#arcana as a story mechanic is just interesting

[leonawriter]

reaching Mangetsu Inaba in the playthrough I’m watching, and usually I skip past all of the actual dungeon crawling and levelling and fusing- but someone mentioned Loki in the comments of the video and sure enough, he got made.

As is known, Loki in P4/G is of the Fool Arcana, but Personas are known to move Arcana depending on the social links/confidants available in the game they’re in. 

Funnily enough, though... as far as I’m aware, from P3 and P4 and even P5, the Fool Arcana seems to most often be aptly named. It’s the journey of the protagonist - and their friends - when they’re starting out their journey and being led astray. It’s the path you end up taking when you don’t know the full facts about a situation, so maybe you’re making assumptions, or maybe you’re being lied to.

Spoilers for the games below.

In P3, you’re told by Ikutsuki that if you defeat all of the Full Moon Shadows, then the Dark Hour will end and so will Tartarus vanish, and Shadows - all of it will be over. The protagonist and their friends in SEES want this to happen, they want things to be safe, so they fight with this cause in mind, and they are the Fool Arcana. However, late in the game after you’ve defeated the “last” Full Moon Shadow, the Dark Hour doesn't go away, and it turns out that you were lied to. You’ve actually been enabling the formation of Nyx, the ultimate big bad of the game, all this time. It’s only after this, and understanding what Nyx is, that SEES becomes the Nyx Annihilation Team, and gains the Judgement Arcana.

In P4, the Investigation Team is Yu’s Fool Arcana. They’re searching for “the killer” but they aren’t part of any official investigative squad, police or otherwise; they’re basically just kids stuck in something too big for them. Their only way to move forward is to react to what others (Adachi, Namatame, the Midnight Channel) do, the information they’re given, and there’s little they can do in the way of direct action. In fact, they nearly kill an innocent man and let the real killer go free because they want to have found the killer, having previously been convinced that they’d found “the killer” when even then, if they’d looked at the facts, it wouldn’t make sense. They only become the Judgement Arcana “Seekers of Truth” after not letting assumptions and the desire for easy vindication cloud their minds, and looking at the facts properly.

In P5, the Fool Arcana is “Igor” who isn’t even Igor. Akira is told what to do rather than guided, and - in a rather more literal case than usual - led by the Nose. We see at the end that the Phantom Thieves’ actions, either due to how things are meant to be or how Yaldabaoth has distorted Mementos, we don’t know - have been effectively doing the bad guy’s work for him. In a break from the previous two entries, the Fool Arcana only maxes out right at the end of the game, sure, but after the Judgement Arcana has been unlocked and completed, and they only find out that they have been played for fools right at the end. Interestingly, one could argue that the Phantom Thieves were still being the Fool Arcana right up until January, with how they were led astray not only by Yaldabaoth, but also Maruki.

In a way, the Fool Arcana is the “Trickster’s” Arcana. They’re being made fools of; they’re being tricked, pranked, whatever you want to call it. The purpose of maxing out the Arcana is to grow as a person enough to see this and move past it, having learned from the experience. 

But also, everyone starts as a “Fool” - someone who can be taken advantage of. By understanding yourself, and the world around you, you understand how you were tricked, and how not to be tricked next time.

[mishacakes]

how do you connect to your character? like how do get to know them so well? how do you pick out their likes, dislikes, habits and those itty bitty bits about them? I've been struggling to do that for sooo many of my ocs, and i'm also at a lost of how to design them. like i once had a clear idea of what kind of character they are, but i wanted to change them a bit, make them a little better, and i feel like I've lost that character and that character i'm working on doesn't exists, no matter how much i loved them and enjoyed writing an drawing them. this has happened with every single character i made and it just makes me think that i may not be cut out for drawing or writing characters. i look up to you so i thought of asking you for help

sry for the long rant idk wat im doing

HELLO HELLO THANK YOU FOR ASKING!! So basically I took this question and turned it into a 1.6k word essay on writing characters and how I like to do it, so, uh, hope you enjoy!! and hope it helps!

OK!! character writing. How do you do it? or, well, how do I do it. I’ve got a few methods that help me out the most and are the most fun for me to think about. Here’s my big secret, if it’s not fun I don’t do it. I’m not here to do homework I’m waaayyyy out of school. I’m a legal adult. I pay my taxes. I’m not gonna do something that doesn’t give my brain the good fun juice. Anyways. My methods are: symbols, archetypes, and character inspiration. I use all these to figure out the CORE of a character, their very beating heart, and most importantly, what haunts them. Everything about a character, in my opinion, comes from this core and their ghost. Their habits, their fears, their joys, their coping mechanisms. So long as you have a clear grasp on their heart, you won’t go astray. Let’s dive into it! The characters I’m going to be using to describe how I use these methods are Alice and others characters from my webcomic—namely Edith, Hatter, and Rougina—and Tomiko (you know her you love her, catgirl supreme).

Symbols! I love using symbols, they’re something that can describe a character through metaphor, even without going into detail about their whole backstory and habits. Tomiko’s symbols are lanterns (specifically light), cats, ghosts/yokai, shapeshifting, and gold. They all work to further her character as a rough around the edges monster cat with a heart of gold, who uses shapeshifting as a method (both literally and metaphorically) to mold herself into what others need her to be. Alice’s symbols are hearts, eyes, and flesh in general. Try picking one general symbol (the ocean, the forest, the city), and see how specific you can get from there. Or pick a god or goddess that resonates with your character and see what symbols are used for them. Rougina (the antagonist in my webcomic) is a war goddess fallen from grace, and is symbolized with land and volcanoes, so I’ve used volcanic plants to evoke her. Personally I also love going through the tarot for symbols, assigning a tarot card to characters (of the major arcana) is a fun exercise. Which leads us nicely into our next method:

Archetypes! The tarot deck’s Major Arcana is pretty much only archetypes. The Empress as the Mother. The Magician as the Wise Mentor. The Tower as The Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen Oh Jesus Shit. These can help a lot with who your character is. I’m extremely storytelling oriented, so it helps me knowing What Role a character serves in the story they inhabit. Another thing I love in archetypes in the Zodiac. Yes, I am an astrology bitch. The whole reason I love talking about my methods is my Sag rising, I love giving my wisdoms. But astrology can be used for writing, and not just for excusing and not reflecting on shit behavior (can’t help being a gemini!). The zodiac is FILLED WITH ARCHETYPES!!! From elements to how they function! The four elements (you A:TLA bitches know this), and three modalities. If you’re interested please watch Eugene’s Rank King video, it’s very informative on the signs. Also many symbols! For example, Alice is a Taurus—May 4, Alice Liddell’s birthday—so she’s pretty stubborn while also loving creature comforts. Tomiko’s birthday is August 23, making her a Virgo, so she likes being precise in her work. More archetypes you can look for are DnD classes! I love using that to design costumes. One of Edith’s recent costumes is very wizard inspired, since that’s the class I see her having as she’s very studious and driven. Heck, all of Alice and the Nightmare is derived from the character archetypes of the Alice in Wonderland characters! Rougina is specifically the Red Queen, NOT the Queen of Hearts!! The confusion started with the 1951 Disney animated movie when the two characters were merged!! Lewis Carroll himself said the two were different! The Queen of Hearts is an “embodiment of ungovernable passion” and the Red Queen is “the concentrated essence of all governesses”!! GOD!!! Tim Burton meet me in the fucking pit you’ll pay for your alice crimes. anyways.

Archetypes help a lot in costumes too, figuring out what kind of fashion they’d like to wear. You can start broad and get more specific with it (like going from a wizard type character to a wizard character with steampunk themes). Fashion is just an extent of character. What are they comfy in? Are they confident in their body? What colors do they like? Bright high fashion or simple dark sweaters? Ryoko Kui is a master of character design I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend checking out her work.

Another method I like using, specifically for Alice and the Nightmare characters, is what I call the “three trait method”. When I was in middle school we did a production of Alice in Wonderland (I was the White Knight), and too many girls auditioned for Alice. So the director’s solution was to split the character into three parts, and assigning each part to an actor. Her temper, her intelligence, and her innocence, all used in different scenes. Now I use that to think about my own Alice character, except with “polite, temper, and curious”. Edith’s keywords are “nervous, tactical, and intelligent”. Hatter’s are “kind, enthusiastic, and intuitive”. Using keywords can help figure out how they’d react in a situation, what side of them would shine the brightest. Hatter’s want to help everyone is his kindness, but overstepping his bounds can be attributed to his enthusiasm. Edith can know what path to take in a pinch, but her nervousness can freeze her in place. Reading the source material helps a lot with Alice characters too, which brings us to our final point:

Character inspiration!! The art of taking things you like and shoving them into your own characters and stories. DISCLAIMER THO!!! If you take things without really EXAMINING what about them you like, WHY you like them, and how you’d like to evoke that same love in the things you make, the interpretations can come off as shallow. (for more on this subject, watch HBomberguy’s RWBY video essay, specifically the section on “anime homework”)

Tomiko’s biggest inspirations are Izutsumi from Dungeon Meshi, April Ludgate from Parks and Rec, Power and Reze from Chainsawman, San from Princess Mononoke, and Mei from LMK. It’s a good cocktail of aloof, biting, vicious, weird, fierce, loving, and bright. Figuring out what I love about the characters and what I want to write in a character like that helps a lot in writing Tomiko. It’s also really fun in a sense for screenshot redraws and memes.

