#i LOVE playing as a paladin it's a lot more fun than a sorcerer

[apricote]

officially done with act 2 time for baldur's gate!!!

[grigori77]

Reasons to LOVE Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves

It's brand new in cinemas, so there are still plenty who ain't seen it, so if you're among 'em best skip this and just GO SEE IT, it's SO well worth it, genuinely it's one of the best new movies I've seen so far this year. Hope you love it as much as I did!

So, yeah, there you go - SPOILER WARNING, FOLKS!!! If you don't wanna get spoiled, RUN!!!

Still here? Okay, here we go then ...

This really is, UNAPOLOGETICALLY, a comedy. I mean yeah, this is a classic fantasy action adventure in the Willow, Krull or Ladyhawke mold, but it is also very enthusiastically POKING FUN at the classic conventions of the genre ... albeit CLEARLY done with great affection and love for the material, as only the best lampoons can be. So this is more The Princess Bride or Galaxy Quest than Your Highness or Spaceballs ...

Chris Pine is ALWAYS at his best when he's being FUNNY, so he is PERFECT here. Edgin is most definitely a bit of a douchebag, but he's the sweetest, most lovable douchebag you'll ever encounter.

Holga. Literally just EVERYTHING about Holga. She's my favourite character in this, this REALLY IS the best role that Michelle Rodriguez has EVER HAD, if you ask me. She's a total badass, a truly AMAZING FIGHTER, but I love that despite her dour demeanour she's actually quite sweet, gentle and really a great innocent in many ways. She's an absolute cinammon roll and must be protected at all costs.

OH MY GODS!!! All the easter eggs, SO MANY easter eggs ... FAR too many to count throughout, all the references and nods and winks to the game itself, all the spells and races and creatures and stuff ... but I love how the movie NEVER beats you over the head pointing any of it out, it just lets you enjoy it. So the proper fans will get a huge kick out of spotting it all, but casual viewers will just enjoy it as rich worldbuilding colour and flavour.

Seriously though, it's a D&D fan's DREAM!!! Not just the mimic, or the owlbear, or the gelatinous cube! SO MUCH to spot ...

Justice Smith's Simon gets THE CLEVEREST and best introduction in the film, I love the theatre scene, he's SO BAD at this while also simulataneously being really great. Totally sums up this gloriously clunky hot mess of a sorcerer ...

the opening is GENIUS, totally sets the movie up as it means to go on - the parole hearing is a brilliant comedic take on the scene-setting infodump which is brilliantly carried through in the way the movie delivers exposition in a fun way or just lets you absorb it through what's happening in each scene. This is the perfect, TEXTBOOK way to do it.

"That is one pudgy dragon!" LOL

Doric. Just EVERYTHING about Doric. Sophia Lillis' tiefling druid is a wonderful diminutive little action hero, so fiesty and capable. I love her. It's just a shame she's not primary coloured, I'd have loved it even more if she'd been blue, or red ...

The Wildshape Escape! XD Yeah, I love that, that's THE BEST set-piece in the whole movie, definitely, when Doric gets cught out spying and has to shapeshift on the fly to get away, and it all plays out in one immersive single shot that just leaves your heart in your mouth ...

Oh, the Speak With The Dead montage, that is comedy GOLD. Funniest scene in the whole movie. And with added payoff at the end! XD

Rege-Jean Page's Xenk Yendar. Oh boy, that paladin is something else. I love how LITERAL he is, he's like Drax in GOTG but much more intelligent. Y'know when Holga says: "You're not a lot of fun, are you?" to him? She's so wrong. I just wish there was more of him in this ...

The heist! Oh, the heist! So good ... the portal trick, it's great, love the way they did that, and then that HILARIOUS bard illusion distraction - Pine skipping the song like a broken record was just chef's kiss!

That wonderful wibbly-wobbly illusory reality thing whenever Simon tries to atune to the Helm ... wow, that is some spectacularly trippy shit. Granted, twice is fine for terms of pacing, but I could've done with a few more scenes of that, it's fascinating.

Hugh Grant really has just become a MASTER at playing smarmy, slimy duplicitous gits now, hasn't he? Forge is a reprehensible prick and I love it.

I love how they made Bradley Cooper a halfling for his cameo. They're never gonna let him live down the fact that he's now probably best known for playing a two-foot-tall talking racoon so forever after he will be a Short King.

Wow, Daisy Head's Sofina is a CRACKING villain, she's just SO CREEPY!!! I love how coolly menacing she is, a brilliant dark necromantic wizard that just makes your skin crawl. Especially at the end ... IS SHE a lich? Is that what they were doing there?

That whole big action climax, the showdown in the city centre is FIRE!!! It's so amazing, so brilliantly dynamic, with EVEN MORE great easter eggs! Simon and Sofina having an insanely awesome "arm wrestling" bout with Mage Hand versus Earthen Grasp (I think that's the spell, couldn't be sure), oh my gods! So cool ... and then the way they neutralised the threat! Brilliant.

Chloe Coleman's Kira is an absolutely adorable delight, and I think she's ENTIRELY JUSTIFIED in how pissed she is at Edgin for abandoning her. It makes the payoff when they finally make up so much better.

