snapped up by the big bad wolf! Just the sight of you has Jasper salivating! Much like her boss, she lacks any tact in this situation. You will know right away that Jasper is hunting you and taking perverse pleasure in doing so. It will not be long before she snaps you up indeed, stealing you away and doing everything she likes with you.

Appearance: Korean, tall and muscular. She towers over everyone she meets, being well over six feet and incredibly well built. Her darkly tan skin is scar covered, left over memories from her murky past, and her hair is black and short in a spiky, boyish cut. She has sharp amber eyes and a large nose, a mean smile and cruel gaze. She wears her uniform neatly, choosing instead a sleeveless shirt to show off her incredible arms.  

Yandere Type: Sadistic. There’s nothing more that Jasper loves to to torment you endlessly and painfully. Your misery is the most beautiful thing to her!! Like the Captain, she thinks that everything she does is just the manner of the things…her, in control, tormenting you. Hurting you. Destroying you. And you, weak and whimpering, and taking it all.

Details: Jasper wants to play all kinds of terrible games with her darling. Breaking your bones, tormenting you for fun…and cutting you. She LOVES cutting you. The taste of your blood is her favorite things, so sweet and addicting. There’s a little collection of “toys” she likes to use on you, knives and tasers and so much.

Her perfect darling is so sweet. An innocent little thing, so sweet and gentle. In her mind, this makes you weak and a victim. Weaklings, she argues, deserve to be overpowered by the strong. YOU deserve whatever she gives to you…it’s your own fault for being so damn pathetic.

Bloody, bruising, rough fucking is her preferred method. Jasper will leave you feeling broken and empty, all while filling you up with her rough fingers…or a giant toy. Oh, you’ll hate her for it! But you’ll hate yourself even more for loving it.

All you can do is beg. Beg for mercy and, should you falter at any time, beg for forgiveness. Of course, your cries often fall on deaf ears. Your suffering is perfect to her, she never wants it to end! But keep crying. Keep begging. She loves to hear it!!

Head Chef. Gregory Bastin, 36. Hailing from a tiny town in France, Gregory has devoted his entire life to two things: cooking and love. No one can deny that he is one of the best chefs in the world (and an absolute terror in the kitchen) and no one knows the darkness that lingers in his heart, he hides it far too well.

Until he meets you.

Once he stumbles upon you, the perfect mask just falls away and the true monster is finally revealed. You’re perfect! Beautiful! Wonderful! Oh, how he wants you!! Gregory, such a lonely and touch starved man, is determined to make you his and his alone. All he really wants is someone to call his own! Someone to cook for and fret over…is that really so much to ask?

Appearance: Tall and thin, pale skin and golden blonde and he tries (and fails) to keep neat. His eyes are a light violet color with long lashes. He has nimble fingers and a fast walk, a light dusting of hair over his body. When working, Gregory wears a neat white uniform but otherwise dresses very plainly, simple button ups and pants.

Yandere Type: Delusional. Never violent or particularity cruel at all, a much more gentle yandere. Gregory really and truly thinks that you and him are meant to be…he just has to force you to see it too! Should you run from him or reject him, he’ll just tell himself that he must try harder. But accepting his life will only satisfy him, encouraging further delusions.

Details: Gregory wishes to live out happily ever after with his darling. He wishes to take you back to France with him, open his own restaurant and running it with you. In the sunny little apartment above it will be his castle and his darling will be at his side forever and ever…oh, wouldn’t that just be so wonderful!

His perfect darling loves food. He wants to cook for you and even hand feed you (if only you’ll allow it darling…). Other then that, he has no real preference. Gender doesn’t matter, nor does anything else, he will simply fall and fall terribly in love.

Love comes sweetly with Gregory. He’ll be such a sweet and gentle lover, never forcing you into his embrace. No, he wants you to accept him willingly. And when you do, oh, he’ll be so wonderful to you! He’ll worship you! Gregory has a deep romantic side and sex is very important to him He wants so very much to please you, to hear you whisper his name and feel you cum for him.

Like I said, he loves to feed you! Making your favorite sweets and foods, Gregory doesn’t just want to see you eat it hungrily…he wants to feed you. Holding you on his lap, pressing a chocolate covered delight to your lips. Honestly, his cooking is so good, you might just be willingly to put up with everything else.