Music is also a HUUUUUUGE source of inspiration for me, I love making playlists. And even as playlists can change as characters grow and change, having a couple of core songs still helps me ground to that character’s center. For Tomiko it’s “Make Them Gold” by CHVRCHES, and “Nice Girl” by Ashnikko. Alice’s is “Headlock” by Imogen Heap and “Demons” by Hayley Kiyoko, Edith’s is “Warrior” by Kimbra, and Hatter’s is “Dementia” by Owl City.

Ok, we’ve gotten though symbols, archetypes, and made a couple of banger playlists. Next is something that can help write your character, the Big Lie. The thing that keeps them up at night. Their biggest fear, their ghost, what haunts them. What’s holding them back from their goals? What do they need to overcome? That can be as central to their theme as any symbolism. For Tomiko it’s the lie that her emotions don’t matter, only what she can do to be of service to her mother. Her arc is about overcoming her dismissing her own emotions and learning to not run away from the people who she truly cares for. Alice dismisses the literal ghost that is haunting her believing that that will let her have a normal life. Edith pushes down abilities that come naturally to her for fear that she’ll be exiled, not just from society, but the world. Rougina believes she must burden the world’s problems on her own shoulders with no one’s help. The outer character and the inner ghost can reflect, mirror, and inform each other.

Now, listen, sometimes characters are hard to get to know! Tomiko was lol. Quinn was for a looong time. And in times like this, I just, let them be. I listen to some music to get inspired, and let them tell me about themselves when they feel like it. And they will, it just take a little while. And a few dozen quick exploration drawings. But they come through. Also, try not to get bogged down with habits and little details of their character, keep their core in mind, what their heart is. Start broad and get specific. That way, if you feel like you’ve lost your way or the character feels different to you, recenter yourself at their heart and go from there. Or, if you find that their center no longer fits, don’t be afraid to change it! Characters are meant to be fun! First and foremost!! I make characters cause I like writing and storytelling, and drawing little comic for fun and me time. Sometimes characters stick around, sometimes they fall by the wayside. You really have to find what sparks joy, and chase your bliss!

So as long as you have your character’s essence in your hands, and you WANT to keep working on them and drawing them, there’s really no wrong way to go. This whole essay I’ve given is just a set of tools that works for ME, and I HIGHLY encourage you to find stuff that works for you! I really really hope that all this has made sense and isn’t just the ramblings of a madman. Good luck and happy charactering!!

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

HELLO, first time asker here! My request is:

M6 with an MC that doesn’t drink?

The Arcana HCs: M6 with an MC that doesn't drink

~ love this one! considering how frequently alcohol appears in the story lines and how common it is to stay sober (for many, very good reasons), this is an interesting setup to think about. I hope you enjoy, anon! - brainrot ~

Julian

Feels terrible when the second time you meet is him inviting you into a tavern for a drink. Apologizes profusely, and is struck by the oddness of asking Barth the barkeep for two waters instead

Noticing the amount of times he would be reaching for a drink and then not doing it because it feels awkward around you makes him realize just how much he likes to drink as a coping mechanism

Uses that as another reason why he isn't good enough for you

Which gives you the chance to talk to him about it later - why you don't drink, what your comfort level is around people who are drinking, etc

All in all it becomes a kind of accountability for him, even if you never intend for it to be

Because being around you leads to him drinking less often and less at a time, he's tempted to just put you in charge of whether or not he drinks and how much (he doesn't, of course, because his good or bad decisions are not your responsibility)

It ends up becoming a fun social activity for him instead of a go-to relaxing method

Just don't come after his coffee addiction. He can live without alcohol, he cannot live without caffeine

Asra

They enjoy drinking but it's not the most regular thing - they're more likely to do it either 1) as a social thing, or 2) because it's a drink they've never seen before and the curiosity is killing them

He's also canonically a lightweight - two drinks is all it takes for him to need help getting home, and he doesn't like being vulnerable

They respect your boundaries and comfort above everything else, so how they proceed is up to your preferences:

If you're comfortable being around alcohol, he'll drink some evenings after making sure you have an equally tasty/delightful non-alcoholic beverage to enjoy

If you're not, they'll indulge when they're visiting Nadia and Julian at the Palace and you can't make it (you're always invited though)

Or when he's on a trip without you and it glows in the dark and Faust really, really wants a taste

It's unlikely that they'll consider abstaining from alcohol unless you ask them to. As respectful as they are, they avoid limiting others (especially you) and expect others not to put limits on them in turn

Uses it as a challenge to create the best mocktail

Nadia

... Oh?

She's not judging, she's just surprised. She can't remember a dinner where there hasn't been alcohol served, and every noble she knows partakes frequently (I mean, just look at Valerius)

Now she's feeling a little embarrassed because the only other drink she can think of to offer is tea (or plain water) and that's not respectable at all

Becomes much more conscientious about having decent non-alcoholic options available at Palace functions

Speaking of, what would be most comfortable for you? Does it bother you at all if she drinks while she's spending one-on-one time with you? How about at dinners?

Now she's realizing that she can't remember the last time she went a day without drinking, and that doesn't strike her as a good thing

She decides to try cutting back and is surprised at how it goes for her. It turns out that a lot of the habits she formed were simply because that's how it had always been done around her

She approaches drinking as a conscious decision now and gives all the credit to you

Muriel

Yeah, he doesn't drink either

He also knows from the few times Asra talked him into it that he only gets moodier and less sociable when he does, and neither of those are things he wants to be around you

Honestly he's relieved because it makes everything easier

Including attending parties

He's a lot more likely to say yes and try going to one if you're going to be there and he can count on you to stay sober with him in case everyone else decides to go ahead and get wasted

What he's not prepared for is how, by the third get together, all of your friends take that as an invitation to make the two of you the equivalent of the designated drivers. He is not impressed

Now you have to make new rules about how neither of you is responsible for what your friends get up to (the good news is that Muriel is very good at saying no to people)

Once, Asra jokingly suggested that Julian stay out at the hut with the two of you for a few weeks to force him to go sober for a bit

The look of horror on Muriel's face still makes them laugh

Portia

So, her favorite drink is beer ...

She's the least surprised to find out that you don't drink. She's traveled all around the world and catered to all kinds of tourists and guests

If anything, she loves that about you. She's seen first-hand the kinds of messes that drunk palace guests are capable of making and knowing that you'll never do that is delightful to her

She personally has a robust but healthy relationship with drinking

Does she partake every day? No. Several times a week? Of course! It's part and parcel of a good time with a good group of friends!

She totally understands and respects where you're coming from, but she's pretty comfortable where she's at, so she's not going to adjust many of her own habits unless you ask her to

She will ask you all about your own decision though, simply because she wants to know you

What led you to give it up? Did you ever drink much in the first place? Is there some kind of mystical magic reason involved?

So very invested in respecting and protecting your preferences

Lucio

Well at first, he couldn't decide if you were a total stick in the mud or just ignorant about what you were missing out on

He's just spent the last three years as a ghostly goatman, unable to partake in any of the good things in life, and the first person he's able to make contact with doesn't drink? Why???

He brings it up constantly at first because 1) it doesn't make sense to him, and 2) he keeps assuming that it means you're judging him for his past drinking habits

You'll eventually have to hash it out with him along with all of your other personality differences, explaining why you make that decision and what your comfort levels are around it

Once he knows that you're not going to force him to quit, he decides to try doing it anyways

He may as well try a few weeks of going sober, seeing as he's trying to improve and you're on the road and don't have the biggest budget and there aren't that many parties to attend

So impressed by his own ability to change and make a decision like that that he does it more often. He still parties sometimes, though

[blind-alchemists]

sorry, Zagreus, I've had your sister for five hours and I already like her more than you.

anyway! I did treat myself and bought the game early and. it's just very good!

in somewhat chronological order, my thoughts after yesterday's session

the music! the music is even more amazing than in the first game and if I'm done, I need to listen to the whole OST on loop

the art!! also even better than in the first game!!

Melinoë is a great protagonist

it's incredibly funny the first god we encounter is Apollo, because Apollo is the guy people modded into the first game years ago

... boy, I wonder what the speedrunning meta will look like for this game (I have very obscure knowledge about Hades I speedrunning meta)

I love the little backgrounds that pop out with the art

oh, right, I jumped into the Hades I EA late, so I never saw the place holder graphics in-game before

the environments!! beautiful.

I shouldn't have played the first game last week. It's fucking with me. where's my second dash??? Why do we start with 30 HP??? where are my death defiances??? weapon mechanics???

of course there's a fishing mechanic again.

I like Hecate's design.

saluting??? what's the lore behind that?

OH. this tone of the story isn't ... quite what I expected. A lot more serious. a lot more severe.

Melinoë doesn't remember her family??? Hello??? what the fuck???

and she keeps talking about her task with such a dutiful determination ... no, I'm not crying. But. That's such an interesting conflict.

NEMESIS!! She's holding her sword aspect!! her design!! her resentment!! her vengeance!! her rivalry with Mel. how Mel calls her Nem. please. tell me she's a romance option. PLEASE.

oh, hi odysseus.

hey, there's hypnos! ... why's he sleeping??? (funny thing is, I got the Charon dialogue that implies he's more useful this way lol)

I cannot. Take. Skelly serious. It's worse because Mel does.

I like Moros' design. The long hair going over the horns? Yeah, that's good.

