#bug bardic inspiration

[powered-universe-official]

Draft 2, Part 1: Virtue; Love Is All I Bring

Virtue learns two important things

Virtue peeks over the top of their laptop as Airael finishes packing up their stuff. He salutes with two fingers and walks out into the snow covered driveway where Gemini is waiting in the car. Michael had left earlier to go out with his moms to see some family, so just they and Bug are left to clean everything up.

Bug stretches a little, and Virtue can hear its spine pop from how quiet the cold garage is. “Hey Virtue, have you heard-” It starts until a light trill comes from its phone. It looks at whatever notification had just come in, smiles, and softly hums part of some song Virtue doesn’t recognize.

There’s a strong flutter of emotion in their chest, and for a moment as they look at Bug, they don’t see the 20 something band leader and friend that stands in front of them, but instead someone who could be their sibling. A sibling who they’re so happy for and proud of. As soon as it appears, as soon as Virtue can taste the feeling, it’s gone.

“Who was that?” They ask, and Bug’s head snaps up to them in mild surprise.

“Uh, that was Malcolm. He’s having a good day today.” It says with a slight grin as it puts its phone back into its pocket.

Virtue tries to reach for someone named Malcolm, but the best that they can come up with is an annoying student from when they were in college. They look at Bug, who looks like it’s trying to hold in laughter, and failing horribly.

“Is he really more of a wallflower than you? Oh my God that’s so- holy shit you don’t know who I’m talking about!” They cackle and double over in giggles. “Oh boy, give me a minute, I can’t- you don’t remember him holy shit.”

“This isn’t as funny as you think. Who’s Malcolm?”

Bug takes a few deep breaths, stands up, and takes another stabilizing breath. “Sorry, uh, Malcolm has been coming to practices since we started playing almost four years ago. He’s come to a lot since you’ve joined and started watching us play. I think it’s funny that you haven’t noticed him since you both do the same thing.”

Virtue raises an eyebrow. “The same thing.” They deadpan, and they can feel their face put on a very disinterested look.

Bug still nods enthusiastically. “Yeah. Don’t talk, and sit not in the corner but near it on a wall and just watch from where the most backs are pointed. Wallflowers, but he’s probably had more practice than you.”

“I still don’t know who he is, you know.” Virtue reminds it. “How do you know him?”

“One moment.” Bug pulls out its phone again, and scrolls for a few seconds before turning it to show a picture of a young teenager.

He has the same pale face and round eyes that Bug has, but no burn scar and his eyes are black instead of green. His hair is curlier than Bug’s, but still inky black with bright orange dying the tips so they frame his face.

“That’s Malcolm. He’s my little brother.”

At those words, something inside of Virtue’s head clicks, and they turn to stare at Bug. “What’s your favorite song right now?”

“Um, I’m not sure?” Bug’s eyebrows furrow slightly as they lean closer.

Virtue sighs and pinches the bridge of their nose as they try and figure out how to be absolutely sure that they’re wrong. “Hum a song that makes you think of Malcolm.”

Bug’s brow goes from being furrowed, to one arching up as they shrug. “If you say so.” They start to hum and ‘bapada’ a tune, and the same strong feelings of familial love rise up from deep in Virtue’s sternum, quickly followed by an intense and concentrated emotion that they haven’t felt in a long time. Panic.

They hit the garage door button, drag Bug into the house by the wrist, and lock the door behind them. They quickly check the hallway, and look at Bug. Its face is confused and concerned for Virtue, and they take as much oxygen into their lungs as they possibly can.

“Bug, what I’m about to tell you, I tell you for your safety.” Virtue whispers. “You have a Power. I’m not one hundred percent sure what it is, but it’s very subtle, and that’s why you haven’t realized it yet.”

The shift in its emotions is fast, and a very real look of terror fills its eyes. “You mean . . . you mean I-I’m a . . .” It trails off as Bug’s eyes focus on the wall behind Virtue.

“You’re an unregistered Power Holder, yes.” Virtue nods. “I’m sorry.”

Bug’s hand grabs at their chest as they slide down the wall onto the floor. “I can’t be, What- what would I even be? You said it was subtle, you could have made it up.” They look at Virtue with pure desperation as their voice starts to break. “You could have.”

Virtue crouches down in front of Bug. “You sang two songs that made you think about your little brother, who you love and are so, so proud of. I know you are, because I felt it. You showed me what you were feeling through singing. I want to be wrong, I do. I’d rather you have killed people than be unregistered, but that’s not the case. I’m sorry.”

Bug falls into Virtue’s shoulder, and starts to sob. “I can’t be, I can’t- it’s not fair. It’s not fucking fair.” It repeats over and over again as its grip on Virtue’s jacket becomes tight and unmoving. It cries until it has no more tears, and shakes until it has no more energy to move.

Virtue rubs its back in small circles. “Are you ready to go home?”

Bug barely nods, and lets Virtue drag them up and lead them out to the car. Snow starts to fall down around them as they turn the engine, and drive off to deal with it elsewhere.

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[forcedhesitation]

dead by daylight-- the game where you can play as steve harrington from stranger things, and can get sent to partake in a match of murder hide and seek at midwich elementary from silent hill, where you can then use a lute to perform bardic inspiration from dungeons and dragons to give a bonus to your teammates, except for the one who is being chased by nemesis from resident evil 3.

[darkfire359]

Everyone is talking about Astarion’s wonderful plotline, voice, expressions, et cetera et cetera, but no one is talking about what a monster he is in combat. I swear he could 1v3 the rest of my party. Sharpshooter is so busted with dual-wielded hand crossbows and thief rogue, holy shit. Why would I use a bonus action to hide when I have a 95% chance of hitting with a shot that does 1d6+1d4+19 damage (before counting sneak attack) and auto-kills enemies if they have <=10 HP afterwards?

Gloomstalker ranger multiclass means that I get 5 of these attacks on the first turn of combat (actually 7 with bloodlust elixir, i.e. permanent haste that stacks with Haste). Add in 2d6 sneak attack, which will often crit given all those attacks (plus blinding raven familiar + durge cloak invisibility giving advantage) and occasional 1d6 poison damage (if Astarion needed healing for some reason), and he is frequently killing ~200 hp worth of enemies per round.

And with the huge initiative bonus, he usually just wipes them before they even get a turn. Not that them getting a turn would matter—even if they get in range of him, he walks around with 22 AC, a charm reaction, and Protection from Good and Evil giving disadvantage to most everything in Act 2.

And this all consumes 0 resources per fight (though Hasted Astarion is obviously even better). I keep thinking I’ll have to long rest at some point, but I just… don’t. I’ve fought something like 15+ combats today since Act 2 start and everyone is still at full health. One of my short rests I took entirely to renew the charge on a ring of jumping.

I feel like I’m missing out on precious Astarion cutscenes and I have no one to blame but Astarion.

[pandaemoanium]

my boy why are you trying to sneak around in that heavy ass armor

[mochinomnoms]

okay so i just read ptm and i'm really liking it^^ but i wanna ask, are your OCs twisted from certain characters or you just made them up ?? i tried to guess some of them but my brain is mostly empty rn :')

Hiiiii!!! I saw you in my notifs, I almost always notice when someone makes little comments in the tags, cause it makes me really happy when people comment and talk about my fics (─‿‿─)

By now I think most people have guessed their inspirations, so I'm happy to talk more about them and explain a bit for each one! I'll go one by one and share a little fun fact!

Yev Quispe is based on Yzma from the Emperor's New Groove! A fun fact is that Yev's signature spell is called “Creature Feature”, which allows him to temporarily turn someone into an animal of his choosing, though it's limited to one person at a time and larger animals require him to use more energy than a smaller one. His uncle is the botany professor at NRC!

Timothy O'Hare, mostly goes by Timmy, is based both on the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland and Thumper from Bambi! He has 9 younger sisters and 3 older sisters, and would regularly get beat up by them if he was rude to a girl. His signature spell is “Reverse the Clock” which allows him to turn time back by a few seconds, 10 at most, however he has to wait at least 30 minutes between each use due to the massive amount of blot he accumulates from use.

James Bartholomew is based on Captain Hook, though he has no hook (yet). He was raised at sea for most of his life among much older and crass sailors, so he has a hard time talking with others. His signature spell is “Hook, Line, and Sinker” which allows him to cast a barrier that “hooks” his opponent to his vicinity, up to a 5-foot radius; if they attempt to leave they will be dragged back like a fish on a hook. The farther they try to get away, the heavier their body will get.

Wynfred Salson is based on Winifred Sanderson from Hocus Pocus, but likes to go by Winnie. He's the eldest of the triplets and is extremely protective of them. He likes foraging and making his own potions from scratch, so he joined the Mountain Lovers Club to collect his own materials. He is very socially unaware and thinks he is the epitome of the ideal human, though most people are put off by him.

Marion Salson is based on Mary Sanderson from Hocus Pocus and is the shyest of the triplets. He's Winnie's shadow and idolizes his brother, and even tried switching clubs but was denied. He has a very acute sense of smell on par with beastmen, so he hates how perfumed Pomefiore is, as he'll get migraines from the smell. Marion would like to become a healer, like his mother, and volunteers in the infirmary as much as possible.

Silas Salson is based on Sarah Sanderson, though they like to go by Sy. Sy likes to dress up in both masculine and feminine clothes and sometimes will ask everyone to refer to them as he, she, or they, depending on how they feel day to day. They also like to eat bugs and will snatch a flying cockroach from the air and shove into their mouth to eat. They say it's because they like how the texture feels in their mouth. Sy is also an excellent singer and would like to study bardic magic.