And that resurrection scene at the end? Yeah, sure, I saw that coming a mile off, but it was so well done, and they played it so well, that it was still SUCH a powerful scene even so. Just perfect.

Seriously, they just did this whole thing SO PERFECTLY. It's visually STUNNING, really it just looks AMAZING, and the action sequences are BRILLIANT but always feel entirely necessary for the story, which is how you want to do it. Best of all, though, is THE PACING!!! This is such a quick, breezy film, it just barrels along at a spectacular clip, so it never drags. Mark Kermode is right, even though this is two and a quarter hours long it doesn't FEEL LIKE IT, it feels like a super-trim 90-minute movie.

And it ties everything off nice and neat, too. Sure, there are definitely possibilities for the future, going forward if they make more, but if the movie DOES tank then it's fine, because this really does do a great job about feeling self-contained and telling its own complete story, so if we DON'T get more it won't be too big a disappointment ...

[gryphonlover]

I’m in a yapping mood so I’ve come to bother you (I’m so sorry), anyways here’s how I think the chain would play BG3:

Time- he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing. He falls for every trap and he accidentally kills characters he shouldn’t have because he trusted the wrong people. He definitely played the dark urge because he thought “that one looks interesting” but didn’t fully think that choice through, and he was TRYING to be a good person but he’s absolutely given into the evil thoughts by act 2. Doesn’t even realize romancing the characters is an OPTION until Lae’zel comes up to him like “i want you” and then he screams

Wars- He’s still stuck in character creator /j Fr tho he put HOURS into designing his tav and his created like, the most conventionally attractive mf out there (it’s definitely a paladin half high elf with that ONE specific face). He’d romance Wyll (best man in existence) or Lae’zel (terrifying lady). I’d say he plays it for the dating sim but he’s also INSANE and likes attacking people

Twi- He’d play a sweet little tiefling druid. He’s just there for the vibes, he just wants to pet the owlbear cub the rest of the game stresses him out (he’s a stardew valley kinda guy). He stays in the safety of act 1 and just runs around

Sky- he takes his bg3 incredibly seriously, he has over 700 hours. I think he’d be a cleric, every single time. He’s GOOD at combat, he’d good at building the characters, he loves exploring

Hyrule- Ranger. Romanced the emperor because he thought it was funny and then had a LOT of explaining to do when Legend saw he got a trophy for that. He just makes whatever he thinks the funniest choice would be

Legend- He’s one of the few who has the strength to play a different character every play through. He loves exploring the game and he’s romanced all the characters just to see how different they all are and he loves all their lore. Has more hours than Sky but pretends he doesn’t so he doesn’t get judged for being insane

Wild- Wizard or Sorcerer, either way he blows everything up. Pickpockets all the npcs for cash because he thinks its funny, makes HORRIBLE decisions because he’s curious to see what happens. Definitely doesn’t know you can pay Withers to revive people after they die-

Four- plays the exact same dragonborn fighter every single time, but each play through he does gets crazier and crazier until he’s making INSANE decisions and everyone gets the WORST possible endings, but he’s having fun and he likes being evil

Wind- he picked to be a sorcerer, but other than that he randomized everything else and ended up playing a hot pink gnome he named “Ronald”. He’s having the time of his life

-crazylittlejester

This is the best thing I've heard ALL DAY. I'm not kidding. (And you can bother me anytime. That's why the ask ox is open. 👍)

I have to admit, I had the same reaction as Time when I discovered the dating part, and I've never even played the game. 😅

11/10, totally agree. They would love D&D so much, my goodness. Someone needs to make an LU version of that one episode of VLD where all the paladins play a one-session campaign. It would be complete chaos.

[wafflerageface]

Alright indulge me here:

Does her meaning have any name?

Recap her fav date with the tyrant for me pretty pls?

How's it going with them siblings? Who's her fav, who does she dislike the most, why?

Fav dish (besides the durge cannibalism bit)

AAAAAHHHHH thank you so much!! I’m so excited I get to talk about my Durge!!

1) Does her name have any meaning?

Aria has Italian origins meaning “air” or “melody”. I chose this name because I made her a bard necromancer and her instrument is a violin. Violin was invented in northern Italy, so I based her appearance on a “stereotypical” northern Italian, and gave her a name to match. Since I based so much of her characterisation off of music, I decided to make sure her name reflected that.

2) Recap her favourite date with the Tyrant

Before meeting Enver, she had never left the undercity before, so being topside was incredibly overwhelming. She was assigned to be Enver’s bodyguard/assassin by Durge as a show of good faith, and obviously he couldn’t have someone following after him wearing obvious Bhaalist robes, so he took her shopping. They went to the dress shop (Fierro’s? I think? I’m bad at names) where he had several custom outfits made to wear (I headcanon the one she wears in game is the first one he bought her) Having that many unfamiliar hands on her body was extremely uncomfortable and when Enver noticed he gave her one of his anti anxiety rings. They went and had dinner afterwards and he introduced her to fine dining. The only other date they’ve had that could rival this one is a date set after the events of the game (because I refuse to let him die 💅🏻) and after some very intense and personal drama between the two of them, they took a mini vacation to the beach. It was very relaxing.

3) How is it going with the siblings? Who is her favourite v least favourite and why?