Mel gets an AXE??? a heavy, double-bladed axe??? (I love women wielding heavy weapons, and as long as the rail doesn't make a return, I'm good with anything after enough time)

I like the new art sprites for reoccurring characters!

ahhh, the good old "we don't trust Olympus so we're not telling them everything" line. understandable, but I figure that's going to blow up sooner or later.

I love Mel's bond with Artemis and Selene and the implication that both helped raise her.

... and I like the predominantly female cast so far

Nemesis can show up in Erebus???

BABY MELINOË omg

why does every chthonic goddess / titaness sound like they have a thing for Persephone. Nyx already had a few lines like that in the first game. Why does Hecate also have these kinds of lines.

the Hecate fight frustrates me to no end, because I'm very used to more dashes, more health, and more death defiances, and very different weapons :( (I have bet her twice in total so far)

unrelated, but I didn't know I needed a sheep in the Hades art style but it's so damn cute and I want a large art print of it

Archane!! I love how her silks change Mel's avatar

Oceanus is beautiful

... except for the traps. Really not digging the traps. or the maps.

CHAOS??? why are you holding your old form's head??? and why is there an embryo coming out of it??? why do you have wings??? why do you wear a suit??? the new design unfortunately checks all the boxes but upon reflection that is because it fits into that very niche character design trope I've seen in manwha recently and I couldn't put a name on it if I tried

on that note, I also adore Aphrodite's new design!!

not quite sure what I think of the gathering / farming mechanic yet

I do like the incantations, magic, hexes, and arcana though!

HERMES! I also adore his design.

wait, what? Mel's going to Olympus? You're telling me one part of the game is descending into the House of Hades and the other is climbing to Mount Olympus?? (that's my speculation, at least.)

god, I hope the cast of the first game is alright/alive. :(

I hope we also get to see Athena, Ares, and Dionysus at some point :(

on that note, I can't wait for Mel to meet her brother and realize he's the opposite of her lol. I love siblings and mirrors.

[theresattrpgforthat]

THEME: Mechs

This week's game recommendations are all about piloting mechs, for victory, for love, for glory and for money.

Last Shooting, by My Name is Grant.

Two pilots can change your destiny. Two massive war machines can change your future. Two players can share the happiness.

Last Shooting is a 2-player RPG that uses a unique system to tell stories about Mech battles. Using a customized version of the Final Bid engine, Last Shooting builds the characters and defines them more sharply during each scene of play. Then, it gives you the power to destroy any of those aspects to propel yourself to victory.

This game is excellent for a one-shot session with one other friend. The game uses a bidding system that requires you to bid elements of your character sheet for a chance to win in each scene, and the game is over after three scenes. It's great for couples looking to roleplay together, or perhaps for that night where most of the group cancels, but you still want to play something.

24XX Goliath by Brick Road Games.

24 YEARS AGO OTHERWORLDLY INVADERS DEVASTATED THE PLANET. To defend ourselves from the monstrous Leviathan, experimental technology was used to create massive mecha called Goliaths. Since the war ended most Goliaths were re-purposed for civilian use. Now, the Leviathans have returned, stronger than before. Pilots from all walks of life are being drafted to fight back.

This is your standard 24XX micro-game, complete with roll tables and quick character generation. This game was inspired by Pacific Rim, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the Xeno series, so if you are looking to emulate those pieces of media, this might be the fit for you.

ECH0 by Role over Play Dead.

Peace. Kids playing in mech wreckage. A ghost. 

One last journey across an ancient battleground to find a pilot's final resting place.

ECH0 is a game for 3 or more players, about children escorting a mech pilot's ghost to their final resting place. This is a pick-up-and-play game, which means that it requires very little prep and is over after one session. It is a GM-less map-drawing game, and is perfect as a game on its own, but might also work as an interesting set-up story for a mech-themed campaign. The concept for this game is also great for exploring the idea of grief and loss for something or someone that you never really knew.

Dragon's Fire by Majcher Arcana.

This world is ruined. 

Once mighty, shining, and true, the land now festers, ruined by agents of chaos and corruption. The Bastion is mankind’s final refuge, towering at the center of the Five Wastes, sheltering the weak and needy, and fighting to keep the Fallen from breaching its walls, to secure humanity’s future for as long as they hold. 

You are Riders, piloting your colossal machines—the Dragons—as you strike at the Fallen Lands, pushing back the hordes that assail the Bastion, delivering aid where it is needed, and eventually piercing the very heart of each of the Five Wastes, so mankind may once again live freely in these lands.

Dragon's Fire is a game designed from the Together We Go toolkit, a game system designed and inspired from OSR-style games. It's meant to be rules-lite, easy-to-learn, with only a few stats to track and improve. Right now it's not a full game, but the core rules have been released for just over $1 USD. If you're a fan of OSR games and you want a chance to play as mechs in a setting inspired by the Dragon's Heaven anime, this might be the game for you!

Mectors by Chubby Crow Games.

After the war, thousands upon thousands of bipedal mechanized fighting vehicles (or “Bimechs”) were left scattered across the land. Many were brought back to the capital cities to be repaired or scrapped, but the majority of them were too damaged to be easily transported. With the war won, the victors simply left their mechanical refuse in the battlefields to rust and wither. 

Across the nations, in communities that had lost great numbers of working folk, these Bimechs replaced rudimentary tractors and mining equipment. Nobody knows who was the first to call them “Mectors”, but the name caught on and spread. The war ended over a century ago, and while the world still bears its scars, it has also healed. The capital cities still skirmish from time to time, but those fights rarely extend into the farmlands and mines of the common folk.

In Mectors, players take on the role of a farmer, miner, fisher, carpenter, or some other worker in a labor intensive field. Mector Owners come from all kinds of backgrounds. Some own a Mector that’s been in their family for generations. Others came across theirs recently, through purchase or luck. And a rare few have managed to piece their own together using scraps from decommissioned Mectors, but this is even harder than it sounds. No matter how they got it, they now have a powerful tool with a long history.

This is a game designed off of the Charge System, which takes a lot of cues from Forged in the Dark. The designer already has a few supplements released for the game: a Heartland supplement which can be downloaded for free from the main page, and a Steeper Talent Tree that provides some extra character options. This is a game that allows you to take the idea of mechs and view it through an alternate lens: a high-tech version of "beating your swords into plowshares," if you will. For the concept alone, I think it's worth checking out.

Beam Saber by Austin Ramsey

Centuries after humanity abandoned a rotting Earth, blighted by their follies, the Izyan Conflict's seeds sprouted deep in space as plans unfurled.

The Exodus ships fled humanity’s decaying cradle in varying states of quality and completion. Ships failed, were raided or cannibalized, and jettisoned all but the essentials. History, art, and play all fell in the face of necessity. Those that survived found planets to land on, settle, and fight over across the known regions of space. The evacuation left a vacuum of power, but not for long.

After the Exodus, five Factions rose to power—and thus, The War began.

Beam Saber is a Forged In The Dark game about the pilots of powerful machines in a war that dominates every facet of life. They are trying to do their part, then get out physically and mentally intact. The organizations that perpetuate The War throughout all of known space are too incomprehensibly huge to take down. There is no “winning” The War, there is only surviving it. Hopefully you can help others get out too.

This is a game for folks who like Forged in the Dark games, especially games that manage a large number of factions. Each player has their own Pilot playbook, but they will also need to build a vehicle (possibly more than one if they need a replacement or something temporary). Then they'll build a squad playbook, which like a Crew in Blades in the Dark, is something that the group will build together. This is a game that prioritizes fiction, but doesn't lag behind when it comes to lore; you'll get your role-play, your rules, and your rich history, all in one book. (And even more resources besides!)

Lancer by Massif Press

Lancer imagines a future where a survivor humanity has spread to the stars after weathering terrible ecological collapse on Earth - the end of the Anthropocene as a consequence of unrestrained consumption and poor stewardship. Thousands of years later, humanity lives in the wake of a desperate revolution, one where the victorious radicals now manage the galaxy they've won.  

Lancer is truly prolific in what it holds. On the one hand, you have an incredibly streamlined system for narrative role play when you look at pilot creation: your pilot takes four descriptive stats that they'll use to navigate anything and everything they'll interact with outside of their mech. Pilot play is narrative and rules-lite. On the other hand, you have an incredibly stat-heavy and detailed system for mech combat: your mech-driven missions will require grid maps, strategy, and teamwork in order to be successful. It's up to your table how much play is pilot-driven and how much is mech-driven.

Then there's the resources. The core book in the title link has everything you need to run a Lancer game. However, if you're looking for the resources to make a character, there's a free version of the rules, an app where you can keep your character information, and a series of supplements (both official and third-party) to incorporate into your games.

If you like lore, you'll find it in Lancer, but not all in one place. The Core book has a lore section but you'll find lore in the Mech descriptions, in the core bonuses, and in the pilot talents. There's so much to learn about the world of Lancer, and if you're curious enough, you'll find out just how complex this far-flung future truly is.

[pixies-and-poets]

@star-arcana​​ Just hopping onto my own post because it’ll be easier to infodump about my favorite terrible man :D

So you’re kinda right, DK64 was K. Rool’s last *major* appearance. I’ve seen a lot of people assume or believe it was his last role as a villain (most people know he was in Super Sluggers as his last appearance until Smash), but this actually isn’t true. He was the antagonist of DK: King of Swing and DK: Jungle Climber, on the GBA and DS respectively. However, most people haven’t played these bizarre little entries in the DK series, whereas DK64 sold like hotcakes, so DK64 was essentially his last appearance where he had any major impact to the public.