Aspen Albamar is based on Morgana from the second Little Mermaid, though his name references her green skin. He tries to be composed, but it's quite easy to push his buttons and get him riled up, unintentional or not. He is a wonderful musician, but actually has trouble with magic, as he was a late bloomer. He's originally from the Arctics and moved to the Coral Sea very young,

Tony Lombardi is based on Undertow from the second Little Mermaid, and is extremely small for his type of merfolk, which is a tiger shark. He, unlike the rest of his mer peers, is really into flight class and surprisingly excels in it. It might come as little surprise, but Tony has a big ol' fat crush on Aspen and has since they were children, but has kept it on the down low. Despite his warnings that Jade most likely views him as a little brother, Tony will begrudgingly help Aspen in pursing him since it makes him happy.

Yaqub Fahim is based on Iago from Aladdin and is a parrot beastman. Yaqub is arguably the most level-headed of all the Ramshackle freshmen, and gets along with most if not all of his peers. He does not like Kalim and Jamil at all, as both are off-putting to him for different reasons, so he is not particularly attached to Scarabia as his dorm, so he prefers to stay in Ramshackle as long as possible.

Amara Goethel, also known as Nurse Goethel, is based on Mother Gothel from Tangled. She is in charge of the infirmary, but also teaches the health and wellness curriculum, which has classes that correspond with both science and health, so she works with Vargas and Crewel often. She has a very hot wife who is covered in tattoos and

I wanted to establish a cast of side characters to make up for the lack of the third years, so I decided that new freshman would be the best choice! A lot of their background and 'lore' won't be relevant in the main story, but I would like to write more about them in little side snippets!

Some of them will end up together or with an unnamed background character. Two technically have partners already, but one of them doesn't really count. Anyways this was fun thanks for asking about them, though I think I shared more than asked lol.

[transmogrified-in-the-void]

The three year anniversary of my original story, The Powered Universe (or TPU for short) is coming up in a couple of days (may 2nd) and so if people could send in asks about the story or characters or writing prompts I'd really love and appreciate that.

I have the whole shebang over on @powered-universe-official so if you want to read it go over there (i also have the first few chapters here under the tag #the powered universe), but if you wanna ask about characters I have the original three: Leto/Zephyr, Virtue, and Electrode. The original Bardic Inspiration: Cato, Virtue, Bug, Airael, and Gemini. The new four: Leto/Zephyr, Virtue, Electrode, and Malcolm. The new Bardic Inspiration: Virtue, Absinthe, Airael, Gemini, and Cato.

If you wanna know more abt a specific version of a character that is both old and new, pls specify! But I'd super appreciate it, this project has been so important to me and I've been working on it a lot behind the scenes so sending in any asks about it would be wonderful and lovely, thank you.

[earth-updates]

earth update, v1.1 patch 2

raised max level by one (1) for bards, musicians and fry cooks.

added four empty inspiration slots for bardic classified characters, which refill every 12hrs of sleep (can be spread across multiple sessions)

changed bug into a feature which allows lightning to strike catholics in random events - 1/450 odds.

fixed stack overload which temporarily showed uzbekistan's population as -9999999

pepsi now made to be drank warm, cola to be drank cold - event lasts until 2/12

raised battleship level limit by 12, unless struck by rainbow at which point the level cap is lowered by 12

[ask-the-bardic-band]

Bug: I don't know why people keep trying to cancel me, I've never done anything wrong

Bug: So what I make dad jokes on stage, I started this band using dad rock songs!

[raeynbowboi]

How to Play as Bugs Bunny in DnD 5e

That’s right, today we’re building the epic icon of Bugs Bunny. As the star of Looney Tunes, I could think of nobody better to start with than Bugs Bunny. Now, Bugs has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. He’s a master of disguise, misdirection, manipulation, he can pull items out of the hammerspace behind his back, and defy the laws of physics. So, clearly Bugs is some kind of all-powerful trickster. But how do we build him?

For his race, Bugs is a Harengon, a type of rabbitfolk from the feywild. We’ll give him +2 CHA, +1 DEX. As a Harengon, Bugs is a Fey type creature immune to the effects of spells like Charm Person and Hold Person that specify a humanoid target. He also gains proficiency with Perception, adds his proficiency bonus to his initiative rolls, add a d4 to a failed DEX saving throw, and jump five feet times his proficiency bonus.

 For his background, Bugs is most famous for his ability to pull things over on unsuspecting maroons. We’ll label him as a Charlatan. Now, why is he not a Performer? Because Charlatans get automatic proficiency with the Disguise Kit. If there’s anything he’s known for, it’s his disguises.

 In terms of Alignment, Bugs tap dances on the border between Chaotic Good and Chaotic Neutral.

BARD COLLEGE OF CREATION

Bugs is undeniably a Bard. He has a long history as a Vaudeville type performer, even canonically being a famous performer in numerous cartoons. In one, his gags with Elmer Fudd even began as a comedy routine they performed on stage, and later evolved to make them a famous comedy duo. In others, he’s a famous celebrity famed for his career in show business. So, he’s definitely a Bard. But, what College? Well, that would be the college of creation. They can create musical notes that attack people, they can pull items out of nowhere, which by 14th level can be Huge items,  they can animate objects around them like some old black-and-white cartoon from the 20s or 30s, and by late game, he can make multiple items at once. As a Bard, we get any three skills, and we’ll take Performance, Persuasion, and Stealth.

Name: Bugs Bunny Race: Harengon Background: Charlatan Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

STATS STR 8 DEX 20 CON 12 INT 12 WIS 14 CHA 20

SAVING THROWS STR -1 DEX +11 CON +1 INT +1 WIS +2 CHA +11

HP: 123 AC: 15 PB: +6 SDC: 19 SAB: +11 PP: 24 Initiative: +11 Bardic Inspiration: (5) 1d12

SKILLS Deception (+17) Perception (+14) Performance (+11) Persuasion (+17) Sleight of Hand (+17) Stealth (+11)

SPELLS

C Friends, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation, Vicious Mockery 1 Charm Person, Command, Disguise Self, Silvery Barbs, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter 2 Mirror Image, Enthrall, Gift of Gab, Suggestion 3 Antagonize (UA), Dispel Magic 4 Charm Monster, Confusion, Polymorph 5 Dream, Geas, Mislead 6 Mass Suggestion, Otto’s Irresistible Dance 7 Teleport (how he often ends up in the wrong place) 8 Glibness 9 True Polymorph

BARDIC MAGICAL SECRETS 10th Counterspell, Fly 14th Fabricate, Creation 18th Contingency, Reverse Gravity

WHY NOT ROGUE?

Some may wonder why I didn’t even consider the Rogue for Bugs Bunny. After all, Rogue does have some useful features. Uncanny Dodge and Evasion go a long way to make Bugs as slippery as he is, and that’s a good point. They also get another skill, giving him the chance to pick up Insight proficiency. Sneak Attack bonus also lets Bugs capitalize on his sneaky underhanded tactics. But, there’s a good reason why I chose Bard. Firstly, Arcane Trickster Rogues work off Intelligence, and Bugs is not book smart. He’s a wise guy and a charmer, but one of his common running gags is mispronouncing common sayings, like saying maroon instead of moron. Arcane Tricksters are also cut off at the 4th level, cutting Bugs off from great spells like Creation and Mislead, which go so well with his tactics. Any other type of rogue doesn’t get any spells, which deviates from where Bugs Bunny shines as a DnD Character.

Bugs is a character I’ve wanted to build for a while. I was going to do him when the Harengon came out, and then I just kind of forgot and left him sitting on a backburner. But he can do everything I would hope for. He’s clever, charming, and most importantly of all, great at manipulating people without outright brainwashing them. Just exploiting their stupidity. And since the Bard of Creation can create just about anything out of thin air, it really lets the player let their imagination run wild. Let’s see how intimidating Strahd is after he’s had an anvil dropped on his head.

[gorgugplushie]

Pitaya looks like a big fucking beetle i will now incorporate that into every drawing of them

[powered-universe-official]

Ayo! Idk if you've received the ask cuz you haven't anwered it yet and i know tumblr loves being a functional webbed site (/lh /s), and it's been a while so i thought i'd re-send!

What kind of minecraft mobs/hybrids do you think everyone would be? Can be "main" story and BI, or both? (<- desperate for BI crumbs /lh)

If minecraft isnt your forte this could also be extended to dnd!!

Ahhhh i’ll do both for both!!!

For the main story:

Electrode is an enderman, and a sorcerer/artificer

Virtue is a villager, and a rogue

Leto is a parrot, and a druid

For BI (and yes i get the BI crumbs):

Gemini is a wolf (duh lol), and a barbarian/druid

Airael is a bat, and a bard/rogue

Bug is a snow golem, and also a bard

Cato is an ocelot and a bard

Malcolm is a wandering trader, and a wizard/rogue

[dnddiary]

The Adventurer Formerly Known As A Prince

I asked a friend of mine what sort of character he'd like to see in a campaign, expecting an answer like Batman or Spiderman. Instead he threw me off guard by saying "Prince."

And I was gonna be like "oh I'm not so sure I can do that," but I had honestly already started doing it in my head. So I guess...here's Prince...in DnD

Race: Eladrin

Prince was known for being passionate, mercurial, and eccentric, all things you can say about the Eladrin subrace of elves.

The Eladrin are elves of the Feywild and are ethereal creatures ruled by strong emotions. After each long rest a player chooses what "season" their form should take, which dictates what sort of strong emotions they might feel, changes to their appearance, and how their special abilities behave.

And let's be real, if any man deserves the title "otherworldly"...

...it's him.

What that Gets You

Ability Score : Dex +2, Cha +1

Darkvision

Fey Ancestry: Advantage against being charmed and immunity to magical sleep

Trance: don't need to sleep, just meditate for four hours.

Keen senses: Proficiency with Perception skill (which is apropos considering Prince had his entire home bugged so he could see and hear everything)

Fey Step: Free thirty foot teleport per short/long rest with a single additional effect based on the season your character has currently chosen which include charming targets, frightening targets, dealing bonus damage, or teleporting an additional creature with you.