Okay SO there’s literally so many fucking Bhaalspawn. I will list them first in age order (bear with me)

a. Corvir, a massive vampire barbarian warlock (he sold his soul to Strahd to become a vampire to avenge his dead wife and daughter)

b. Nezryn, a drow archmage who raised all of the other Bhaalspawn (she and Corvir are upwards of 90 at this point) She comes up with nicknames for everyone.

c. Anezka, a half elf ranger. She likes to primp and prim the most of the spawn. She’s kinda sassy too.

d. Fallon, a half elf battlemage. She’s the Durge of the group so she’s the only one who wasn’t raised by Nezryn, however she did learn a lot of magic from her.

e. Aria, a half elf necromancer bard with magpie tendencies. She’s physically small and weak comparatively to her other siblings, but she makes up for it with vast intellect.

f. Illanthir, a half drow cleric of Eilistraee. He is Nezryn’s actual child after a…forced and unsavoury night with Sarevok. His twin brother is Ellandar.

g. Ellandar, a half drow paladin of Eilistraee that has taken an oath of Devotion specifically towards his family. His twin brother is Ilanthir

h. Nepthys, a tiefling monk that is incredibly pastel goth. She has a few more marbles in her jar than Orin.

i. Anemone, a tiefling draconic sorcerer that is very pink. Like VERY pink. She has a very bubbly personality. She has like two more marbles in her jar than Orin, but she’s too happy to have the unhinged murderous rage of Orin

j. Orin, a channeling…rogue? I think is her technical class. I’m not actually sure. We all know her, we all love her.

Aria’s favourite sibling is probably Nezryn for the fact that she was raised by her and she taught her wizardry. Without Nezryn she wouldn’t have half the necromantic abilities that she does, and she probably wouldn’t have lived this long either.

Aria’s least favourite sibling is Orin. It can be really fun playing the “Which one is Orin” game, sure, but in a den of assassins where some games of hide and seek turn deadly if you don’t spot Orin fast enough? Besides, she’s the first one to run and tell “daddy” anytime you misbehave. No one likes a snitch.

4) What’s her favourite dish? (Sans roasted dwarf)

She loves strawberries. She loves strawberry anything she can get her hands on. I headcanon that Enver has a massive sweet tooth (part of that autism adhd combo he’s got) and he got Aria hooked on eating strawberry cakes. If we wanna included drinks as a “dish” she drinks hot milk with honey and lavender every night before bed while Enver reads to her

[hazbinhazbinhazbinreblog]

For something more fluffy and funny

Imagine the AUs playing fucking DnD with Husk as the DM (because he was around the time DND got invented and I can see Husk being a good DM).

There is also a rule that there can only be ONE (maybe two depending on how big the party size is ) bard because Husk knows if that rule doesnt exist he's gonna have so many vicious mockery rolls its gonna give him a headache.

As for classes, now this is just me assigning peeps classes based on vibes and if they would play or not. If people have their own suggestions, please do share owo. (also please note I am baby DND noob, so most of info is coming from Baldur's Gate 3's wiki)

Canon Alastor-Bard, that is if anyone can get him to play and make him promise not to do something insane like teleport them into the world of DnD. (College of Lore branch). Sidenote: he only got bard because of that one animation where Alastor cats vicious mockery just insult Lucifer's height wheeeze. also because if you told al could hurt people with magical insults, he would go for it let's be honest.

Canon Vox-Artificer, since it seems up his ally but again this is a case of, can you get him to play it, probably more willing than canon Al, but would also rage quit if he fails dice rolls. (Artillerist branch)

Swap Alastor-He gives Cleric vibes. Probably more willing, but you would have to walk him through stuff. Probably ends up the team mom against his will. (Life Domain branch)

Swap Vox-Torn between Fighter or Paladin, leaning more towards Fighter. Probably not so willing, but would if his Alastor was. Would probably leave others for dead. (Champion Branch for Fighter, maybe Oath of Devotion branch for Paladin).

Secretly Married Alastor-Rogue, like Canon, would need to be talked into it, but may lean towards more willing just to humor it. Takes a lot of the notes and rolling the highest perception checks (Arcane trickster branch)

Secretly Married Vox-Sorcerer, like his partner, doing it to humor it (and also because sorcerer class sounded cool to him). Is hyping up his Al and somehow skating by on his rolls (example if the roll success require is like 15, he barley just makes it with the help of his modifiers). Also storm sorcery branch

Dadstatiocradio Alastor-Bard, because he does not trust his canon part to not pick fights with vicious mockery. May know more about the game thanks to his Charlie or not, who knows, but is the most willing to join in I say. (College of Valour branch).

Dadstaticradio Vox-Okay this one is hard, but like, he gives Enchantment branch wizard vibes tbh. Maybe just me tho. Also the most willing. Would threaten to cast fireball to make everyone shut up.

Radio Guard Alastor-Torn between Bloodhunter and warlock (Fiend branch because haha get it his deal with Lucifer). Probably legit only joined because Husk needed another sane player and or he was bored and was just "Fuck it". Is the one who takes it a bit more seriously and trying to gather the most information.

Radio Guard Vox-Ranger, because he thought it would be fun. Like Dadstaticradios, he is the most willing to join. Prides himself on headshots when he can get them in campaigns. ( Hunter branch maybe).