Head of Staff. Amelia Zimmerman, 31. She controls the cleaning staff with an iron fist and a nightmarish temper, something that deeply contrasts with her almost doll like appearance. At first glance she is a very pretty lady but in reality…She is a sickly sweet and frightening woman.  

You know that better then anyone.

The moment you meet, you see the monster inside of her. The cruelty of her gaze, the viciousness of her smile. You see the people who cross her vanishing…and you see the way that she looks at you, that greedy gaze. It makes you shiver in terror and, oh, she loves that! She loves seeing you so frightened!! Though she won’t see you much at first, when you finally gain her attention…you are done for.

Appearance: Short and pretty, pale skinned and blonde haired. Her eyes are a dark chocolaty brown and her lips are pink and full, always pulled into a fake smile. Her appearance is always neat and her uniform (a black and white dress set with the school symbol) is always perfect. Her pretty looks and small form often make people underestimate her…which is a terrible mistake on their part.

Yandere Type: Obsessive. Amelia just loves the idea of having her own little darling to play with! She’ll be utterly obsessed with you from the moment that you meet, already planning out every little detail of your future. As she does, she’ll stalk you and terrorize you endlessly before finally taking you. But, oh, darling, your misery has only just begun!

Details: Amelia think that her darling is just the cutest darn thing!! So sweet and cute, a delicious little thing…and hers. All hers! All of her life, Amelia has known what she was really like and what she really wanted. And she has been waiting all of these years to finally find you and make you her little darling.

Her perfect darling is a little doll. Amelia will want to dress you up in pretty outfits, treating you like her own living doll. She has a wardrobe full of pretty clothes and a prefect little house for you to live in. If you are not willing to play along, then she is perfectly willing to force you, slipping a little drug into your tea to make you more “docile.”

She LOVES to torment you with love. Sex with Amelia is all about controlling and humiliating you. She’ll make you beg and whimper, juices dripping down your thighs as she uses one of her terrible toys on you. Often times, she’ll dress you up in your prettiest clothing, slip a few toys inside of you, and send you off to do your chores as you whimper and cum all day long.

Only the best is expected from you. You are to be her perfect doll, never making a mistake and never EVER disobeying your mistress. Be a good little dolly…or else mistress will get very, very angry. And you do NOT want that.

The Librarian. Barnaby Willis, 28. There’s a reason that no one ever sees the librarian: he is hiding. Hiding from both the staff and the students, keeping his head down so that he can complete his work and leave this school forever. If it were not for his precious books, Barnaby would have left ages ago…but lucky for him, he didn’t.

Because he found you.

And just like that he’s falling, falling, falling into the very darkness that he despises. And he won’t be able to save himself. All that he can do is take you with him into the dark, praying that everything will work out in some way.  

Appearance: African-American, a little bit on the short and chubby side and with long hair (he keeps it in neat dreadlocks) and narrow black eyes, hidden behind round glasses (which he’s always losing). Very hairy and pretty handsome at that. His way of dressing is messy but comfortable. Over sized sweaters and loafers.

Yandere Type: Protective. Barnaby just wants very much to protect you, keeping you close him…keeping you safe from this madness. Of course, he lacks the self awareness to realize that he’s no saint himself. He will, however, never hurt you. He won’t so much as say a mean word to you, fearing anything that will make you hate him.

Details: Barnaby just wants his darling to be safe…and thinks that only he can do that. After all, he’s not like the others, right? He doesn’t want to hurt you. He would never do anything terrible…he just wants to love you!

His perfect darling is a bookworm. Someone who loves stories as much as he does. Barnaby loves classic novels, murder mysteries, and romance novels (the really smutty kinds), though he’ll read just about everything. He would love to cuddle up with you, a cup of tea, some snacks, and a good book…oh, how much he wants that!

You’ll be his first time. He has never been with anyone in his life, and, oh, he wants so much to be with you! To touch you and kiss you, to call you his own. Of course, he’ll never make you. He will wait until you want him and only then will he make love to you.

He just wants a happy ending. More then anything, Barnaby wants to leave this school quickly and take you with him, running away from this nightmare. Then you can build a life together, the life he has always wanted. You and him in little house full of books. He’d hold you close, never ever letting you go…happily ever after!!

(The last of the character introductions!! Perhaps there will be more in the future but for now…here they are!)

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@sosthemortalcoil

I will love and protect my kiddo till the end of the world @sosthemortalcoil And I love U😘

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I had to make a seasonal drawing out of this hogwarts mystery gem