Background

Entertainer: Any performing background falls under this umbrella

What that Gets You

Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance, disguise kit, a musical instrument

Feature: by performing at a tavern you can get free lodging and people in that town will have a more positive reaction to you

Now for the important bits

Classes

Im doing this build up to level 11 because it involves a multi-classing option.

Primary Class: Bard...because duh

But the question is....what type of bard?

You could make an argument for several subclasses based on Prince's discography, personal life, or aesthetic flair, and if you wanna make your own Prince-based class you have some room for interpretation.

However, I've chosen to focus on two things that Prince did best; make infectious dance beats and CREATE. Prince was responsible for inspiring and cultivating an entire generation of artists and has one of the largest bodies of work imaginable spanning a huge number of different genres.

For that reason I'd say Prince would be a bard from the College of Creation

If anyone could hum a few bars from the Song that drives the Universe...it was Prince.

Ability Scores:

I don’t ascribe to any one particular ability score system and I’ll generally be open to whatever the players prefer. The aim of the game is for people to LIKE their characters after all.

However, whatever system you use the priorities for a character like this should be, in my opinion, as follows:

1. Charisma

2. Dexterity (You’ll be focusing on weapons with the Finesse property)

3a. Wisdom 

3b. Intelligence (Both Wis and Int have their benefits for a bard and it’s just up to which one you value more) 

4. Strength (Prince is a lot of things, but a frontliner is one you’d have to make a compelling argument for)

What That Gets You

Hit Dice: 

1d8 per level.

Proficiencies: 

Light Armor

Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbows, Longswords, rapiers, shortswords

Three Musical Instruments

Dexterity/Charisma Saving Throws

Any three skills (to reflect the subject of our build I’d choose Persuasion (Cha), Performance(Cha), and Acrobatics(Dex))

(I’d also homebrew a proficiency for exotic weapons because fucking look at this thing and tell me it couldn’t double as a weapon)

For the purpose of this build Prince’s main class is going to be up to level 8 to get some good flavor for it and give us the chance to add two feats

Class Features:

Bardic Inspiration: A bard can create “inspiration” for their party members through song. This is represented by an extra dice that a player can roll and add that value to an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made within 10 minutes. Because Prince is a level 8 bard his Inspiration dice use a d8, he can give them out a number of times equal to his Charisma modifier, and he regains them on a short or long rest.

Jack of All Trades: A bard can add half their proficiency bonus, rounded down, to an ability check made using any skill that they are not already proficient with, which seems appropriate for a modern renaissance man like Prince.

Song of Rest: During a short res (which are an hour long) players can choose to expend a resource known as a “Hit Die” to regain some health. This ability allows the bard to increase that healing for anyone who chooses to use that feature. Again, because Prince is at level 8 the additional healing uses a d8.

Expertise: A bard can become an expert in two skills that they are already proficient with. Again, to reflect our subject today I’d choose to apply this benefit to Persuasion(Cha) and Performance(Cha).

Mote of Potential (College of Creation): Because our Prince hails from the college of Creation his Bardic Inspiration has additional benefits based on the type of roll it belongs to as well as some cool aesthetic flavor that is very Prince:

Ability Check: The Inspiration creates colorful sparks when used and lets the player roll the Inspiration die a second time, using the roll of their choice.

Attack Roll: The Inspiration creates a thunderous bang and the attack target plus each creature of your choice within a 5-foot radius must make a Constitution saving throw or take additional damage equal to the Inspiration roll.

Saving Throw: A soft musical note hangs in the air and the player using the Inspiration die gains temporary hit points equal to the roll plus Prince’s Charisma modifier. 

Performance of Creation (College of Creation): This is where this class gets fun. Once per long rest (or if you expend a 2nd level or higher spell slot) you can create any nonmagical item within 10 feet of you. The item can be Large or smaller because of Prince’s level. There’s a value limit (160 gold for our purpose), but that leaves a lot of room for interpretation to an imaginative player.

Countercharm: Prince can choose to start a performance that gives all friendly creatures advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

Animating Performance: This ability lets Prince bring an item that is Large or smaller to life. It must be within 30-feet and be non-magical. It uses the following stat block:

There’s some more minutiae in the restrictions pertaining to how you can use this and how you control the construct, but the gist is that this gives you a friendly construct with some impressive stats which, again, has a lot of uses in combat or out if you apply a little imagination. Furthermore, I feel this is the most “Prince-like” ability out of all of them because if I’m not at least bopping-around a little when Raspberry Beret comes on I. am. fucking. dead.

Okay, that was a lot. I’ve just got a little more to go.

The next thing to touch on is Prince’s... 

✨✨✨SUBCLASS✨✨✨

Prince always had a presence about him that people could describe as “electric” and seemed to wield it with an innate elegance. For that reason I felt like Prince should have a dip into some Sorcerer levels (3 total, to get him access to metamagic and bring him to a total level of 11). Sorcerers also cast using Charisma as their attribute so it synergizes well with a Bardic main class.

Just like with his mainclass this brought up the question of WHAT TYPE OF SORCERER, but the answer here is a lot more obvious.

While researching subclasses I pulled up the Storm Sorceror and while this build isn’t necessarily the strongest for a main class it fits in perfectly for the concept we’re going for here. I’ll transcribe the bit that sold me directly.

“Your innate magic comes from the power of elemental air. Many with this power can trace their magic back to a near-death experience caused by the Great [in this case Purple] Rain.”

I dare someone to find a better fit for this idea.

There’s a lot less to go over here but this brings us to...

What That Gets You

Hit Dice:

1d6 per level

Proficiencies:

Nothing you didn’t already get from the Bard

Class Features

Wind Speaker (Storm Sorcery): Gain fluency in Primordial, letting you speak, read, write the language and its dialects (Aquan, Auran, Ignan, Terran).

Tempestuous Magic (Storm Sorcery): As a bonus action before or after you cast a spell of 1st level or higher Prince can summon elemental air which gives him the ability to fly for 10ft in any direction without triggering any attacks of opportunity. I’ve seen other DMs downplay this ability because it’s not great as just a method of movement, but I think people miss that this is EXACTLY the type of ability you want for a more spellcasting focused character. It gives you a little extra maneuverability without giving your opponents any free attacks and makes you VERY hard to pin down. Coupled with an Eladrin’s Fey Step ability makes for a spellcaster who’s not shit out of luck when an enemy frontliner gets close.

Font of Magic: This feature gives two sorcery points automatically, which scales to a number equal to your sorcerer level. It also allows Prince to convert sorcery points into spell slots and spell slots into sorcery points using the following table with the drawback being that you can never have more sorcery points than your sorcerer level. Alternatively, sorcery points restore on a long rest.

Metamagic: This is the big one for Sorcerers. When you obtain this feature you choose two metamagic skills and, using your sorcery points, you can activate them to augment your spells in various ways. For the Prince build I would recommend the following skills:

Heightened Spell: Several of the spells I’m going to share for this build involve a saving throw and this feature lets you give one target disadvantage on its saving throw. It’s expensive with a cost of 3 sorcery points, but it’s useful.

Twinned Spell: Any spell that targets only one creature other than yourself can be twinned by spending sorcery points equal to that spell’s level. Several of the spells for this build fit this build and are a low enough level that this option could be used at least twice before needing to restore sorcery points. 

Spellcasting

Both Bards and Sorcerers choose which spells they learn as they level up with the option of switching out one spell known when they level up. To fit Prince’s aesthetic I chose spells that focus on charming/hypnotizing targets or spells that deal thunder damage, which is 5th edition’s name for “sonic” damage.

I won’t give a description of each spell because I also feel like the chosen spells could vary depending on how a player wanted to use this build. These are just my personal choices and really a suggestion more than anything.

Cantrips: 

Thunderclap

Dancing Lights

Vicious Mockery

Gust

Mind Sliver

Prestidigitation

Message

1st-Level:

Unearthly Chorus

Thunderwave

Silvery Barbs

Command

Charm Person

Disguise Self

Shield

2nd-level:

Mirror Image

Suggestion

Shatter

Hold Person

3rd-level:

Hypnotic Patter

Clairvoyance

4th-Level:

Polymorph

Charm Monster

Last but not least: FEATS

At 4th and 8th level a player has the chance to either increase their ability scores or take feats. I am SO heavily predisposed to taking feats it’s not even funny. So for this build I’ve chosen two feats instead of the ASI bonuses.

4th Level Feat:

Fey Touched: This feat leans into that otherworldly quality we talked about earlier. Because of the characters affinity for the world of the fae they gain some additional bonuses to their build. This is a “half feat” that lets you buff one of your abilities as well as gives you an effect, in this case Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1 (we’d probably want to buff Charisma) and you learn the Misty Step spell, which is another buff to Prince’s maneuverability in combat or out, as well as a 1st-level spell from the divination or enchantment schools. For this build it’s a toss up between learning the spell Bless (if you wanna buff allies) or Hex (if you wanna buff your own damage). It’s important to note that this feat lets you cast either spell once for free per long rest, but it explicitly states that you LEARN these spells meaning that even after that free casting you can choose to use a regular spell slot to cast them again. 

8th Level Feat:

Actor: This allows you to increase your Charisma by 1, gives advantage on all Deception and Performance checks when trying to pass yourself off as someone else, and you can mimic the speech of another person or animal sounds. All in all, not super valuable, but it fits our theme really well.

And that’s my take on Prince as a DnD character. An incredible musician, a man of strong presence, and an inspiration to many.

Making unique and creative builds around a theme is actually something I greatly love to do, so if anyone has any suggestions for something they’d like to see or get my take on I’d love to hear it.

Happy Gaming

[tigerkirby215]

5e Giorno Giovana build (JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind)

(Official DvD cover for JoJo Part 5 (Volume 1))

I’m first, Tulok!