Blueberry-Warlock, really only joins after some convincing (and the promise of canon Alastor will be nice to him). The running joke and just confirmed campaign canon is Husk is Blueberry's patron who helps guide him around. (Husk Patron branch /j, Archfey tech).

Highschool Al and Vox are Dms with Husk since idk what they would be tbh.

May do a part 2 since this just,,,Vox and Als hfkdsjf

-⚔️ anon

I know the vicious mockery animation you're talking about it KILLS me I love it

I know very little about DnD as much as I want to learn but I love all of this so much, the overwhelming amount of AUs we have gathered makes for so much chaotic content when they're grouped together. You're so creative w these ideas

[magicratfingers]

Progress report ! ૮ ºﻌºა ✨ kind of a work-in-progress diary for myself. v indulgent.

intense world of dick terrifying - goin good! got a main character, some supporting characters, figuring out the big rivalry today. Gotta figure out a format. I was thinking of basing it off of the Day at the Airport book bc it's only about 11 spreads but there's a lot going on on each one. Could leave it a comic but I also want it to be printable hmm catnips cantrips chooseyer-by-mail test - learning a lot! the world-building has been reallllllly fun - like the kind of fun where you want to go a little deeper bc you like it not bc you have to. perfect situation. Gotta resolve the mix between the DM roleplay and the actual postcards. Made and branded a whole gmail account and character to handle lost postcards - Pizza Kentucky III of the Isekai Post Office. Haven't been keeping up with the blog. But the blog is supposed to be more of a holding container than a 'thing'. One thing I did not expect to be learning was spreadsheets. Keeping track of names and addresses and choices and paths has given me a new perspective on pacing and structure. Also? Been a great excuse to finally play with UV epoxy and it's so straightforward that I'm mad it took me so long. media thats not just webcomics - dunmeshi is out!!! Laios my beloved. Still afraid to find and read Kotteri's Veil bc it will make me too feelings. Started reading books I loved as a kid (Redwall!!!) and some story craft books (found an NPR list somewhere) WRHP s2 - started to feel like work but changing up the backgrounds freed me up, feels fun again Sorcerer comic - paused while I wait for fashion inspiration to pull the ending together Emotional support paladin - paused till I feel like it. It's got such a specific delivery style that I don't wanna force to get the story out, so i gotta wait for some story aspects to firm up Bonnie & Clawd - more of a character study than a comic - fun to practice cutie pies cuddling. But... how DO birds and wolves smooch. Saw a youtube video about how ravens and wolves are friends and work together. So perfect. Valentines day thing - got some supplies coming tomorrow, gonna try out my idea. If it works maybe sell it? If it doesn't work, oh well, probably will learn something. Wanted to make perforated cards and stickers but got a little overwhelmed thinking about printing. Might just do a digital thing if an idea comes to me. Been wanting to make holographic stickers but when I sit down to think of a motif it feels stressful. Maybe I just test the Poodle Broadcasting System logo? I've always loved the aesthetic of valentines day but never felt like it's been delivered right. I certainly never felt indulged - something is always a little not-cute or too-cutesy. Think it could be really fun to have it be an annual 'surprise box'. I lost my halloween fam in the schmivorce so I could use a holiday to go crazy on. (For years I would drive out and help build a whole haunted house in a garage and it was like a week-long party with great food and movies and laughs. Sad to lose it, sadder still to know it was so easy for them to lose me. ) Dishupon - ok not as many players and responses as I'd hoped. But that wasn't really the point. Point was to invent some sanrio-y characters for fun - which i did. And I will also say that the exercise of coming up with a variety of cozy, fun, silly, spicy ways to think about dishes has made MY dishes mostly effortless. Even made a little foam clay Tiger coach and he's sitting on the window above the sink. Perhaps I will think of a game to get my car inspection done.

Overall January is great. Granted, it's the 4th. Had my ten year work anniversary (idk how old everyone thinks I am but it's Not 20) and got to 1010 followers on twitter on the same day. And the new d20 is out on the 10th so that felt real nice and square. Bit worried that all the good vibes I built up over holiday vacay will get smashed when I'm put on a new work project. But i feel like I'm about to level up a little bit art-style wise. Feelin grateful, feelin warm & cozy

[honourablejester]

While on the subject, my favourite subclasses (so far) for each D&D 5e class:

Artificer: Gonna be honest, I don’t do much with artificers, but just going on vibes, while I understand it’s not the most mechanically brilliant of the options, I still just love Alchemist. I just like me some bubbling beakers, you know?

Barbarian: Ancestral Guardian. I love Zealot, I love Wild Magic, I could be persuaded towards Beast, particularly for small characters (scuttly little beast barbarian gnome, I like the vibes), but it’s still Ancestral Guardian. I want to be a barbarian with a pack of ghosts following them around!

Bard: For the longest time, it was Lore, for similar reasons that Knowledge clerics are my joint first favourite clerics. It feels like the old Irish bards, the oral knowledge and magic, and I had a ghoulish little half-elven lore bard named Feyla Thenn who was a lot of fun. But recently … I really like Creation? It definitely does have that spellsinger vibe, singing things into being, and honestly the ability to just sing myself up 50ft of rope, or a grappling hook, or a ladder, or a key, is just … endlessly useful and fun.