That said, K. Rool’s entire story follows a sensible narrative arc, which is one of the things that makes him so interesting as a villain. From being cocky and arrogant and getting humiliated in DKC, to being more brutal and focused directly on cold-blooded revenge in DKC2, in which he caused the Kremlings’ entire native homeland to be destroyed... this was the beginning of the end for his popularity among his own people, as you might imagine. In DKC3, he had to go into hiding in a different Kremling colony, and only amassed followers by controlling a robot to do his dirty work.

So DK64 was like his last ditch effort; by building his people a new mechanical island home, and attempting to blow up DK Isle as an act of revenge, he was able to get back a decent following who were excited by his new plan. Of course, his failure there, and his threatening to endanger his people once more by urging them to fire up the laser before it was ready and thus almost exploding the whole thing, does seem to have turned away almost all of his remaining followers.

Like I mentioned, he did have a few more appearances afterwards. However, both his schemes and his army are laughably small-time compared to before. In King of Swing he literally just steals some medals from a festival, and in Jungle Climber and even Super Sluggers he has like a tiny group of Kritters (the most basic Kremling subspecies) following him around, as if that’s all he has left. And in Barrel Blast he’s got like five weirdos he’s hanging around with, two of whom are just kids lol.

(This is him in King of Swing LOOK AT HOW NON THREATENING HE IS.....I love him)

One of the reasons I’ve been able to cope with his long absence over the years is because it makes logical sense. He isn’t like Bowser who keeps getting infinite chances. His power as a ruler naturally tapered off due to his many failures and the destruction/danger he brings about to his people, and we literally see it happen chronologically in the games. Eventually he would not be able to mount offensives against the Kongs anymore. And that’s why, if/when he returns in a game, I hope they directly acknowledge his long absence and make him more unhinged than ever before. Idk if you saw that amazing fan animation that came out recently, but it does a great job playing off of this whole idea.

[krawlernyannyan]

VERSION 2.0 STREAM MEGAPOST

They packed a lot of information into only an hour, so I'm warning you now, this is gonna be a mile long beneath the readmore. That said, I've put together all the gameplay-relevant information here for your casual review and convenience.

Story

Various factions from throughout the universe have been invited by The Family (Xipe's followers) to Penacony, the Land of Dreams for the first time to partake in their Charmony Festival. That description, as it turns out, is extremely literal - Penacony itself mostly consists of just a massive hotel, The Reverie, where guests fall asleep and enter a shared collective dreamscape where the "real" Penacony exists.

The first Dreamscape we're visiting as part of the v2.0 story is "the Golden Hour" (the big nighttime cityscape we've seen in so many teasers up to this point). The core idea of the place is "the time just before midnight", and the wish for "today to never end" and for tomorrow to never come.

The story for the Penacony arc, in contrast to the previous storylines we've played through, is described as "chill, carefree, [and] upbeat" where there's no imminent crisis to solve and your primary goal is enjoying your vacation to the fullest.

The Penacony story will be playing out over versions 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2, with an epilogue in v2.3, and was described as "Star Rail's biggest story ever".

Environment

There's a statue of Clockie in the Golden Hour that we can upgrade and change as we progress through Penacony.

Time and gravity are frequently warped in Penacony, and moving in multi-dimensional space is a recurring mechanic. This includes walking on walls, achieved through the "Dreamwalker" mechanic. Dreamwalker utilizes charges to change gravity that can be refilled.

Two specially mentioned settings are Dream's Edge (the outer limits of Penacony and a construction site for the dream) and A Child's Dream (an area where the Dreamwalker ability is used to explore the largest wallwalking room on Penacony).

While exploring Dream's Edge, players will need to complete walkways using perspective puzzles in order to navigate and explore.

Dream jigsaw puzzles are spread all over Penacony, and hide walkways, treasure chests, NPCs, etc.

Characters

Black Swan (Wind/Nihility) is a diviner and Memokeeper for the Garden of Recollection (Fuli's faction) who can turn people's stories and memories into cards. She uses Tarot cards as her main source of attack, though the Tarot system has been simplified for the benefit of players. When she uses her Basic Attack or Skill it inflicts enemies with the "Arcana" card, which acts as a DoT that grows in strength as more stacks are added and the cards upgrade. She's described as working especially well with damage-over-time compositions but being versatile and able to work with other teams as long as you can keep stacking up Arcana.

Sparkle (Quantum/Harmony) is a member of the Masked Fools, and a classic Fool who is always in pursuit of "elation". She mechanics seek to break the rules of the game itself; while she's in the team the party's maximum Skill Points increase beyond 5 (even restoring SP via her Ultimate). She allows the team to deal more when using SP, and her Skill allows her teammates to break the restrictions of turn order by advancing their actions (to a certain degree).

Misha (Ice/Destruction) is a doorman for the Reverie, full of interest for the world outside Penacony but who has to settle for overhearing conversations from guests to satisfy that curiosity. Misha's main weapons are a mop and a luggage trolley, which can cause chaos and get water over enemies. His primary mechanic is that the more SP the team uses, the more motivated Misha gets, resulting in greater damage (including from his Ultimate). This Technique can create a time-stop area that fully pauses any enemies caught in it.

Warps

Black Swan is the main five-star of the first half of v2.0, along with her Light Cone Reforged Remembrance. Misha will be appearing as a four-star in this half of the update.

Dan Heng - Imbibitor Lunae and his Light Cone Brighter Than the Sun will be rerun during the first half of the update.

Sparkle is the main five-star of the second half of v2.0, along with her Light Cone Earthly Escapade.

Jing Yuan and his Light Cone Before Dawn will be rerun during the second half of the update.

Events

Sparkle and Black Swan have a shared Companion Mission, "Masquerade Duet", where players will get to learn more about their respective stories.

In "Hanu's Prison Break", the Trailblazers are brought into a dreamscape where SoulGlad has been outlawed and they must lead a rebellion and take over a prison. A lot of individual mechanics in this one, including a "human pinball" section, a mirror maze that Clockie has to be guided through, and a segment where you turn into Hanu to break through prison security.

After completing Prison Break, Trailblazer will get to choose one free four-star character (between Guinaifen, Sampo, Asta, and Yukong) as their reward.

The ability to alter people's emotions will be a mechanic that is introduced as a way to interact with NPCs.

The Dreamscape Pass is a feature that will allow players to track and remember their adventures in Penacony vis-a-vis collectible stickers you obtain through the story and missions.

The Dreamchaser Bulletin is a feature designed to quickly acclimate players to the new metropolis by giving them set challenges and battles to solve on a daily basis.

In Dreamjolt TV, a local television station has been hijacked and the Trailblazers have to fight special battles in order to restore the airwaves and regain lost viewers.

In the Penacony Food Fest, you bring raw materials to the Clock Diner so they can create delicious food (and get you rewards).

The Gift of Odyssey event is returning for another free ten pulls, but the Starchaser's Gift check-in event will give another free ten pulls.

Enemies/Bosses

"For certain reasons", Sam of the Stellaron Hunters will be fought during this update. Sam can consume his HP to greatly increase his combat abilities, while also igniting the battlefield in a scorching blaze.

A new enemy, the Lordly Trashcan, can be encountered in each area of Penacony. Their gimmick is that they begin battle with no Weaknesses and take little to no damage, but take on the Weaknesses of any attacks they've been hit by.

As a result of negative emotions surfacing in the dreamscapes of Penacony, enemies can appear on Penacony. These can be divided into distinct factions, namely the Dreamjolt Troupe and the Memory Zone Meme.

The Dreamjolt Troupe are based on the local delicacy of Penacony, SoulGlad, and are warped distributors and transporters of the beverage. The only specific member described was the Sweet Gorilla, which can spray soda over your party.

Mr. Domescreen was originally a television performer, and its primary mechanic is swapping between various faces (switching between supporting your party and attacking them based on which face is active).

The Memory Zone Meme have more abstract forms as they're based on deeper subconscious thought. Mentioned members are the Allseer (based on "vision"/"sight") and the Heartbreaker (indicative of the idea of fragile hearts underneath sturdy bodies).

A specific Memory Zone Meme discussed in detail is the "Something Unto Death", which has a potent ability to instantly kill party members and ensnare their souls within Sombrous Sepulchurs and will remain dead until they are broken. This ability triggers after receiving a number of attacks, indicated by eyes along its body lighting up red.

Relics & Materials

The Pioneer Diver of Dead Water set allows equipped characters to deal more damage to enemies afflicted with debuffs.

The Watchmaker, Master of Dream Machinations set increases Break Effect for the whole team. This and the Pioneer Diver set will be obtainable in a new Cavern of Corrosion on Penacony.

A new Quantum Ascension material, Dream Flamer. This is the material needed to ascend Sparkle.

A new Ice Ascension material, Dream Fridge. This is the material needed to ascend Misha.

New Trace materials for the Paths of Destruction, Nihility, and Harmony will be introduced. All of the characters introduced in v2.0 will use these materials.

New Light Cones will be added to the Light Cone Manifest Store (the one operated by the Memory of Chaos Memokeeper and Youci). These are in addition to the Light Cones already in the store, not replacing them.

System Improvements

The new Fate's Atlas system will gives players the ability to look at a strict timeline of events in the story and gain a proper understanding of when certain missions happened in relation to each other. This includes main story missions, compansion missions, and plot-critical side missions.

Players will be able to designate 3 support characters instead of just 1. The related Starfaring Companions section is also being bumped up from 3 to 5.