I’m a big sucker for JoJo, having watched the full anime (so up to part 5 - Stone Ocean when?) and making a few stand users in D&D. (Pro tip: Shadow Sorcerer is the stand for The Wolf by SIAMÉS) It was when I was looking through some of the new UA subclasses I thought: “huhn. That would actually really work for Giorno!”

Tulok the Barbrarian’s JoJo builds are really great but he gets a lot more requests than I do on this humble little Tumblr. I’ve seen Giorno suggested in his comments several times so you can be damn-well sure I’m going to post this on Twitter when I’m done the build.

I’m going to try my best to avoid spoilers in this build, but of course some bits will have to be revealed so take it with a grain of salt. Also while tagging this “Giorno x Fugo” was a suggested tag and now you all have to live with that knowledge. Thanks Tumblr.

GOALS

Life, spring forth! - Gold Experience’s ability is to create new life. Excluding how overpowered that is we’ll be using that ability to our advantage when fighting dragons in a possible dungeon.

Gang Player - Giorno takes a sort of medic role in Bruno’s group, keeping everyone “alive” though they may not exactly be “well.”

MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA - Of course it wouldn’t be a bizarre adventure without the JoJo-branded punching ghost.

RACE

Giorno is technically human but he has the blood of a vampire. While there’s no half-vampire race in D&D Half Elves have a mix of a supernatural race in them. Your Charisma increases by 2 and you can increase another two skills by 1: choose Dexterity and Wisdom for your +1s. You get Darkvision up to 60 feet and your Vampire Fey Ancestry gives you advantage against Charms and makes it impossible to put you to sleep with magic. Would’ve probably been useful on the train.

Half Elves get Skill Proficiency in two skills of their choice: choose Animal Handling and Nature to properly take care of whatever you make with your stand. As for languages Common is probably Japanese and Elvish is Italian; pick whatever language you happen to be localized in since it really doesn’t matter.

ABILITY SCORES

15; WISDOM - Giorno is able to keep calm and level-headed in almost all situations, and the odd ability score from our race will balance this out nicely.

14; CHARISMA - Being the son of a vampire makes you naturally charming, on top of the +2 from our race.

13; DEXTERITY - Giorno runs around in a pink suit with lady bug pins, which in no way is heavy armor. And dodging attacks from La Squadra takes a lot of nimbleness.

12; CONSTITUTION - Damage is... interesting in the JoJo universe. Regardless a bit of extra Constitution will help us shrug off a bullet or twenty... Might want to help Mista with that.

10; INTELLIGENCE - Giorno was a good student before joining the gangs; he’s certainly no dummy.

8; STRENGTH - As the joke goes stand users got progressively less buff through the parts.

BACKGROUND

Giorno didn’t really have much of a background before becoming a Gang Star, but Celebrity Adventurer’s Scion from Acquisitions Inc is perfect for the son of DIO. You get proficiency in the Performance and Perception skills, as well as a Disguise Kit and two languages of your choice.

Your Name Dropping feature will let you use your gang influence to get a place to stay and food to eat, or help from some major figures in Passione’s pocket. At least until the boss knows what you’re doing.

(Artwork from tokkoro.com)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - BARD 1

Starting off as a Bard for the added proficiencies, notably the instrument proficiency to get a piano... or at least a Horn, Lute, and Dulcimer. Regardless Bards can choose three skill proficencies from All of Them: so take Medicine, Persuasion, and Athletics for JoJo chase sequences, speeches about dreams, and healing Mista.

Speaking of speeches Bards get Bardic Inspiration, letting them spend a Bonus Action to give an ally a d6 to add to an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. Giorno is really good at inspiring his teammates. You have a number of them equal to your Charisma modifier and they come back after a Long Rest.

Finally Bards get access to Spellcasting: you get two cantrips from the Bard list. Mage Hand will let you make a bird to ferry over light object to you, and Vicious Mockery lets you deliver a speech about resolve to your enemy, doing a d4 of psychic damage and giving them disadvantage on their next attack roll.

You also get four level 1 spells from the Bard list: Cure Wounds and Healing Word are both staples for the gang medic, Animal Friendship is great for taking care of frogs, and Distort Value from Acquisitions Inc is great for running scams at the airport. Yes I finally get to use AI spells!

LEVEL 2 - MONK 1

Quickly hopping over to Monk to sort out our AC and give us some non stand-based mudas. Monks have Unarmored Defense equal to 10 plus their Wisdom and Dexterity (which is much higher than Leather Armor for you, and I don’t think your jacket is leather.) You also have Martial Arts to do a d4 of damage with your unarmed strikes, and use your Dexterity instead of your Strength to make unarmed strikes. You can also use your Bonus Action to make an additional unarmed strike if you already made a punch, allowing you to MUDA MUDA.

LEVEL 3 - BARD 2

Second level Bards get Jack of All Trades, letting them add half their proficiency bonus to any skill they’re not proficient in. Giorno is the protagonist and while everyone in Bruno’s group has their time to shine Giorno definitely shines with golden resolve. Just remember to let your allies have their time to shine too!

Second level Bards also get Song of Rest, letting you spend some time during short rests to heal everyone for an extra d6 of health if they use hit die to heal.

You also get another spell at this level and Feather Fall will let you cushion the fall if the gang starts to fall. I’d argue that this is less you slowing their fall and more you making a tree to gently lower them to the ground or something, but its up to you to flavor it. Heck: maybe someone else in the gang can make you a parachute?

LEVEL 4 - BARD 3

3rd level Bards get Expertise in 2 skills and as a Half Elf you have a lot of skills to choose from. Regardless I’d choose Nature and Medicine to know exactly what plants to use to heal Mista with Gold Experience.

Speaking of Gold Experience: the College of Creation Unearthed Arcana subclass can create life! But for a start you can make a Note of Potential, letting you give an ally some transformed life when you give them Bardic Inspiration.

Note of Destruction will let life retaliate when your ally use the Bardic Inspiration for an attack roll, forcing enemies within 5 feet of the inspired target to make a Constitution save or take Thunder damage equal to the roll on the Inspiration die.

Note of Protection will let some branches spawn around your ally, giving them temporary hitpoints equal to the roll on the Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier when they use the die on a saving throw.

Note of Ingenuity lets an ally roll the Bardic Inspiration die twice when making an Ability Check... I have no Gold Experience reason for this but it’s still a cool ability to have!

Second level Bards also get access to second level spells like Animal Messenger, letting you send a bird out to inform the gang of an incoming stand user.

LEVEL 5 - BARD 4

Level 4 Bards get an Ability Score Improvement, and naturally we want more Charisma for better speeches and more Bardic Inspiration.

You also get another cantrip and another spell: Mending will let you spawn life to repair a broken object, and Enhance Ability will give your allies a boost of life to aid them with specific skill checks along with another bonus based on which skill you choose to aid them with.

LEVEL 6 - BARD 5

5th level Bards see their Bardic Inspiration increase to a d8 for greater Notes of Potential. They also get Font of Inspiration to recover Bardic Inspiration on a short rest instead of a long rest.

You also get access to third level spells and... hey look at that: life to create! The Spells and Magical Tattoos UA gave us Summon Fey Spirit, and while it isn’t quite normal for animals to teleport around the Fey spirit is still great in its own right. The spirit is friendly to you and takes its turn right after you in initiative. When it dies or you lose concentration it disappears. It has armor equal to 11 plus the level you cast the spell at (so probably 14), hit points equal to its Constitution modifier (2) plus your spellcasting modifier (4) plus 10 times the level of the spell you used to cast it. (30) (Adding up to 36 health total.)

It has a short sword with a 3 + the spell’s level hit chance increase (so a +6), and it does a d6 + 3 + the spell’s level (so another 3) piercing damage and a d6 of force damage. The fey does have multiattack equal to half the spells level, but it’s rounded down so right now it can only attack once. (Though if you cast this spell with a 4th level slot it can attack twice!) It has a 40 foot movement speed and can teleport up to 30 feet as a bonus action. And depending on which fey you summon the teleport will have an additional effect:

Deceitful fey can fill a space nearby where they teleport with magical darkness which lasts until the end of their next turn. Consider this a squid... magic squid... land squid.

Joyful fey can force an enemy within 10 feet of where it teleported to make a Wisdom saving throw equal to your spell save DC or be charmed by it for 1 minute. Consider this a peacock or something.

Furious fey get advantage on their next attack roll after teleporting. Just your good old standard mauler: something like a bear.

I really recommend looking at this spell in your own time to understand the nitty-gritty of it, and I highly recommend talking to your DM to make sure that they’re okay with you making another unit for them to compensate for in combat. But they better be okay with you making summons because...

LEVEL 7 - BARD 6

At 6th level Creation Bards get Animating Performance, letting them use their magic to let life spring forth from inanimate objects! As an action you can target a nonmagical item that’s large or smaller which you can see within 30 feet of you. The item becomes a Dancing Item, as seen in the stat block for this ability, and is under your control for 1 hour or until it is reduced to 0 hit points.

In combat it shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take one of the actions in its stat block or the Dash, Disengage, Help, Hide, or Search action. You can also choose what the Dancing Item does if you use your Bonus Action to give Bardic Inspiration.

Yes I did just copy-paste that from the ability’s description, but it should be mentioned that this does help compensate for the fact that you’re not the greatest combatant yourself. Your animated item can do a lot of the fighting for you while you stay in the backline and support. If you have a Fey Spirit out as well that’s two summons fighting for you while you stand in the back!

You can only have one Dancing Item at a time though, and can only use this ability once per Long Rest or until you spend a third level spell slot or higher to reactivate this ability. If you try to make a second Dancing Item the first one becomes inanimate.

Speaking of third level you also get another known spell: Plant Growth will let you... grow plants. Duh. I suggest reading the spell over to see everything you can do with it. Oh and you get Countercharm I guess, letting you waste spend a turn to give allies within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.