Cleric: If I have to pick one, singular, then Twilight. But it is two, because every time I make a cleric, Twilight and Knowledge have a fist fight in my head, and the only reason Twilight wins is because it’s prettier. I like twinkling sparkly bits. But Knowledge is forever there, loyal and true, waiting for me to return to it. (Tempest is the runner up, because I like big booms and I cannot lie. Also ocean).

Druid: Stars. No competition. If I make a druid, they’re gonna be a Stars druid, unless there’s a compelling setting reason for them to be anything else. I like land druids, I’ll flirt with spores, but as a stars druid I get to turn into a mobile starfield and smite people, and there’s just no beating that.

Fighter: Like the artificer, I don’t do much with fighter, but both Rune Knights and Eldritch Knights have a bit of a draw to them. Particularly Rune Knights. I like the hulking, placid, but smarter and more dangerous than you think sort of vibes they have.

Monk: Again, not my class, but I do enjoy a Mercy Monk. I also weirdly have a fondness for the Sun Soul? I like shiny things and radiant damage, but also the Sun Soul gives me kind of anime vibes? Channeling your ki into a radiant aura. IDK, I’m just weirdly fond of the Sun Soul as a concept.

Paladin: As we’ve discussed, a threeway fight between Redemption, Watchers and Devotion, but my love of John Donne and the imagery of weary gothic knights in a world of darkness forever pulls me towards Devotion first. Though, you know. Cosmic horror definitely gives Watchers some points, and I like the mercy first ethos of Redemption.

Ranger: Fey Wanderer. I like skills and languages! For themes and imagery, though, Swarmkeeper. I want a warforged ‘scarecrow’ ranger with a flock of crows. I want a dhampir or changeling swarmkeeper with a swarm of moths. I like swarms. Swarms are good. I love the imagery.

Rogue: Phantom. Again, fairly big gap between this and the closest runner up. I really like ghosts? Like with the Ancestral Barbarian, I just really like ghosts, and the story potential of a character that is perpetually followed by them. Aided by them. I will also give some points to Swashbuckler, though, because I enjoy a good old fashioned daring scoundrel, and I really like swashbuckler movies.

Sorcerer: Aberrant Mind. Again, I enjoy the horror-themed subclasses? Though having played a Clockwork Soul, I also like their whole ‘return to centre’ sort of feel. And, you know. I enjoy a tempest cleric, so Storm sorcerers also get a look in. And Draconic, because ‘my grandma is a green dragon’ is always fun. I think sorcerer is the main class where I kind of like everybody and will give them all a whirl.

Warlock: Fathomless or GOOlock. Neck and neck. I do enjoy a Genielock, there’s fun to be had with Bottled Respite, and I have a fair few ideas for Celestial too, because I like the idea of being hired, on a mercenary basis, to aid the forces of good. I love the idea of some pragmatic deva somewhere just hiring, no convictions necessary, I will simply pay you in magic to fix this evil for me. It’s a great vibe. But Fathomless and GOOlock fill my cosmic horror love so well. I think the edge might go to Fathomless. Because tentacle. And also ocean. Heh.

Wizard: Illusion. Scribes and Abjuration hold joint second place, I love them both dearly. Bookish wizards and tanky wizards are excellent. But I love the diggy, trickster, seeker nature of illusionists. I love the playing with reality, the use of illusion to hide or reveal truth, the philosophical underpinning of a character that chooses, fully consciously, to pursue this school of magic. Also Phantasmal Force is an evil, evil spell, and I love it. Pick up the Metamagic Adept feat and get subtle spell, have a tonne of fun.

There are probably not surprising for most people, but I hadn’t gone through it by class before. So. Here we are?

[rubyvroom]

BG1 playthrough 1 ending: excellent, no notes. okay some notes.

My blundering first playthrough gets funnier and funnier the more I get into the second playthrough and realize all the mistakes I made. For example:

I did not save anybody from the fire at Wakeugan's Rest. XD I thought I had time! I did not!

Did not save the kid from the Harpies! I thought I had time! I did not!

Did not realize there was a faerie in the lantern. I thought the game was glitching because the little voice came up right after the kid was snatched up at Last Light.

WHY DID I NEVER USE TALK TO ANIMALS SPELL ON SCRATCH. I COULD HAVE BEEN TALKING TO SCRATCH THE WHOLE ASS TIME. I did this accidentally on playthrough 2 and I just about fell out of my chair.

Zevlor and a bunch of the Tieflings just disappeared and I never got them back. IDK.

In retrospect, I should have reloaded when Jaheira died storming Moonlight Towers. I didn't know I would be able to keep her!

Apparently I should not have murdered Minsc? Boy was I surprised to learn he can be a companion. With no Jaheira that was not at all clear.

Ditto Minthara, although really I can't imagine recruiting her. I don't want to destroy the Emerald Grove and my tiefling bros

Did not grasp that you can change classes for the origins characters. Which I am immediately doing for my next playthrough because some of the character class choices are... weird.

I can learn new spells from scrolls? Whoops. I think I knew I could do this but I never saw HOW so I just used them up at random.

I super did not do enough long rests, I missed a lot of cut scenes. I thought there were a lot more timed quest consequences than there actually are.