When levelling Relics, you can now allocate materials to reach specific level thresholds automatically.

The Relic Recommendations feature on characters has been improved to give greater understanding for users and make it easier to swap between sets. Relic filtering has also been improved.

Penacony and Version 2.0 release on February 6th.

[shaakyhaands]

CODNDVN:

Court of Darkness and Dragons: CODVN but it has some DND/ttrpg mechanics!

We already have virtue stats, imagine if you could actually use them in gameplay.

For example: “There’s an enemy party trying to hurt your consort!”

“Gentlemen, this is all a misunderstanding.” (Roll for Persuasion: bonus depending on your Charisma score.)

“Do it, then— you can’t.” (Roll for Intelligence: bonus depending on your Wit score)

… say nothing, and beat the shit out of them the old fashioned way. (Roll for Strength: bonus depending on your Integrity score)

Continuously picking options prioritizing learning magic? Let that unlock some options to use magic later on in the story.

For example: “There’s an enemy party trying to hurt your consort!”

Cast Fireball. (MAGIC CHECK)

Pick up a magical item? Let that have story implications!

Example: While previously investigating, you found an ancient tome. From picking it up, you gain +(0.25)X% on all magic attacks (X being your magic proficiency, which is dependent on your previous choices). You also unlock some special magical attack options, that you wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

For example: “There’s an enemy party trying to hurt your consort!”

Cast Fireball, lighting up the enemies like gasoline. (MAGIC CHECK)

[TOME OF VANE EXCLUSIVE] Cast Death Kiss— a cloud permanently enshrouds the enemy, slowly poisoning them. (MAGIC CHECK)

You can still keep the endpoints of the story, point A and point B, the same, for the sake of the greater narrative. But mechanics like this? Mechanics like these would open up what can happen in between those endpoints. With some strategically thought out writing, you could even minimize the in world implications you don’t want, while still allowing for a wider variety of more fun storylines.

Basically, this post was inspired by me wanting to have the option of just fucking mercing ops when battles come up. Like, IRL, there are people who do physical training for fun. Whose to say MC didn’t do self defense training as a hobby? Whose to say, while an enemy is charging up a spell, MC’s instinctive response isn’t to just fucking tackle him, American football style?

That, and how variable MC’s proficiency with magic seems to be across different consort paths. Without getting into heavy spoilers, here’s an example: In Lance’s path, MC uses magic in a big fight, and she uses it pretty damn effectively. Meanwhile, at the equivalent story beat in Guy’s path, she doesn’t seem to be capable of spells of that caliber quite yet.

With this model, the player had a little more agency. If you want to basically be a pseudo barbarian class, you could— never take interest in magic, max out Integrity (aka Wrath), pick up sexy weapons/items that boost your strength. You also have the option of doing the complete opposite, and going for more of a mage/wizard build— go to class, max out your Wit (and/or Mystery), pick up sexy weapons/items that boost your magic/arcana.

What do y’all think?

[revelisms]

Excerpt: What Were Any of Us?

Jinx and Singed chat about new developments across the river.

From 'fate is a sundress, ripped at the thigh,' a oneshot exploring Jinx's relationship to Sevika and Singed in the aftermath of S1. Full story on AO3

"Your eye for chemistry is quite remarkable," he says. "I'd not have seen the patterns you caught. A consequence of living too closely to the colonies, perhaps."

Jinx snuffs a breath through her fringe. It's the first day in too many that she's brushed her hair the whole way through: drawn it back into a clean tail at her nape, tied it off with a tattered old ribbon, a shock of neon green in the mess.

"Wasn't hard," she rasps, shrugging. "Just gotta look for the magicy bits, and stuff."

The doctor's good eye crinkles at the edges. The other stays flat and white. 

It should be black and red and fire and warm and unblinking. Should be. But it's familiar, that unbalance. Comforting, in an odd way.

"This is because of the stone," he presumes. She fiddles at her cup, nails clinking off the handle. "I knew another, once, with a similar inclination. Smart boy. We keep in touch, from time to time."

For a moment, she only feels his eyes studying her, silently. Only hears the waves, feels the wind, the pressure of her cup biting back at her.

"I wonder...if this might be of interest to you." He reaches inside his coat; sets a small leather-bound journal, thick as a thumb, upon the iron. "Notes of his, on a new development with the Arcana."

A shock frissons through her skin.

She sees blue and fire and magic and whirling and gone gone rocketing—

We'll show them—

"It won't bite, child."

Still, she just stares at it, blinking. Her nail slips against the porcelain.

One wrinkled side of his face lifts at her, at that: a crooking remnant of an eyebrow singed off. "Aren't you curious?" he prods, quietly. Because she should be. She should be. "A world waiting to be discovered at our fingertips. Science—and magic."

"World of heebie-jeebies, you mean?" Jinx swipes up the notes, leveling a suspicious leer over their edges. "Bor-ing."

"You are not intrigued by the combination." The skin around his beady eye creases, again. "Neither was he. But the technology; the potential." She glances through her fringe. Watches as he crooks his head at her, and hums. "It is what interests me, too." 

Maybe that's true. Maybe she doesn't give a hoot. Maybe she wishes she could turn back time, wishes she could build welding robotics and mechanical contraptions and micro-tech that responded to touch, had minds of their own; augmentations with precipice and wonder and deadly promise, that could fly high enough to touch the stars.

That little cup of coffee tips to his gums again, hissed through his teeth. "Mages have tried and failed, for centuries, to write magic into being," he continues. "But it is a living thing. It evolves. What better way to house it, than in a body that can adapt?"

She thumbs through a page of spindly illustrations. "Metal's still metal."

"Hextech has its limitations," he agrees. "Namely, the lack of life. The Arcana feeds off it, like a virus—but the result it produces..."

Her fingers still over countless calculations—variations upon variations of organic material reverted into something else, something infinite.

"It is...volatile, yes," continues a voice across from her, faraway. "But—you see? Even in it's infancy—"

"It could heal," Jinx breathes.

The doctor blinks at her. His thin fingers steeple together, and taper still. "Create," he corrects. Then, with a quietness to the rough edges of his words: "Many things could have healed him, child. In time." Her thumb presses hard into the page. Leaves a crease. "But so are the limitations of science. You cannot force progress beyond the tools you are given."

Jinx snaps the book shut. She squeezes it, stiffly. "What—what do you...want me to do with this?"

The air whistles with a gust of cool ocean air. It carries a speckling of salt, the smoky traces of a storm just along the way, and beneath them both, a sharp, chemical sort of sweetness: the kind that's sewed itself through her skin, from a lifetime working with gears and gunmetals and explosives; that kind that sits on the doctor's clothes, too. 

He doesn't wear oils or fragrances. Never has. He smells like mildew and mothballs and that strange, floral taint of the black lilies, of the shimmer itself: a prism of too many things battling for attention, like the clutter of an apothecary's back shelves—but above it all, a spiced sort of musk, like dragon's blood.

It would stain her fingers after his injections. Change the air around him, for a minute or two, after that needle would prick the rot, drive a synthesized strand of blood into his veins and shatter him with the pain of it, shredding his genetic makeup alive and reforging a new one in its place.

As a girl, she'd wondered, morbidly, if enough doses would turn his skin pink, or his hair white, or if he'd never walk free from that feverish state the doctor demanded he'd stay in to survive.

But the shimmer never broke him, not completely. He'd always find the pieces of himself and put them back together.

It was in her veins now, too. But it'd eaten some part of her, in the process; bludgeoned through her like she'd smashed that damned vase. She couldn't find the pieces, now.

"I don't want you to do anything with it." The doctor's knobby fingers unfold, lace back together. "But if it interests you...well. I am continuing to pursue the developments."

She ticks her nail over the journal's binding. 

She wishes he took up more space that he does, with his simple clothes and his flatcap on his spotty bald head. That he didn't just stink of the lab. 

The salt stings her eyes. 

Her lungs strain, stupidly strain to make that ocean air something else; to pretend those bony hands had scratches and scars, instead of burn pocks; that the shadow of his hat turned his blind eye black; that the scent on his wools was bergamot and sandalwood and clove and cedar and tobacco and—

"Does the ogre know that?" she bites out.

The doctor tips a glance over his shoulder, out towards the sea. "That is what you call her?" he drawls, bemused. His mismatched eyes flit back to her. "She is the helm of the knights, child—not the beast for them to slay. You should have seen her, the day they took the bridge. Should have seen all of them."

She shoves the notebook back to the table. "You weren't with them."

"Those that tend the wounded can't take the front lines, themselves. So goes war." 

He folds his hands in his lap, leans back in his seat. She frowns at him, for a long moment. Rips her eyes away.

"He never—" Her nails squeeze into her palms. "Never said how you—you met him. Never told me."

A fluttering of fingertips dances in her periphery. "Does it make a difference? Fate has her ways. You, of all of us, should know that."

The words sit strangely on her. "I was just wondering."

For an eternity, the sea holds his attention. And she's used to that. She can handle that. Silence and thinking and always strategizing moves from four steps ahead, words weighed and strung together like precious stones—

"I didn't meet him, per-say. He was a subject." He lays a sallowed fingertip against the edge of his cup: tips it on its axis, from one side to another. "It took two weeks to stabilize the infection. Not a moment of it, I think, was he coherent." The cup stills. "What crawled off my table was not the same man."

Jinx presses her thumb into the heel of her palm, and keeps it there, like a dead weight. Quietly, she asks, "What was he...like, before?"