(Artwork from Wallpaper Cave)

LEVEL 8 - MONK 2

Now that we got the ability to let life spring forth it’s time to get our stand beatdown. But firstly second level Monks get Ki which lets them do a number of things:

Flurry of Blows let you spend a Ki point to attack twice with your Bonus Action instead of once, so you can MUDA MUDA MUDA.

Patient Defense lets you take the dodge action as a Bonus Action, giving enemies disadvantage to attack you until your next turn.

Step of the Wind lets you Dash or Disengage as a Bonus Action for those JoJo chases, and also doubles your jump distance!

Your Ki points come back after a short rest much like your Bardic Inspiration. Yes these all use your Bonus Action, and you’ll probably be using your Bonus Action to command your Dancing Item. But consider these safety nets for now. If it makes you feel better you also move 10 feet faster thanks to Unarmored Movement.

LEVEL 9 - MONK 3

Third level Monks can choose their Monastic Tradition and Way of the Astral Self get to awaken their close-ranged stand. You can use 2 ki points to activate Arms of the Astral Self, allowing you to use your Wisdom instead of your Strength for Strength checks and saving throws, and allowing you to punch at 10 feet while using your Wisdom instead of your Strength or Dexterity for your unarmed strikes. You also get the ability to attack one extra time per turn with your Bonus Action without spending your Ki, but you’ll probably be spending your Bonus Action to direct your Dancing Item.

You can also Deflect Missiles, letting you reduce the damage of an incoming ranged weapon attack by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Monk level. If you reduce the damage to 0 you can catch it and then throw it back as a Monk weapon with 1 ki point.

LEVEL 10 - MONK 4

4th level Monks get an Ability Score Improvement and we’ll continue increasing our Charisma for stronger life-giving stand powers.

4th level Monks also get Slow Fall, letting them any falling damage they take by an amount equal to five times your Monk level. Yes you have Feather Fall but you can reserve that spell for your gang while you land safely on your own.

LEVEL 11 - MONK 5

5th level Monks get an Extra Attack, meaning that you can MUDA MUDA normally, MUDA MUDA MUDA with your Bonus Action, and MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA with Flurry of Blows. It’s not quite a 7-page MUDA but you don’t need that many punches unless you’re dealing with the lowest of scum.

That’s because your punches can overwhelm the senses with Stunning Strike, forcing an enemy to make a Constitution save or be stunned for a round, giving all allies advantage to hit them. Note that this counts for all melee weapon attacks so it will work with your Way of the Astral Self arms, but you can punch with Gold Experience’s strength when in a pinch.

LEVEL 12 - BARD 7

We got all the MUDAs we need so now we can finish giving ourselves Gold Experience. 7th level Bards can cast 4th level spells like Polymorph. You can transform a living creature into an animal of CR equal to their CR / level or lower. They can make a Wisdom save to resist but you can transform one of your party members into a powerful beast to take on the boss. T-Rex Narancia? T-Rex Narancia.

LEVEL 13 - BARD 8

At 8th level you get another Ability Score Improvement: since our Charisma is finally maxed out it’s time to grab the Inspiring Leader feat to give a speech to your allies and bolster their resolve, giving them temporary hitpoints equal to your total level plus your Charisma modifier. That’s 18 temporary hitpoints currently!

You also get another spell and Hallucinatory Terrain will let you mold the environment around you temporarily with Gold Experience. None of the changes you make with this spell will last but you can definitely use it to trick some foes into thinking that they’re in danger when they’re actually safe, or tricking them that they’re safe when they’re actually in danger.

LEVEL 14 - BARD 9

9th level Bards see their Song of Rest increase to a d8, because this ability scales very poorly if you multiclass. You do however get access to 5th level spells like Mass Cure Wounds, allowing you to quickly heal any injuries the gang might’ve taken.

LEVEL 15 - BARD 10

Your next level gives you Expertise in 2 more skills: I’d choose Animal Handling and Persuasion to persuade people not to hit the frog you’re handling with a shovel.

But the main appeal of Bard is of course their Magical Secrets: you can choose two spells from any class’ spell list and guess what? We’re going to Druid. Wrath of Nature lets you supercharge the plant growth in an area to do a bunch of useful things, and Entangle is a lower level spell that also slows down enemies. But of course feel free to take other Magical Secrets if you don’t want nothing but plant growth.

Finally your Bardic Inspiration die increase to a d10 and you get another cantrip: Dancing Lights will let you make some fireflies to light the way. Yeah you probably have better light sources but none of the other Bard cantrips really seem that good.

(Artwork from wallpapertag.com)

LEVEL 16 - BARD 11

11th level Bards get 6th level spells like True Seeing, so you can make sure that you always reach the truth.

LEVEL 17 - BARD 12

12th level Bards get an Ability Score Improvement and we’ll increase our Wisdom for stronger stunning strikes and punching arms.

LEVEL 18 - BARD 13

13th level Bards see their Song of Rest increase to a d10, because this ability scales terribly. You also get access to 7th level spells and Regenerate is the best spell for Gold Experience. You allow an ally to regenerate health for the duration and they can also regrow limbs! Feel free to rule this as you giving them a newly forming body part.

LEVEL 19 - BARD 14

At 14th level Creation Bards get their final ability Performance of Creation, allowing them to create one nonmagical item in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of them. The maximum gold value is equal to 20 times your level in Bard (so up to 300 GP next level) and it’s obvious that the item was made with this ability due to magical music floating around it. 

The item disappears at the end of your next turn unless you use your action to maintain it. You can extend it up to a maximum of 1 minute, after which it continues to exist for a number of hours equal to your bard level. Once you create an item with this feature you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest or spend a spell slot of 5th level or higher to use it again. You can have only one item created at a time and if you use this action and when you have an item out the first one immediately vanishes.

It’s perhaps not too Giorno-esque to make weapons and tools but you can make mounts with this! 280 gold is more than enough to make a riding horse or anything else you might need! Giorno’s craftiness and ability to create what he needs in a fight is one of his biggest strengths.

You also get more Magical Secrets because 14th level for Bard is very loaded. We’ll be hopping back to Druid again for Wall of Thorns, a 6th level spell that lets you make a wall... of... thorns... For your second choice we actually have to wait until next level because of interactions with the Magical Secrets feature.

LEVEL 20 - BARD 15

You final level is the 15th level of Bard for a d12 Bardic Inspiration die. You also get access to 8th level spells at this level but I don’t really want any of them from the Bard list so we’ll be hopping back to 7th level to get  Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion inside of Coco Jumbo. The spell is really extravagant and is far bigger than the one room turtle is normally: I highly suggest reading the spell over on your own time so you can set up a proper mansion for a mob boss.

As for that Magical Secret of yours... D&D Beyond is very weird with this but according to my understanding this should be allowed. If you want to subject your enemies to a Requiem the best spell to take would be one from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount: the 8th level Dunamancy spell Reality Break. Reality Break only has 4 different near-death experiences for your enemies but if they fail their Wisdom check you can make sure they never reach the truth.

FINAL BUILD

PROS

I will not order any of you - You are quite the team player, and can make a team for yourself! Your Animating Performance can fight for you while you stay back to heal or cast some heavy nukes.

Don't make me say the same thing twice - You’re incredibly skilled as a Bard with 3 proficencies, Expertise in another 4, and Jack of All Trades in the remaining skills. Regardless of situation you can find a way out of it.

I turned my tooth into a jellyfish - Along with your nukes and your heals you have a ton of utility spells which allow you to travel, rest, and share information safely.

CONS

2 paths - Let me just run down your Bonus Action list real fast: You have...

* Dancing Item commands * Activating your Astral Arms * Unarmed Strikes * Astral Arms attacks * Flurry of Blows / Step of the Wind / Patient Defense * Bardic Inspiration

Mixing two classes with Bonus Action economy results in your overall action economy being very bloated.

In this world, only the results matter! - Everything you have is limited: Ki points, Spell Slots, Bardic Inspiration, and summons. Yes your Ki and Bardic Inspiration comes back on a Short Rest but your spell slots and Bard class features only come back after a Long Rest, meaning that you’ll need a lot more time to recover than others.

Lept past it - This build has a few issues which are more “meta” problems than actual problems with the class. The first issue is that all the spells and features combined result in VERY long turns. In particular if you opt to summon a Fae Spirit and fight with your Dancing Object that results in THREE creatures that need to take their action on your turn.

The other big issue is that the levels in Monk really don’t do much to help you. You would’ve probably been better off investing in Fighter or something for Medium Armor instead of using Unarmored Defense, and while the high Wisdom is nice for skill checks and RP your Astral Self arms aren’t going to be your main weapon by a long stretch, especially since you have so many Concentration spells.

But as a JoJo Protagonist your job is to win your fights and then take a break while the rest of your gang gets their own archs. Inspire their shining resolve but occasionally lay the smackdown on those who truly deserve it. Play the piano so your foes know that they’ll never reach the truth, and spare some paper for the 7 pages you’ll need to do the smackdown.

(Artwork by u/yourfreakyneighbourh on Reddit.)

[xanth-the-wizard]

Random Wilderness Encounters (1d100)

Here’s a complete list of my Wilderness Encounters (#1-5)! After this I’ll be posting Random Town Encounters. If you guys want other environments let me know! (Ocean, Island, Mountain, Underworld, ???)