And yet! I still got the "good" endings for all the companions I think. Selunite Shadowheart, not-exploded Gale back with Mystra, Karlach and Wyll adventuring through the hells together (aw), Asterion non-ascended but kind of self-actualized, La'zel working as a diplomat for Orpheus. It leaves me sort of wondering if my second playthrough will be satisfying, since I can't imagine I'd want to get different endings for any of the above. I might like to not end up transforming into a mind-flayer next time in order to defeat the uber-brain? That was a little bit of a bummer even though it was perfectly in character for my paladin.

Despite getting the "right" endings I clearly didn't get anyone's approval up very high, and in fact I didn't know on my first playthrough where to even FIND the approval levels, which explains why I couldn't get anyone to romance me except Halsin. Which turned out fine - Halsin is great. A huge beefy elf druid who turns into a bear? Yes please!

Anyway I am already getting all these extra character moments this time through because I figured out to have a Mean Girls party (Astarion, Shadowheart, Laezel) and a Do-Gooder party (Karlach, Wyll/Gale, Halsin) depending on the quest. Now everyone loves me. This should result in some extra quests I imagine? This time out my halfling is romancing both Asterion and Shadowheart. Already turned down La'zel and Gale. She may be short but she got game.

(I tried to start a Durge playthrough but I wimped out on being evil very quickly. Maybe next time. I want to romance some of the party members before I start accidentally killing them, yes I've read the spoilers now that I finished. )

Also playing on higher difficulty this time and it's a lot easier now that I understand how the game works. The learning curve is a little brutal if you are new to this series, but I got there. For playthrough #2 I am classing like this: Karlach is a Monk which is hilarious. Will is going to be a Warlock/Ranger once he gets one more level. Dual-wielding shadow assassin Astarion is very fun. Shadowheart will take on sorcerer soon I think. La'zel is still just a fighter but that's fine, she's a beast given the right equipment. My main is a bard/warlock so extra squishy but the rest of the party steamrolls every fight.

Anyway, thats my BG3 experience, I am unblocking the tags now that I'm not avoiding spoilers.

[needle-noggins]

Tell me about your OCs, Sav

And I mean all of them. Or else.

13, 28, 31, A, H

AAAAAH okay i'm gonna go slightly out of order to introduce whoever is reading this to my personal brain blorbos. Fair warning all of these are TTRPG characters, mostly my NPCs save for the first two!

A. Why are you excited about this character?

Fanny Paine - ohhhh my beloved Trigun cowgirl OC. I'm so excited to see how her backstory kicks her in the ass (and by backstory, I DO mean her childhood best friend-turned-EOM member Nova).

Sylvie - my tiefling phantom rogue!! She was a joy to play and an absolute bullet in combat. Lethal and impossible to hit. She also was part of the conflict, being a double agent for the big bad's Vecna cult. I spent so much time texting the DM in secret during our sessions as if the BBEG and Sylvie were sending letters back and forth, telling him our whereabouts, before he'd drop in some cult mooks and we'd knock 'em dead. So fun.

Brie - Shadow Sorcerer and Secret goddess of fire! She's from my first campaign but still relevant because I have two groups playing in that world. In one group we have a ranger who denounced his cult to the fire god, so it'll be really fun to reveal that his god is actually the half-elf barmaid they keep seeing in every tavern, and she's way more chill than he thought.

Iris and Humboldt - ah yes. My older (late 50s) human wizard/leader of the largest adventuring guild in my dnd world and her autistic gnome husband who.... looks like Jack Black in Jumanji and accidentally brought on the apocalypse in our first campaign. They're my light academia escapism blorbos now and all they do is sit around and study magic in the coolest city in my world.

Ron - New NPC the party adopted, and he's an amnesiac, kinda undead paladin with spore druid flavoring. The party recently discovered he's.... well, he's Oberon. Not sure how he got here, but the Warlock's patron is Titania. Of the summer court. Yeah, that one. One of the party's quests right now is to retrieve Ron's memories and return him to Titania, and maybe the warlock will get *her* husband back from the Feywild. However, some mysterious figures want Ron dead....

Oh fuck I could also talk about Keats, Tarovir, Vaemyx... AAH too many. But I'm gonna stick to these big ones, plus Tarovir and Vaemyx have massive spoilers for my players D:

H. What trait do you admire most?

Fanny - girl's got gut. She really is "shoot first, ask questions later."

Sylvie - Resilience? She almost died, admitted she had been a spy, and almost got killed by the party all in one day. And then her best friend, the only one who trusted her, died. Thank god she ended up happy.

Brie - she loves her friends and loves to have fun. She's chaotic good in the funniest ways. When I play her I just get to be stupid.

Iris and Humboldt - THEY LOVE EACH OTHER. SO MUCH. SAVED EACH OTHER BACK TO BACK WHEN THE ALMOST DOOMED THE WORLD. Seriously, I rolled Iris' portent rolls and got an 18 and a 20 the day they summoned the BBEG. If it wasn't for that, Humboldt would have failed his death saves.

Ron - man look, he's just taking it day by day. He's very tired. But at least he has a lot of patience.

13. What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color?

Fanny - she wears mostly browns but has a blue undershirt. She looks best in blue!

Sylvie - blue and silver coded. Looks best in black and dark blues.