The doctor leaves the notes on the table between them. His stare skews curious, unwavering. Like she's nothing more than a test subject writhing his table, too.

"What were any of us?" he hushes.

[omophagic-beast]

I HAVE HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE FIGURING OUT THE MECHANICS FOR THE LAST PHASE OF MY RECORD GAME AND I JUST FIGURED IT OUT (see this post for context)

Phase one/summer - pulling cards from a tarot deck separated into major arcana, minor arcana, and suit cards.

Phase two/fall - same as above, but also pulling suit cards and adding the value to decide which character has been called away to fight

Phase three/winter - shuffle the deck back together and pull to find the inspiration for your letters, with major arcana being major traumatic events, minor arcana being events happening to your community, and suit cards being more mundane days

PHASE FOUR/SPRING - spread out all the remaining cards FACE UP and take turns CHOOSING which card you want to inspire a scene. Three cards to a scene, three cards to each flower on your tree.

THIS GIVES THE PLAYERS THE AGENCY IVE BEEN LOOKING FOR IN ENDING THEIR STORY WHILE STILL INVOLVING THE TAROT IN A NEW AND INTERESTING WAY WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[veebs-hates-video-games]

Ok I guess I realized I have some brief notes for stuff I've played since June that hasn't made it onto here, so let's just do some quick ones starting with the category in my notes for games I played on Steam that I then hid from my library because I don't see myself ever playing them again:

Teleglitch: Sounded interesting forever ago, didn't really like the vibe or the way it played

Ryse: Son of Rome: Incredibly bland and mediocre interactive cutscene with bad dudebro energy

Rise of the Triad (2013): Not interesting enough that I even remember what I did or didn't like

Fallen Enchantress: Same, but also kinda janky

Cultist Simulator: Strong contender for most irritating/frustrating thing I've played this year because the UI sucks and is completely unexplained, and I uninstalled it pretty quick

Arcana Heart 3 LOVE MAX!!!: Came in a bundle, seems like a fighting game that feels worse to play than other options while also being too waifu heavy for me

Wolfenstein: The New Order: Surprisingly boring and unsatisfying for a game where you play as a Jewish person running around killing Nazis, not bad, just bland

Tyranny: Probably has some interesting things in it because it's Obsidian, but I just wasn't feeling it a few hours in (and I have a strong bias against real-time-with-pause to begin with because it's terrible)

Divinity: Dragon Commander: I like the premise and what I saw of the characters and story outside the game, but the game itself feels pretty clunky bad to play

Code Vein: I hit alt-F4 and uninstalled it before finishing the character creator because it made me physically uncomfortable

Injustice 2: The first game was surprisingly fun and had a surprisingly good story, but this one looks uglier, didn't feel great to play to me, and the load times were absolutely atrocious even from an NVMe drive

Borderlands 3: I cannot stress enough how good the gameplay feels and how incredibly awful everything else is. They polished the gameplay really well, made interesting skill trees and added some good mechanics, and just running around doing stuff in the world feels pretty great...but the writing is brain-meltingly awful, I either hate or don't care about every single character I met in the first five hours, and the UI has somehow gotten even worse than the previous games

[still-a-morosexual-help]

do you play arcana twilight? its game mechanics are a carbon copy of obey me but the story line is different. this is based on your recent post talking about the obey me mc- but the arcana twilight mc has no chill lol. there's an option to lick cream off of one of the love interest's face after only knowing them for like a week at most

Me, reading this: haha I'm not gonna download that

Me, 3 minutes later:

>:|

Okay but om! mc isn't romantically/sexually quick/fast cause it takes them a full year to make a romantic move on the brothers. They're just a weirdo with 0 self preservation. Vs The Arcana MC who is (at least in Julian's route) dtf immediately. And now I'm genuinely curious where on the scale cream licking after 1 week lands.

Guess this is what I'm doing now :| thank you for the recommendation! <3

[weirdwriter69]

My App Store Review for Ikemen Vampire: Temptation in the Dark

The following is the review I posted on the App Store awhile back. This is my opinion, and it is to be taken with a grain of salt. I was trying to summarize all of my feedback as much as possible.  I have deeply enjoyed playing Ikemen Vampire: Temptation in The Dark. I have played the game for the past three years. The game mechanics work well. I enjoy how the game doesn’t pressure you to check in every day, and you aren’t punished if you don’t. I am very thankful for that since I have a life outside of the game, and I need to be able to put it down and pick up where I left off. This game has your usual pay-to-play mechanics, but it is possible to get around them. I grinded doing love battles for two months before I started playing any routes to make sure I had enough Intimacy Points and gold to get through a route. Not every player will be that patient though, so they might feel pressure to put money into the game. It is nice that you get 300 diamonds after you finish a route. I use those to mostly get closet spaces, but every beauty point you get is worth keeping. The higher your beauty score, the more likely you are to win battles, and those are important to the game. It does suck at times that you can’t enjoy the story without the battles. You have to use the gacha system a few times to get better cards for battles, and you have to do battles to get Intimacy Points so you can continue reading the story. I just pretend that I am sending the suitors off into funny Pokémon battles against each other to make the process more fun for me. I have played a lot of dating sims in my time. Due to my personal interests and how I criticize things, I will focus on the writing and how the story handles a lot of plot devices and issues. I have a lot of compliments and complaints about each route that I will get into. I have five journals of notes on this game of all my thoughts for each chapter of the routes I have played. I have played all routes except for Vlad’s. Major Spoiler Warnings for the Rest of the Review: Overall, most of the routes follow a similar formula with their great arch-rival coming back from the dead which forces the suitor to deal with the problems they tried to leave in the past. Despite how cool this is the first time around, it is the same copy-and-paste formula for so many routes that I ended up wanting to bang my head against a wall because I have sat through the same story twelve times before. The only routes that break this formula are Comte’s, Shakespeare’s, Vincent’s, and Sebastian’s. In these routes, the plot elements and struggles are unique to each character and cannot be copy-and-pasted for another character. Though each suitor has their own rival, they are all too similar in how they play out, and none of those routes are memorable. For memorable routes unique to each character, I highly recommend The Arcana. The routes do not spoil each other, and they are separate stories. You can change the names around from Mozart to Arthur, and it is hard to tell which one is the route the game wrote for that character. This is problem, and it is probably because the writers put too many suitors into one game that they are blending together. They are pushed for time, so a lot of the routes have similar stories. A smaller cast is not a bad time. It is less overwhelming for the reader and the writer. It also gives the reader more time with each character, and it can help them feel more connected. I have been playing this game for so long, and it still feels like I barely know half of the cast because they were overshadowed by Leo and Arthur. Not to mention the subtle but underlying misogyny in a lot of the dialogue. I mean, MC gets kidnapped in almost every route. Instead of her being the main character and helping push the plot forward, she is passive and lets the plot happen to her. She never stands up for herself, and she reveals too heavily to the men of the mansion to save her. There are better ways to write a damsel in distress story, but come on, it feels like I am rereading Twilight and watching Bella just complain about the world instead of doing anything about it. Interestingly, Theo’s route chooses not to reveal that they are vampires until later, but it is hard to sit through if you have already played through a couple of routes. The writers do not try to have dramatic irony with it either. It is just annoying to sit through MC being handed obvious evidence that the residents are vampires and to have her ignore it. She has to be spoon-fed all of the information instead of trying to deduce things for herself. MC is not the guide she is supposed to be into the 19th century. The player cannot rely on MC to see the universe through her eyes. Instead, they learn about the universe through the residents. Overall, I wish Ikemen Vampire lends the players to play one route over the others at first. It would help the game keep better track of what information the players know, so the game doesn’t repeat itself for every route. The system of unlocking routes usually gets on my nerves, but that would help Ikemen Vampire a lot. The writers will be able to have more fun with previously established troupes, and routes further on will be written for an experienced player rather than all routes being written for someone playing Ikemen Vampire for the first time. It’s like how Fallout 3 gets boring after a while because all of the areas are open to the player. It is okay to lock stuff off for certain levels or after you play through certain routes. It adds to the experience and challenge. Just don’t make players play for the good routes like Mystic Messenger. That is annoying and how you lose players. To make this review easier to read, I will be breaking down my thoughts on the  routes I want to comment on. Arthur’s Route: He is a fan favorite among the Ikemen Vampire community. I love how they dive into the conflicted feelings he has towards his creation, Sherlock Holmes along with how he hates being compared to his character. I love seeing the bar scenes with him and Theo. He feels like a more fleshed-out character. I have some problems with how he treats women. I get that this is supposed to take place in the 19th century, but so many modern ideas have already been used in the story that respecting women can be added. This is a fantasy. They do not have to be historically accurate about everything. If it improves the romance, do it. Vincent’s Route: I love his route so much because of the twist ending. Vincent ends up coming to the modern world instead of MC staying at the mansion as she does in every single other route. I was biting my nails when Shakespeare pushed MC through the door and Vincent followed. I love how Shakespeare was written as a Yandere towards MC in his route as well. It added flavor to all the conflicts. Vincent’s mystery death adds as well since most of the characters are already aware of how they died. Jean’s Route: He was the perfect opportunity to either have a female suitor or a trans masc suitor. Comte brushes off his whole gender ordeal as just history getting things wrong, but I think it would add so much more to have a trans character. This is a personal bias because I am trans-masc myself, but it is right there, Cybird. I wish Ikemen Vampire would have a female suitor even if it is like Jaehee’s route from Mystic Messenger. It would also be nice for MC to have someone at the mansion who is the same gender as her. I feel like staying at a mansion full of men would be stressful for MC, so it would be nice to see the sisterhood between her and another female cast member or the possible lesbian relationship that would develop. Besides gender, Jean’s route has a huge problem with sexualizing his depression. MC convinces him to live on for her and her love. This is not a good message to tell someone with depression. Jean’s depression is not handled carefully, and it feels like the butt of a poor joke. It is not a helpful or good representation all for mental health struggles. It is possible to write a suitor with depression and not make the depression their personality. Dazai’s Route: Similar complaints with depression as Jean’s route. I can understand why depression is an important piece of Dazai’s character especially after reading his work, No Longer Human. I do love how the writers tried to explore the idea of him trying to hide behind the mask of a clown. Like Jean, MC also tries to convince Dazai to live on for her which is not helpful. Isaac’s Route: Anxiety should not be treated as an “UwU cute” thing. Isaac’s personality is the butt of a bad joke in other suitors’ routes and his route. He is not taken seriously. I wish the game as a whole treated mental issues more seriously. His route is interesting because the real Isaac Newton conflicts with Robert Hooke; however, the real Isaac burnt all of Robert’s portraits in a fit of rage. It would be interesting to have a suitor (besides Shakespeare) who walks the line between good and evil. Shakespeare’s Route: I love him. I love the conflict between his many facades as a writer. His route is hard for a lot of players to read through. I did not struggle as much because I am a Shakespeare nerd; however, when the key suitor is hard to understand, that doesn’t help the writing at all. I wish MC helped translate some of his dialogue a bit more, or at least, he should only speak in Middle English for dramatic effect and simplified Middle English at that. I do appreciate the dedication to having him speak like that, but most fans will not appreciate it. Also, a huge problem, Romeo and Juliet is not a love story. It is about the foolish and false love teenagers have for one another that ends in a lot of death. With that interpretation, Shakespeare’s route would have been so much better. Especially if he called MC “Juliet” as an insult to fleeting love and how it would never be. I do love how Shakespeare is in cahoots with Vlad, but the writers do not go into detail about how Shakespeare is being treated as a puppet. I wish more was added to this gentleman’s route along with others. Overall, the game needs a lot of work with the writing for a better plot. There are a lot of things left up in the air, or there is low-hanging fruit that they could have grabbed to make it better. I do understand that it is too late to change these things now, but for the next game, I hope the writers take their time and carefully plan out everything. It doesn’t help that when I first started playing the game, only a few routes were out. It would be more helpful to have things done in advance, so the players aren’t waiting for ages. It would also help the writers too because they can see how things blend. 