[1] A friendly stray dog appears, when asked to speak the dog has a lot to share [2] Materializing out of thin air, a magician appears claiming one of the party members is their long lost cousin. Surely this must be a mistake? [3] The sky above turns into a strange hue, birds begin flying in strange patterns in response [4] Copper sign on a large oak tree warns of a dangerous beast that hunts in the area [5] Strange traveling merchant appears selling exotic fish and unique magical spices. They’re desperate for loyal customers, surely this won’t be the last the party sees of them [6] There is a shift in the aura, the party have crossed into a large-scale summoning circle [7] A faint tune is heard, a pleasant and somewhat familiar whistling. But only half of the party can hear it [8] The trees appear to be sickly, covered in an acidic substance. The source of the infection lies deeper within the woods. It is hungry [9] Ruins of an abandoned town lie before you, only a few decades old. What awaits within the shadows? [10] A strange marketplace is stationed near a spring, all the merchants seem to be friendly but you can’t help but feel like something suspicious is going down… [11] The temperature drops to an insanely low degree almost immediately. Destroyed trees and earth lie ahead covered in ice crystals and blood [12] A carriage rides toward you in the distance, the driver smiles and waves. As they pass by, a tied up body wriggles and falls out of the carriage [13] Pointed plant spurs shower the party attaching to their clothes, they are difficult to remove and grow in size very rapidly [14] The aroma of baked goods floods your nose, it’s rich and enticing. A colossal sized monster is baking goods in a makeshift oven near a river [15] Goblins camping on a hill loudly argue about a dishonest game of cards. Looks like their betting pool is full of interesting treasure [16] Forest spirits glow and awaken as the party enters their domain. The spirits offer a safe way through the forest as long as they promise not to steal any of the enchanted flowers within [17] A wounded Minotaur rests against a tree slipping in and out of consciousness [18] Blessed by a beautiful night, the party gaze upon a shooting star. It glows brightly, increasing with size as it makes contact with the earth itself not too far away [19] Travel is pleasant until the party notices their packs seem to be lessening in weight [20] Twin travelers, no more than 6 years of age, approach the party lost and scared. They refuse to let anyone open up their knapsacks [21] A band of muggers attack the party, they are completely drunk and can barely hold a dagger [22] It seems you’ve stumbled onto the hidden base of an Alchemist, strange abominations infused with Chromatic Orbs guard the premise [23] “Huh. That’s weird, did that plant just move or was it just me?” [24] While scavenging for food, you stumble upon an adorable but frightened rabbit. Every time it sneezes it changes forms, starting with Owlbear [25] An abandoned grain mill provides some convenient shelter for the night. Inside the mill the party discover a complex mechanical endoskeleton, the rusted metal gears creak uneasily [26] Nearby, a crowd has gathered around a clay golem without a master. The crowd watches, enchanted as the golem paints masterpieces. The paint has a strange property… [27] Two Monsters are locked in combat, bloodied and breathing heavily. It seems their glorious duel is one of honor, maybe bet on a winner? [28] A Dragon flies overhead holding onto a hoard of gold and treasures. A sudden change in direction causes a piece of their treasure to fall [29] Dozens of fish with human legs crawl out of a lake. This school of peculiar fish seem to be on a mission [30] Rock music is heard in the distance followed by bouts of cheering, strange aromas fill the air. It seems you are approaching a Music Festival [31] You’ve wandered onto the premises of a camp for young Wizards. A Wizarding tournament is taking place and things get very dangerous, very fast [32] A cobblestone bridge stretches across a deep ravine. An Orc guarding the bridge demands you pay the toll, fortunately it is very small. After crossing the bridge you simply cannot remember where you are or where you’re going- Oh, a hey! A bridge! (And repeat) [33] A Mage stands in front of an unfinished tower. Upon seeing the party, they ask for assistance [34] A few hundred feet ahead, a strange house on wheels attached to two horses is parked on the side of the road. The house is somewhat destroyed but a sign on the roof is visible, “The Legendary Vagabond’s Sensational Creature Exhibit” [35] The ground below rumbles as a Monster emerges catching one of the party members in their teeth [36] In the center of the forest clearing, an abandoned field of flowers sway. These strange flowers are growing out the decayed body of a Dryad [37] A wild chicken jumps out of the bushes, it’s beak covered in blood. Surely this chicken is no threat, right? [38] Seated beside the river shore, an ethereal creature weeps. They reveal themselves as a Demigod with daddy issues [39] Hungrily, a non-traditional Chimera stalks the party. The beast is stitched together poorly [40] Inside the log of a fallen tree lies a poorly concealed treasure chest full of stolen loot. I’m sure nobody will mind if we take it? [41] Mysterious beasts occupy a dark hollow inside a hill, they want to play a bizarre game with promise of a grand reward [42] A sleeping Cyclops presents an awkward obstacle for the party, sleeping on the path. Nothing seems to be waking them and going around them is dangerous due to the environment [43] A nearby earthquake collapses the ground, revealing some glowing ore [44] Rotted flora is everywhere, upon further inspection this rot spreads out for miles [45] Wonderful! A village! Oh and everyone here is so nice… New mayors? Oh no, you must be mistaken! Oh, you’re certain? Well then [46] Lightning strikes the ground creating a dimensional rift. Certain conditions must have been met for this to have happened. Why not investigate? [47] Faint, indescribable sounds are heard from every direction. As you leave the dense foliage you discover beasts and Monsters of all types in cages. Welcome to the zoo [48] Little miss spider sips on some cider, eating her curds and whey. Along came the party, all powerful and hearty who scared miss spider away… You guys should probably apologize [49] A few tattered shacks sit beside the open road, nothing of interest is found within. The only thing to note is that they seem to be breathing… [50] Something straight out of Monster Factory is now stalking the party. Are they friend or foe? [51] A poet down on their luck bumps into the party. Did I mention they’re a Beholder? Let’s hope somebody can inspire this beast, or else [52] Just outside the village a group of angsty Bards are practicing their instruments. Their music is loud and dangerous, they don’t seem to understand a thing about Bardic magic [53] The coolest wizard you’ve ever seen dogsleds past your crew, spraying them with glittering ice. Did I mention it’s summer? [54] Just ahead, you see a ruined castle covered in moss and vines overlooking a quiet lake [55] Looks like a small creature has found its way into someone’s pack. This menace has eaten all of your rations and drank all of their booze! [56] YUCK! A swarm of bugs have gotten the best of your party. Fortunately, only one of you was bitten. Unfortunately, it looks like now they’ve developed a new, very unfortunate allergy [57] Blistering heat has rendered your whole party sweaty and exhausted, movement is quite difficult. I sure hope some baddies don’t show up right now [58] The unluckiest member of your party has their luck turned around, they found a precious jewel lodged in the dirt. They feel inspired [59] The unluckiest member of your party continues their trend of haplessness, they find a precious jewel lodged in the dirt. It whispers to them at night, haunting their dreams [60] After a hearty sleep the party awaken to find that they’ve been sleeping on top of a buried tomb [61] A large scale battle is taking place, bodies everywhere. Wait, this doesn’t seem to be a battlefield but a serious LARP session [62] Rusted weapons have been lazily discarded into a sunken pit. As the party approaches they discover this heap of weapons is actually somebody, or something’s collection [63] A drunken Necromancer attempts to impress the party by casting hazardous spells [64] Arrows fire at the party from behind. Someone’s been hired to take them out [65] For the past few hours you’ve felt as if someone has been watching you from afar. A Druid has been tracking your party. Outsiders are rare in this forest [66] A group Merchants are completely lost. Neither of them can remember anything from their past [67] Religious statues are placed haphazardly around the area, nothing is out of the ordinary until the sun goes down [68] Dozens of animated skeletons are exercising and doing some really intense yoga [69] Beside a babbling brook, a young cow drinks alone. They’re irresistibly adorable [70] An uneventful day of travel, the weather is calm the trees are- THUD! WHAT THE- The party leader has bumped into something invisible [71] All metal objects are intensely pulled toward an unknown source. Steel weapons and armor don’t stand a chance [72] It appears resting on that rock was quite the mistake. The stone rumbles and animates, grumpy and combative [73] Meditating on floating chunks of earth is a powerful looking Monk. They claim to have been awaiting the party’s arrival. The Monk issues a challenge, a test of strength [74] You’ve somehow stumbled onto a delightful Toad farm. Do you think a Witch lives around here or is there just a Toad enthusiast in these parts? [75] The morning sun stirs you awake to an unexpected scene. You and your friends have been tied up and kidnapped, seated in the back of a caravan. It smells oddly of pickled vegetables [76] A fishing contest is being held at the lake. The grand prize is a shockingly large sum of currency [77] It is a moonless night, travel is nearly impossible. As the party decide to sleep for the night, glowing is seen in the distance. When investigated the glowing creature is seemingly friendly and it attempts to guide the party through the night [78] Forest fairies are holding a festival for their gods, they invite the party to join [79] ACHOO! The pollen in the air is really strong… Wait… Are those trees growing or are we shrinking? Of course we’re shrinking! Why wouldn’t we be shrinking!? [80] In order to pass through this forest unharmed you must answer the goddess’s riddle. Unfortunately for the party she speaks a dead language, they hear only strange whispers [81] A group of Goblins attack! After giving them a good licking you run into them again. And again… And again. Maybe we should just make peace with these dorks [82] Introduce the most ridiculous NPC and have them stuck in some quicksand. Really let their character shine through, whether they are stupidly entertaining or horribly unbearable [83] A strange light glows in the distance on top of a mountain. Is this a sign of good fortune or something much more sinister? [84] A lone child plays the flute in the forest, they appear almost ethereal. It is a haunting melody [85] Shattered Gargoyles sit in an overgrown garden, a treasure chest lies among the rubble [86] Pick your favorite Cryptid and make them canonical to your world. Have the beast stalk the party for mysterious cryptic reasons. And yes, the Loch Ness Monster is an excellent choice [87] The forest clearing leads to a crystal clear freshwater lake. In the depths of the water something terrifying is waiting to be discovered [88] Two hyper intelligent, talking rabbits stop the party in their tracks. All they request are some books to read [89] A tree, twice as tall as the others appears to be growing… Weapons? (All of those are cursed, of course) [90] Next to the road, a group of Archaeologists are taking dirt samples. They’re convinced they will find some buried artifacts in the area. They are willing to pay a ridiculous sum of money if you give them some assistance, just as long as you keep this whole thing to yourselves [91] Resting through the night was very pleasant for the party leader. When they attempt to greet their comrades, they have found themselves in a bed a long ways away from their resting point [92] Dried up lake beds and decaying trees among a field of animal bones. You have reached the outside of a Necromancer’s circle [93] Orcs with a sense of humor attempt to prank the party. Their prank is perfectly harmless, it involves just a little bit of bottled unicorn piss [94] Travel is impossible on this moonless night. Unfortunately, sleeping until morning does not solve the situation, nighttime persists indefinitely [95] A colorful formation on the side of the mountain piques your interest. Inside lies the abandoned home of a giant and it is full of unique treasure. Let’s just hope something else hasn’t taken residence within the forgotten halls [96] Tons of bubblegum covers the roads, it is awful to travel through. The source of this mishap is a young Wizard with a sweet tooth [97] Crashed into the side of a plateau, a metallic construct with strange markings and glowing lights. Surely this isn’t an actual extraterrestrial? [98] While foraging for food, the party find a path of mushrooms leading into a dense Fungal Forest. Rare and undiscovered fungi grow within [99] The most obnoxious bard in the world joins the party at their campfire. They claim to be weak and in need of good company, offering booze to win them over. Did I mention this bard is an infamous necromancer on the run? Yeah, that might be important to know [100] Have you ever heard of the Adventure Zone? Well, Taako, Magnus and Merle have suddenly found themselves into your campaign. They are completely lost