Brie - wears cream and blues, would look great in green!

Iris and Humboldt - blues/silvers and browns respectively

Ron - this man is covered in dirt. Like he deserves.

28. Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth?

Yes - Sylvie, Iris

No - Fanny, Brie, Humboldt, Ron (he can't lie, doesn't like lies - he's Fey after all)

31. Who are they the most glad to have met?

Fanny - Charlie, her new friend who is an EOM reject. Fanny is a very protective momma bird.

Sylvie - her best friend, the elven druid Eldrid.... who died. It was really fucking sad, I miss that PC. They were in so many cahoots together.

Brie - the first party I ever DM'd, who adopted her <3

Iris and Humboldt - I could say each other, but really the party was the only reason they got together - they set them up on their first date!

Ron - He knows, like, 3 people.

[riahpariah]

Re your last tags: please rave about your Tavs (in the tags or otherwise) we all (me. It's me.) want to hear about them pleaasseee <3

Omg the opportunityyyyyyyyy block my BG3 tag everyone who doesn't care

My very first Tav was based on my usual PC, who is generally a Changeling bard but bc no Changelings in BG3 (a travesty) they were a half-drow instead. Lore bard, and I ended up romancing Astarion bc I can't resist a twinky man who can be a bitch. I have a Type. I ran this as my me-insert, where I just made all the choices I personally thought were coolest. It was a chaotic run.

My second run I made a Durge! I wanted to murder hobo. I went with a tiny wood elf with pink everything and she was a paladin. She broke her oath IMMEDIATELY and stayed an Oathbreaker, and eventually took over the Netherbrain as Bhaal's chosen. I might go back and replay the last bit of this now that patches are out, bc the ending was very short and unsatisfying back when I did this run. Also ended up romancing and then ascending Astarion, bc no one else wanted to fuck the evil murderer lady.

My third was a druid dragonborn who fucked literally everyone he could. I imagined a backstory that this dragonborn was in fact a dragon who'd forgotten what they are and can't just shapeshift back yet bc of the worm, so he kept hoarding all the items and gold and I did every single quest I could get my hands on for more treasure. I ran it mostly as an achievement run, to get what I'd missed in my first runs. It was a lot of fun.

My most recent was my drow sorcerer, and I played her as Good aligned as I could. Just an absolute goody two shoes. Gale fell in love with her pretty fast and I hadn't gotten to the end of his romance in the prior run (bc of the sluttiness and Gale's objections therein) so I stuck with him to the end. She encouraged him to be free of Mystra and to abandon the idea of ascending bc wtf dude you're good enough as is, pls just be Normal. And that was very satisfying to play through, especially with a Seldarine who'd spurned Lolthite culture and the way men are treated there.

So yes four runs so far and I am already itching to go back and make a new one sometime, bc holy shit I love this game. I was a preteen when I played BG1 five million times on the big ass seven disc set, and it barely fit on my 1GB computer, and it became foundational in my love for gaming and D&D. I replayed it on the console recently and it was every bit as delightful as I remember. BG3 is more than worthy as a follow-up, and I'm pretty sure it's gonna get replayed plenty more as time goes on. I'm thinking about a redemption Durge next....

[zaeedsflipflops]

would love to hear any thoughts, fun facts, etc, about any of your bg3 characters! just saw your fantastic gifsets!!! really enjoyed seeing those :D

thank you!!

most aren't too fleshed out yet. i may not end up even playing all of them. but ill scrounge up some stuff ❤️

qilyrr (drow warlock, she/her) was my first ea oc and still my main one. i've gotten farthest with her in the game. she's true neutral, not actively malicious but she is selfish and sometimes cruel and loves tricking/lying to/fucking with people. she hasnt lived in the underdark for years (as a con artist, she likes to work in bigger cities topside) but has a lot of fondness for it when she returns. she's romancing astarion.

maevan (halfling barbarian, she/they) is a competent ex-soldier who was at some point cursed(?) with wild magic. she's normally kind of shy except while in battle during her rages.

im waiting til I finish the campaign at least once before i play my dark urge oc, klixic (dragonborn sorcerer, she/he) so i have like nothing on him yet.

givni (half orc monk, she/her) is my nicest and most trusting oc of the lot, so she's gonna have fun with all her companions lmao. so far i plan to have her romance halsin but may do a poly romance with her if she vibes with any of the poly options.

vykon (githyanki ranger, they/him) has like no personality yet except that they like animals more than people.

grudore (duergar bard, she/her) is mainly just vibes right now. tough, intense and ambitious. and is probably gonna hate volo tbh. i plan for her to romance lae'zel.

retribution (tiefling paladin, they/them) is up in the air rn bc i designed them not realizing how similar they'd be to karlach's design (color scheme, hair highlights, etc). so i may redesign them. but for now they're very serious and very devoted to their oath of vengeance. they also have a strong sense of justice which can kind of conflict with their oath. was thinking of them romancing wyll.

spili (gnome druid, she/they/he) is also pretty undefined. don't have much on them.

and as for my two other ocs ive made since and actually have more of an idea about compared to some of the others

corinne (human cleric, noble, she/her) is well meaning but tends to be judgmental and stubborn in her worldview and is definitely gonna clash with shadowheart (also bc she's a cleric of selûne). idk if they'll eventually bridge the gap or not. she's gonna romance gale.

fer'ru (githyanki rogue, urchin, she/her) is a bit less harsh than lae'zel and also had a less regimented background but i still need to figure out exactly what her backstory is that will fit with githyanki lore. she is gonna romance shadowheart.