[primalmike-blog]

On to the Yuan-ti City of Death

The one-armed Lizard king fulfills his promise to the party, and with several of his scouts, leads the party to the secret entrance to the Yuan-ti city. This entry point is through the sewers, and quite nasty. Swimming through a lagoon of filth, the party follows a long, mostly full sewer tunnel to an underground cave. The king and his scouts are no longer with the party, so they make their own choices from here.

Rather than follow the sewage path upward, they move on to a large, and much drier, cavern. To their surprise, there are three Hydra Zombies to deal with. As that fight progresses, some Troll Zombie reinforcements arrive to really push the party. As was mentioned before, the 5e mechanics are hard to gage for setting combat encounters and having a second wave of combatants available to enter the fray and ensure the players are challenged is always a good idea. If the dice rolls are going against the party and they struggle, then the 'second wave' stays in their own area and become an encounter after a needed short rest.

Having dispatched the Zombie hordes, The party did rest, then searched for treasure. Sadly, the cavern of the hydras had nothing, but the Trolls were from a junkyard of ancient trash. In this case, one man's ancient trash was this party's random odd technological item. Using Monte Cook's Arcana of the Ancients, I found several interesting 5e devices(cyphers and relics) for the party to find with successful search rolls. They were indeed thorough and found most of the items. Every player I have had the pleasure to DM has enjoyed their character finding a useful, or valuable, or mysterious item. Competitive searching(dice rolling) was good fun.

Of course, these Ancient tech items they found also advance the story of why they came here. They are searching for more proof and information about this ancient power. So, after checking their health and supplies, they advanced to what I called the Necro-Door. I invented a door that was imbued with the spirit of a thief who had tried previously to enter the lair beyond, but clearly failed. The spirit in the door has been here a very long time, and it struggles to remember anything from its previous life. Though, adventuring types do ring bells with their actions and conversation. Mostly, the spirit is here to warn the party of the Necromancer whose lair is further on. Even though the party has the magical means to bypass the door, they take the time to convince the spirit to disobey the Necromancer. This took some doing, but the process was good roleplaying and flexing of those character skills.

Beyond the door is darkness, and around the next corner, dozens of skeletal archers await to fulfill their orders. That many archers spread out in a large space became a very tactical combat that again really challenged the party. Since they were not able to see/sense the total number of skeleton archers in the room, i was able to adjust the final number and not kill the party. This was the tough combat of the Necromancer's lair, so I added a wild card. The undead spirit of one of his apprentices is at the back of the archers. The party worried and fretted over this spirit, not knowing its powers. I contemplated giving this spirit some unusual powers, but the archers really wore down the party and they needed to finish the fight. I left the spirit as a minor undead that they vanquished.

After another short rest, the party collected what meager loot the archers had and moved into the lair proper. To their surprise, the apprentice whose spirit they just slayed left journal notes that explained the state of his master, his fellow apprentice, and himself. You see, his Master is a very powerful yuan-ti necromancer that carved out this lair beneath the city a very long time ago, and is presently trapped in his laboratory working through a very complex ritual that really, he is only barely in control of. He has been trapped this way for years. Long enough for his spirit-linked, enslaved, apprentices to succumb to sad fates(since they had no way to leave). The first dared to try opening the laboratory door. Her soul-drained corpse lies there as warning to the party not to think of touching the door. The other apprentice ran out of food and magic, and became the tortured, sad spirit the party killed in the last battle.

Of course, the players were a little dismayed that they could not take on the Necromancer Boss, but at only 6th level, an epic necromancer would have slain them. So, like the powerful succubus they released earlier, this is another foreshadowing event before I take them in a completely unexpected direction. The upside of this dungeon was that there was a very healthy amount of loot to be had (though this will infuriate the necromancer later). So, the party was very careful in their search, because they recognized the similar stonework of the previous ancient sites they had visited, and knew this was not of yuan-ti craftsmanship. Through persistence and a lucky roll, they found a hidden cache of ancient treasure.

In this cache, there was an orb of hazy liquid, that when broken would create a temporary portal to a pre-determined location. That location was determined by one of the ancients. When the party returned to the ship with all the loot, the Captain investigated what they found. as a priestess of Celestian, she used divination spells to determine the best course. Naturally, a trip into the unknown through this portal is the party's next move. How distant is this portal they will go to? What dangers will they face? Divinations can only show so much, but the Captain, in her own quest to discover this lost culture, advises that the party risk it. But first, there are preparations.

[thecreaturecodex]

Xenomorphitude

Or: Rating the Xenomorph Knock-offs of D&D and Pathfinder

The xenomorph of Alien, Aliens and a bunch of other movies that aren’t very good is one of the most distinctive film monsters. Which means it’s one of the ones that’s most widely copied, ripped off and cited as “inspiration”. Multiple monsters with decidedly xenomorph-like characteristics have appeared in D&D and PFRPG over the decades. Here’s a survey, in loosely chronological order.

Xill

This is included mostly as a formality. The xill isn’t inspired so much by Alien as by Alien’s own inspiration. Voyage of the Space Beagle is a SF novel collecting multiple short stories, one of which features the “ixtl”, which lays its eggs in a crew-member and cannot be killed with conventional weaponry, so is launched into space. The “xill”, first appearing in D&D 1e’s Fiend Folio, is a take on that monster, although it gives them weapons and makes them explicitly sapient. It was promoted to the core Monster Manual in 3.x, which is why it appeared in Pathfinder RPG (and has ended up more prominent there than in “real” D&D for the last 15 years.

Oddly, the xill’s most recent appearance in D&D is in the 5e Mordenkainen’s Folio of Fiends, a semi-canonical book written by Mike Mearls and sold online for charity. The xill’s appearance in that book is the most xenomorph like yet. And yet, it’s said that they abduct people to the Ethereal Plane for “unknown purposes”. It’s to lay eggs in them, guys. We know this.

Xenomorphitude: 2/10, included mostly for completeness sake. 6/10 for that 5e version.

Yitsan

Appearing in the Spelljammer Monstrous Compendium II, this is visually and mechanically a straightforward take on an Alien ripoff (although I love the pointy ears!). Unlike the original, the yitsan isn’t a parasitoid. Presumably the authors of the book realized that in D&D, a character that gets something latched onto them from a mysterious egg is going to get cure disease at the first possible opportunity. Instead, its eggs mimic gold coins, so the PCs will be happy to take them aboard! Xenomorphitude: 8/10. Pretty darn xenomorphy.

Hivebrood

This is a Mystara monster. They seem to be a slantwise take on the Tyranids of Warhammer 40,000 as much as a conventional xenomorph clone. They reproduce by implanting their larvae into humanoids, the hybrid stage of which is called the broodling. These broodlings psychically transmit their skills to a controller, which can then grant them to the various warriors of the hive. Interestingly, they’re neutral in alignment as opposed to some variation of evil.