[jeanjauthor]

Clothes vs. Money: Status and Self Worth in the 18th Century

Writers, this is an EXCELLENT summation of how important the quality & appearance of clothing is in a pre-modern society.

Clothing today is incredibly cheap: a single day’s wages will get you pants or skirt, shirt, socks and underwear, all of it brand new, straight off the rack, in a vast variety of colors and patterns.  A week’s wages will get you shoes and coat and a couple changes of underwear, extra shirt, extra pants or skirt (or a dress).

Prior to the 20th century...it could take you more than a month to earn enough money for a new shirt, or underclothes, or trousers, or shoes.  Not and, but or. You’d be lucky to get two of those things at average to good wages for the vast majority of people...and since the vast majority still worked on farms prior to the industrial revolution, and with it, the agricultural revolution, you’d only see that kind of money during or shortly after harvest season.

Listen to John Townsend reading from these journals.  Take your inspiration from them.  Be realistic in what your characters would be wearing, how often they’d get a chance to do laundry, and make sure your characters are clothed appropriately for their situation.

In the movie Ever After, Danielle (Cinderella) borrows a fancy noblewoman’s dress left at the painter’s studio to go rescue her fellow servant.  The dress is only available to her because her best friend growing up is the painter’s apprentice, and because painting a portrait can take weeks of work, so it was often just easiest to leave the clothing on a mannekin form while the owner went off in their other clothes to do other things.  We might think the dress she normally wears isn’t too bad, but it’s only slightly above what the other servants wear, and it’s definitely not new.

In the modern era, this is also true, though the lines are a bit more blurred.  We have Casual Fridays, where you can come to work at some places in jeans and a teeshirt, or a Hawai’ian shirt...and we have formal suits and dresses and skirtsuits.  Some situations you can get away with a Casual Friday.  Others, you’d never get away with it.  Lawyers, for example, are expected to wear suits or the equivalent at all times, to project an air of professionalism & seriousness. 

We have a variety of uniforms that we have to wear for certain jobs or industries, too.  Not just UPS or Military or Post Office or Law Enforcement.  Have you noticed the variety of uniforms in the restaurant industry?  Some places (McDonalds, etc), issue you your uniform. It isn’t yours to keep, however; once you’re done working for them, you have to hand it back in.  You also have to keep it clean and neat at your own expense.  Housekeeping staff for hotels have to do this, too.

Other places simply say “wear black pants (or skirt, but no yoga pants or jeans) and white shirt, no teeshirts or logos (not even a lil alligator or polo pony)”...and that’s all you have to wear.  You have to supply your own “uniform.”  It could be almost any style of trousers or non-logo non-tee shirt.  Others allow you to wear a serious, sober, law-office-worthy tie...while some allow you to wear “an amusing tie of publicly acceptable subject material”...aka no naked-lady ties, or ties covered in swearwords...but you could wear Loony Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny, or a Transformers tie if you wanted.

However, clothing is incredibly cheap; if you’re used to having money in your pocket for clothes every few months in real life, you probably haven’t thought about having to repair your clothes.  Shirt gets ripped?  Go buy a new one!  No big deal!  ...Right?

You cannot take that attitude, that mindset, into a pre-20th-century tech-level world.

Just to give you an example, making the cloth to make clothes took HUGE amounts of effort before the advent of industrialization, from the farm machines to automatically pick the cotton through to the carding and spinning and weaving machines.  Prior to all of that (and yes, the mechanized industrialization of agriculture is PART of why clothes are so cheap...and why wool, which still has to be sheared by professional shearers working one sheep at a time, is so much more expensive!)...it took 12 full time spinners to keep 1 full time weaver working at the loom.

What does that mean?  It means that the 12 spinners listed above did nothing but spin all day long.  Aside from maybe making their meals, they didn’t plough (plow) the fields, they didn’t feed the livestock, they didn’t shepherd the sheep, they didn’t mend the fences, they didn’t craft the furniture or repair the roof thatching...  A lot of families grew flax specifically for turning it into linen thread, and spend every spare moment they had spinning thread, to either hopefully get them enough thread to set up a loom in the winter months when there was’t a lot of outdoor activity going on, or to sell to professional weavers, in hopefully good enough quality to fetch the best price for their balls of thread.

Ploughmen (whatever gender) would be outside all day long, plowing, weeding, harvesting, mending things around the farm and would only spin if there was time.  Housekeepers and child tenders would spin while food was cooking (which could take hours), or while laundry was drying...but it would still probably take roughly 30 part-time spinners to keep 1 weaver in constant production.

Also, consider the fact that it takes literal days to set up a loom...and god help you if you got it wrong and didn’t discover the mistake right away, because you’d spend hours more undoing and redoing it right.  Dependind on the width of the fabric, the tightness of the weave, the type of fabric and the kind of loom (Navajo vertical looms are different beasts from European treadle looms...and a lightweight linen suitable for handkerchiefs and veils isn’t going to be at all like a heavy canvas, never mind a rug weight material), the swiftness of making the cloth means that your progress might be measured in inches per day, feet per day, or if you’re very lucky, yards per day...and that’s assuming you have enough thread on hand for both warp and weft.

...Think that’s a lot?  I haven’t even gotten into all the effort required for finding and making dyes, madders (fixing agents to help keep the colors from fading too fast in sunlight) and getting the consistencies right.  (Contrary to popular belief you could get some bright colors out of natural dyes; black was the absolute most difficult to dye, not purple. The materials for making black dye were far cheaper to acquire than for purple, but still, difficult to dye and keep it actually black in sunlight.)

Nor have I gotten into sumptuary laws, which tried to dictate what a person of a certain social rank could wear, including furs and silks.  (Anyone could wear squirrel fur, for example, but to wear mink or ermine, you had to be waaay up high on the social ladder.) ...People still wanted to wear things “above their station” and sumptuary laws were difficult to enforce at times...but sometimes they were enforced ruthlessly.  So it was risky at times.

Danielle in Ever After would’ve been whipped & imprisoned/indentured for wearing that fancy dress, if people had realized she was a peasant, not a noblewoman.  But for her, the risk was worth it, to save a man from being sold off to the colonies for indentured servitude, to bring him back to his wife and his family & friends.

So John’s not kidding when he says that people in the late 1700s/early 1800s invested money in their clothes as a sign of their social status.  You want people to treat you with more respect, you have to look like you have the social status, and that preceived social status is often dependent on wealth.

Buying new is not the only option, either.  We have places like the Rack where they sell off for cheap the odds and ends, remnants of garments that just didn’t sell at listed price in the big department stores, or they might have a few flaws that the big stores reject (missing button, wonky stitching, etc), but otherwise the garment is in good shape and still basically brand new, so it’s sold for maybe $20 instead of $80

We also have the true thrift stores, such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, Value Village, and those are just the local charity/donated goods shops in my area.  You can visit these places and get that same dress at $80 for just $4-$8, but it’ll have been worn by someone else, laundered (well, one hopes), and put up for sale.

The same sort of system existed in pre-industrial societies.  Mercedes Lackey has a beautiful scene in her first Bardic Voices, The Lark & the Wren novel, wherein the main character, the Wren, is taken to various used clothing sellers in the market places of the city she’s in, and given advice on what to buy, which includes torn and stained clothing, and how to hide the stains, using ribbon trim and embroidery and applique patches, or even just wearing a vest over a shirt that’s stained on the chest area.

Since Wren is trying to make a living as a bard/minstrel, it’s considered appropriate for her to have clothing that has fancy, eye-catching trim on it, as part of her entertainer persona.  When she’s busking in the street (performing for passers-by to hopefully get pennies...or pins...in payment), the more eye-catching, the better, since it goes with her ear-catching music.

And when she gets a job providing polite, soothing music in an upper-class bordello/brothel style establishment, she wears more subdued clothes.  Why?  To help her blend into the background, since the focus is to provide soothing, pleasant music while the rich patrons wait for their chosen paid companions to be available.  They’re not going to put up with someone wearing screaming shades of red and yellow and green with ribbon-strung bells dangling off their elbows...but neither will they put up with someone wearing the cheapest, crappiest woven fabrics visibly stained and ragged, badly patched or torn.

Since the adage “the clothes make (the social status) of the man” has been around for ages and ages...I can only imagine that clothing--and the kind of high-tech gear you can afford--far into the future will also still continue to be a mark of unspoken social status for humankind.