Xenomorphitude: 3/10. If not for the broodlings, I’d peg them as just another colonial insect species, like the formians or aspis.

Kythons

Moving now into 3rd edition, these guys are definitely stolen from the Tyranids, as they were originally written to give Monte Cook an excuse to use Tyranid miniatures in his D&D game. They win points for flagrancy of the ripoff by laying eggs that look like “wet stones”—but these can also supply weapons instead of just new individuals! Hey, that’s a thing the Tyranids can (sort of) do! They also don’t have a Queen Alien, instead mutating into “slaymasters” or “slaughterkings”. Because the Book of Vile Darkness is nothing if not subtle. 

Xenomorphitude: 7/10. You look at these guys and go, “oh, it’s a xenomorph”, but they have enough tricks to keep you on your toes. Most of these tricks were stolen from a different xenomorph ripoff, but still.

Grendelspawn

Appearing in the d20 Modern Urban Arcana book, they basically have no flavor text except “yeah, they kill indiscriminately. The hunters protect the queen”. Apparently they can be trained as guard animals. Weyland-Yutani had the right idea, it seems.

Xenomorphitude: 10/10. Take this one to the bank, boys. It’s just a xenomorph with eyes. The most interesting thing about it is how brazen it is.

Kruthiks

The kruthiks seem like a way to water down the kythons to make them palatable to publish in a more mainstream book than Vile Darkness. They come in three basic varieties, although the largest being a “hive lord” wasn’t established until 4th edition. They have also been getting progressively less like a xenomorph in appearance, with the 5e version being decidedly more reptilian:

Xenomorphitude: 5/10. Basically the most generic “yeah, it’s a xenomorph but…” I can think of.

Essence Reaver

From the Secrets of Sarlona book in Eberron, these creatures are described as being “wingless dragons” that hunt down psionics users and drain their mental energy before eating them. Looking at their stats, only the presence of a barbed tail might make you think “xenomorph”, but then you get to that illustration!

Xenomorphitude: 3/10. You got your dragon in my xenomorph! You got your xenomorph in my dragon!

Akata

I’m using the Starfinder illustration because it’s better, but these alien tentacle dogs appeared before Pathfinder RPG split off from D&D 3.5, in Children of the Void. Their bite infects people with their worm-like larvae, which turn them into slug-tongued zombies until the tongue breaks off and grows up into a new akata.

Xenomorphitude: 1/10. I had to be reminded that they’re supposed to be xenomorph analogues. The zombies remind me more of Night of the Creeps.

Lunarma

Tentacled parasitoids from space, the lunarma seem to be the crossover of the Venn diagram between “xenomorph” and “metroid”. I do like the barbed defense ability—the fact that fighting a xenomorph in melee will get you killed by its passive defenses is something that gets ignored by most ripoffs and clones.

Xenomorphitude: 4/10. Different enough to be its own thing, similar enough to make the inspiration clear.

The Hive

Appearing in Horror Adventures for Pathfinder, the Hive creatures have a proper queen/warrior/larva caste system and a parasitoid life cycle with a twist. If you get infected with the larvae but cured, you can start to mutate into an aberrant creature, making use of the Corruption mechanics introduced in this book. It’s the rare xenomorph ripoff that takes inspiration from the later movies (namely, it appears to be “what if Alien: Resurrection made a little more sense?”).

Xenomorphitude: 9/10. About as blatant a ripoff can get without making copyright lawyers’ ears perk up. 

[thecraftymagician]

Hi!!! I love your blog!! Feel free to say no, but could you do each LI with a plus-size MC who is self-conscious about their weight? If you don’t want to do everyone that’s fine, whoever you want!

This one is a bit tricky for me. I have similar struggles but I'm not really great at working with them unfortunately. I can't say I've been surrounded by the best examples of caring or consideration in a positive way in regards to looks or weight myself HOWEVER Almost all of the LI's in the Arcana are good people (Lucio not so much but for this case he's included) and absolutely would not care about size or weight in the sense that it's not a deterrent or anything for them. That being said this is gonna lean a bit more coping mechanisms, encouragement! The world itself doesn't seem to make appearance or identity even an issue like IRL and kind of sticks to if you're a good person or not at heart. For me it's really nice to hide away in the Arcana for reasons like that but I might add some parts that allude to that not always being the case.

You can also take this as just being friends with the LI's you're not interested in too (minus the overtly loving stuff) as I think anyone would be willing to be there for you when you need it.

Warnings: Fluff!, encouragement/compliments, coping skills, *May be triggering for those struggling with ED's*

M6 With a Self-conscious Plus-size MC:

Asra💜

Asra likely won't realize that's what's making you upset or rather insecure. He won't really understand but he'll absolutely listen if you want to talk about it. They'll try to understand from your point of view but they just see you so differently from how you describe yourself.

You're in for so many kisses and squeezing hugs, regardless but if it takes pulling you over to a mirror to do so they will. They'll tell you every single thing they love about you from your jokes to how you insist on trying to up to reach the highest shelves, how you try so hard for things you care about, to the curve of your lips when you smile, the way your nose scrunches when you laugh.

He'll ask you about anything that you're really insecure about and give those parts extra TLC. Chin/jaw? Kisses and caresses. Arms? Kisses and caresses. Tummy, hip dips, thighs; you name it They're on it.

If you don't like that or prefer something else to feel better, Asra will absolutely oblige. More than anything they want you to feel comfortable and happy with yourself as they do.

Nadia💖

Nadia understands being insecure about yourself just in a different way. Still her family is very accepting about well anything really and she grew up the same way. She was taught differences are beautiful and just express someone's individuality. She'll be very understanding and listen to what you say, holding you close as you do so you feel extra loved.

Her first instinct will be to pamper you to help you feel more confident in your body. Not just new custom clothes with your favorite fabrics, colors, and patterns but massages, face masks, the works. Everyone has the right to feel good in their skin.

She'll lowkey give you a make-over. Not really forcing you into makeup and heels but having you try different cut tops or clothing just to see if you like something else. Will spend hours showering you with compliments while playing with your hair and giving you different styles, placing kisses on your shoulders and cheeks.

If you're not up for all that, she'll be happy to sit and talk to you or cuddle you until you feel better. Nothing is too much or too little for her to give you.

Julian🖤

Julian is always there for a good pep talk or distraction. He'll tell you all kinds of stories or take you on made up adventures to take your mind of things but after the first few or if he notices you're still lost in your thoughts he'll get serious.

As much as he talks, he's a very good listener. He's of course sad to here you feel that way about yourself. He tells you about how he felt growing up and being bullied for being lanky. He knows it's not the same but he gets it. For him it was something to grow into but he can see how it's very different for this case.

The most doctoral think he'll do is make mental notes or any specific insecurities and try to help you feel better however he's able to. If you want to try a diet or anything, he'll be extremely delicate and careful on how he addresses that. He knows that can be a slippery slope and above all else you are already healthy.

He won't tell you what to do but he'll give some advise if you want it. If anything he'll have you eat more vitamins to give you energy and make you feel good.

Muriel💚

Muriel gets it to say the least. Sometimes people just make assumptions about you based on how you look. It's not okay and it's tough, he knows that better than anyone.

For him one of the only solaces he had was finding people who care about and see him for who he actually is. Everyone needs a good support system, even if things are okay. Like Julian alot of what helped him was kind of growing up.

Finding things that give him peace and happiness is something that helps him feel better so he might have you go on mindful walks or meditate with him. He'll encourage you to try now things or pick up old hobbies. While he can't promise he'll join in with you on all of them, he can promise to try and/or sit with you doing his thing while you do yours.

If nothing else, you'll be receiving plenty of sudden all encompassing bear hugs. No words, just hugs. Can't but upset when you're in a cozy bear hug. Of course there's also plenty of kisses and cuddles to be had but he'll make sure to give regular hugs, just in case.

Portia🧡

Portia like Muriel absolutely gets it. As confident as she is, some days are still difficult for her. It never really goes away completely but she helps you know that it does get better. Sometimes it just takes time.

Body positive queen is going to encourage you to do whatever you want that feels good for you. She'll help you learn stretches she does and spend lots of time with you outside or going on little adventures. She'll take you on the town and show you off even if it's just for errands. Surprise! It's a whole date now!

Her objective is to make you comfortable by having fun, even if it's just silly things like trying on outrageous hats. You're allowed to be a person and be happy no matter what.

Of course if that's too much she will dial it back and can stick to holding your hand, plenty of cuddles, and hugs. Either way she will refuse to stop singing your praises, even if she has to be a bit quieter with them.

Lucio❤️

Lucio won't believe you at first. What do you mean you're insecure? Have you seen yourself, you're beautiful! He doesn't really understand the physical parts of it but he gets the mental and emotional side. He'll open up but still doesn't understand how you could think negatively about yourself in any way.

He won't know what to say or do at first other than shower you with compliments and praise. If that doesn't work he'll do the next best thing that always cheers him up. He'll have you try sword fighting!

It's just the thing to build up anyone's confidence. As he sees it their are few things better than knowing you're better than your opponent and can best who ever is on the opposite end of the blade. Besides he thinks you'd look really cool doing it.

If not swords he'll find some kind of fighting style you like, unless of course you're not into fighting. Bummer but it's okay he'll think of something to help you boost your confidence! Even if it's not something as exciting as he imagines, he'll be so proud of you no matter what. Will never shut up about how badass you are, ever!