...I mention gear because aliens might or might not have any need for clothing, but they’ll certainly have a need for gear, and the higher the quality the gear, or the more functional it is, the more likely they’ll be considered higher quality in social status, too.

Also, functionality is a key factor, because social status isn’t just about kings and queens at the top and peasants and slaves at the bottom. It’s also about what kinds of society your characters move around in.  You wear clothes appropriate to being a sailor while on a ship, but you will want different outfits when you’re a blacksmith apprentice, versus a clockmaker’s helper, versus a farm laborer, versus a nobleman’s son.

A nobleman’s son wouldn’t want to wear the leather apron or smock that a blacksmith would, but if you walked into a smithy and asked for a job while wearing fine silks, you’d get turned down (and laughed at behind your back), but if you walked in wearing wool (which doesn’t catch on fire; it just scorches and smolders and goes out) and leather (ditto), you’ll be taken seriously.

Your gear is the same.  The Millenium Falcon was a rusted bucket of bolts and patch jobs compared to Queen Amidala’s personal, sleek, silvery interstellar transport, but it was still a fantastically swift, maneuverable ship.  The Queen’s personal yacht would get her respect from port authorities.  The Falcon’s capabilities would get it respect from other smugglers and crime bosses, because it looks like it can’t go very fast and should fall apart at any minute...but it won’t fall apart.  It’ll blast past everything else & keep going...provided you can keep it patched together.

Anyway, long speech short, watch this video, and think about how your stories and your characters protray their social status, their wealth, via their clothes & gear...and remember, pre-20th-century, clothing is expensive.  You and I have each probably have so many different outfits on our shelves and in our dresser drawers and wardrobe cupboards and closets that we’d be considered damn near royalty in terms of pure clothing-wealth, compared to just about anywhere in the 11th Century.

Clothing makes the character, and the story.

[transmogrified-in-the-void]

Tpu request!! Anything with Bardic Inspiration is just *chefs kiss* cuz i love them so much,, but hear me out- BI somehow gets teleported (or smth) from the past into like,, not exactly the present but just before the finale. I just love past characters meeting their present self okay. No pressure tho!!

Cato sits on the couch, watching as Gemini and Virtue fight each other in some game on the TV.

"I am going to kick your ass!" Gemini growls, furiously mashing the buttons on her controller.

"You sure can try." Virtue hums, calmly moving their character out of the way of each attack.

Gemini's character almost jumps off the edge on accident, just as Bug and Airael walk in with snacks.

Airael takes a bag of gummy bears from the pile and sits next to his girlfriend. "You good?"

Gemini tries to kill Virtue again, and fails. "Give me a gummy."

"As you wish."

One of Gemini's spells hits Virtue's character. "HA! I got yo- woah."

Virtue pauses. They look at Gemini, who's holding her chest, then lurches forward and does the same thing.

Cato can feel their heartrates pick up, and watches as it happens to Airael and Bug. Then, something seems to wrap around the inside of their ribs, and pulls.

"Guys?" Is all Cato is able to ask before there's a blue flash of light, and the living room is empty.

The group falls on top of a table covered in papers. It must be late out, because the windows outside are darkened and there's nobody in the room. Nobody, that is, except for a lanky kid with an eyepatch.

They stare at each other, in the dark, endlessly. Taking in everything they can. The kid is wearing a large coat and looks almost exhausted, in the way teenagers do. Then, suddenly, he disappears. Like he wasn't there in the first place.

Virtue is the first to speak. "Who the fuck was that?"

Bug is the second. "I have no clue."

The third is the sound of footsteps clanging on metal, a door opening, and light coming into the dark room.

The kid appears out of the doorway. Then, a person with bright green hair and neon yellow eyes. And then . . .

And then it's Virtue. But it's not Virtue, because Virtue doesn't look like the weight of the world is on their shoulders, and their hair is shorter.

"Look!" The kid gestures to the group, his voice cracking slightly. "Why would I lie about them?"

Not-Virtue is looking at the group, and then to the neon green haired person, and over again. "Electrode." They say, and that definitely sounds like Virtue's voice, but it can't be. "I don't remember this."

Green hair, Electrode, stares right at Cato with nothing but anguish and fear. "Yeah." Comes Cato's voice, right out of Electrode's mouth. "I don't either."

-

Cato learns that the kid's name is Nightmare, which . . . the other one's name was Electrode so that must be a thing. They learn that they're in a warehouse owned by Electrode, who must be some higher up who just happens to sound like Cato.

Currently the band is in what is called the 'caffeine room'. It's a room with over 15 coffee dispensers, and everyone has a mug in their hands.

"So." Nightmare sits on the table in front of everyone else. "How did you get here?"

"We were playing a game." Virtue says. "I was winning-" Gemini sticks out her tongue and Virtue returns the favor. "I was winning when Gem hit me with a spell. Something tugged at our chests, there was blue light and then we were here. I guess."

There's some strange look on Nightmare's face, almost wistful, in a detached way. That's when Cato realizes something.

"Wait, when I say Bardic Inspiration, what do you think of?"

Nightmare's face closes off almost instantaneously, the small gleam in his eyes gone and his face blank. "I don't know if I am allowed to say."

"Why?"

Nightmare turns slowly to Cato, eyes flicking up and down. The memory of their voice coming out of Electrode's mouth still weighs on them.

"I don't know if I'm allowed to say."

There's footsteps, and Nightmare looks at the entrance with a flicker of confusion. Not-Virtue appears from around the corner.

"Are they okay?" Nightmare asks.

"They're in the lab." Not-Virtue responds.

There's a moment of silence that fills the room as Not-Virtue and Nightmare watch each other. The lights flicker, and Nightmare disappears. The band turns and looks at Not-Virtue, who in turn looks at them.

They close their eyes, take a deep breath in, and slowly let it out. Their eyes open, and they stare directly at Bug. "Look. I am going to be as transparent about this as I can be without getting into Electrode's space."

"What's up with Electrode?" Gemini asks, putting her face into her hands. "Wait not like that. I meant, who the fuck lives in a warehouse this big in fucking New York, with at least three people?"

Not-Virtue's eyes move towards Gemini, staring at her with a near violent intensity. "You aren't prepared for that answer." They look back at Bug. "As I was saying, you all are from the past, as well as a different timeline than this one. Not too different until about an hour ago, but still different."

"How do you know that?" Bug stands up and crosses its arms. "What do you know that makes you so skittish around us?"

Virtue stands a little taller, and their shoulders roll back ever so slightly. "You know, having one of the people who works for you appear inside of your room yelling about people coming back from the dead in a flash of light is worrisome. Especially since their death fundamentally changed the course of history."

Cato's going to be sick.

"At least, three people back from the dead." They look at Virtue. "I never introduced myself. Hi, I'm Virtue, ex-manager of popular cover band Bardic Inspiration."

Cato misses how Virtue's eyes go over everyone but them.

"It's so nice to see you all again."

-

Electrode isn't panicking. No, they're not. They're not thinking about rotting corpses and mutilated bodies and blood and organs and screaming and-

No. Not thinking about it. They're not thinking about it.

Someone is behind them.

They spin around and see Nightmare at the entrance, watching, as he usually does.

"I know that this is hard for you." He starts, and oh what a way to start. "But, hear me out, there's a baby you in there. Who has no clue that you invented anti-gravity boots."

Okay yeah they're actually not thinking about it anymore. They have boots to put on.

-

Virtue . . . should stop hanging around Electrode so much. Or maybe more because seeing everyone devolve at that bombshell was actually funny. Or, well, it was until Electrode came flying in on their boots.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Airael yells as Electrode's boots power off. "I'm done! I'm done. There's only so much I can fucking take. Can I go to bed? I'd like to go to bed."

"There's a couch in the hallway to the lef- and he's gone okay." Electrode watches as Airael stands up and leaves, not that anyone blames him he deals with all of their shit. Then, they look at Cato. "Y'know, I was planning on having several mental breakdowns just now, seeing as how I was the one to see your corpses, but then Nightmare reminded me of something."

Bug moves to stand in front of Virtue and Cato. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing too important. Just that if you guys never came here, Cato there would invent anti-gravity technology."

Cato furrows their brow. "Wait, what?"

"You invent anti-gravity?"

"That's . . . that's a thing here?"

"Only for me, yeah." Electrode grins. "Plus a lot of other things. I've Rickrolled national television at least four different times."

Oh fuck. Cato thinks. They're me.

"Hey, what's with the look?" Electrode frowns, moving past Bug and standing next to Cato. "Sure, I'm horrifically traumatized and violent with a history of robbing banks, and am in charge of every villain known to man. But consider-"

"Consider what?" Gemini snarls, standing up and trembling with anger. "Get away from Cato or I'll make you."

Electrode ignores her, Virtue blends into the shadows and disappears from view. "Consider this: I've spent the last eightish years being able to invent whatever the fuck I wanted. Using the money of rich people. Also I know the future. Mostly."

Gemini starts to move to get Cato away, and Electrode's head snaps to look at her. "They don't know but I do so tell him now or go to bed with your girlfriend."

Gemini looks at Cato, mouths an 'I'm sorry', and leaves.

Bug turns around suddenly, pointing a finger at Electrode. "What just happened?"

Electrode sighs. "One moment." They look at Cato. "Y'know, you could use your Power for something other than controlling peoples bodies and nerves. Like inventing, or being a human battery, or something I dunno. And that law degree. Start changing the world."

Electrode turns to Bug. "So, turns out V is the only Unpowered one in BI. But also is the most important person in this timeline on my side so honestly who's the most powerful one?"

"Still you." Virtue (second Virtue?) appears behind Bug, who yelps and moves to leave their vicinity. "And your very intelligent plans."

"Only put together by you."

"Not really."

"Let me compliment you!"

-

ending here bc i could go on forever with this prompt but GOD i fucking love my idionts <333