[env0]

If you could be any fantasy rpg class, what would it be?

So I played LOTS of Fighters and Rogues because I love the Martial Classes. Lots you can do with Rogues.

I really enjoyed playing a monk because I was able to just actually do the shit I was talking about doing so my friends were like really loving when I was in combat.

I homebrewed a great martial caster called the Originator. (first version was 3.5e d&d and they were written into the world before material plane. thus the name.) it was a skill check based spell caster that was CONSTITUTION BASED. TONS of fun, lots of detailed spell casting that was mono-element. Unless you DM gave you artifacts to control multiple elements and then you were just healed by any elemental magical attack and uhm. yeah. it got silly (i had misty step as like... movement action? as long as it was through my element. and i got earth/wind element artifacts so i could just FREELY teleport anywhere)

I have not played Bards, which I'm told I'd be some kind of bard/rogue. swashbuckler wordsmith.

I've also gotten a paladin/monk combo from a D&D personality test.

I'm pretty studied on ancient magic in real life and very martial so its tricky to pin myself to one class.

Like potentially some kind of Master of Masks prestige class Rogue. So i have TONS of class skills. It is very Jack of all Trades. Great class. Highly recommend.

Or alternatively... Like a Purple Knight/ Psionic Knight Fighter. Since I am so martially trained. Albeit more with my body than weapons, so maybe some kind of Way of the Elements Monk (if it didn't suck with Ki points, maybe the Revised Monk will improve it with the ki point recovery system improved)

Sadly I don't see myself as just wizard. Maybe a Bladesinger Wizard or something, but not really my main avenue. Paladin is viable because I do hold a set of ideals like an oath that give me confidence and power.

THIS IS SUCH A HARD QUESTION!

[utilitycaster]

Sort-of mechanics question for you! If you were invited to play in the Bells Hells campaign (either as a guest PC or a permanent party member), what kind of character would you create/build? Are there any classes/subclasses that interest you, or that you think would be a good fit for that table?

Oh man I know I sound like a broken record but literally: all backup characters, any long-term guests...guys please make them intelligence-based or at least high-int in build, you are in a Moon Lore campaign and your melee line has literally all the brain power.

Anyway were I in this hypothetical scenario, I would play an eldritch knight:

Intelligence based

Tank

cool weapons and a very different fighter than Orym

Abjurative spells are the best and that would take some of the arcane burden of sorcerers.

With that said I would also recommend any of these possibilities:

Ranger who has dumped charisma and has good intelligence; I feel like horizon walker or monster slayer would be valid options but I think a lot of different things could work.

Paladin who has dumped wisdom and has good intelligence; let's benefit from auras! Any subclass except for oath of glory my beloathed; I do happen to love redemption.

Artificer, any kind, more healing + more intelligence, give these kids some fun magic items.

To quote Aabria, "a brick shithouse of a wizard" (you can achieve this via abjuration, definitely, but also literally just playing a dwarf for either the armor or con bonus and judicious stat choices will do a lot of work, or alternately playing a high elf with a sky high con and taking the int and dex bonuses to the bank will work too.)

[sunshine304]

Movies watched in 2023: Dungeons & Dragons - Honor Among Thieves

(crossposted from Dreamwidth)

I had a blast watching “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”! Everyone who wants to have a good time and doesn’t have an intense hatred of all things fantasy should go and watch this, because I want this movie to be successful and have many sequels. Not necessarily with all the same characters, because some character arcs seem to have come to a satisfying conclusion, but in this world and with this general tone of delight in the subject matter. That would be great!   What I love especially about this movie by directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (“Game Night”, which already should be an indicator for quality comedy) is that it’s very accessible even for people who are unfamiliar with the whole DnD world/game. I’ve never played it and I only know a little bit about how it works. I guess that a DnD player will get a whole lot more out of this movie than I did, because I’m sure there are many fun things to discover for fans in this movie. I also know that players found many scenes very relatable, easily imagining what that scene would look like being played around a table. But even if you're totally unfamiliar with DnD, this movie is very entertaining.

But what is the movie about?

Roguish Bard Edgin (Chris Pine) and his best friend Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), a taciturn Barbarian, finally get out of prison, where they’ve been for two years after a heist gone wrong. They immediately try to locate Edgin’s daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman), who was left in the care of their former colleague Forge (Hugh Grant). Turns out that Forge really went up in the world, now being a Lord and ruler of a kingdom. Also turns out that he betrayed Edgin and Holga and told Kira all kinds of lies about her father. Fleeing from the city for now, Edgin is determined to not only get his daughter back, but also steal the Tablet of Resurrection from Forge – the fabled artifact that their heist-gone-wrong was all about and that he wants to use to resurrect his dead wife. But how to get his revenge? Well, they’ll definitely need a sorcerer for this, and a druid would be great as well, which is how former teammate Simon (Justice Smith) and his acquaintance Doric (Sophia Lillis) join their team. But that’s only the beginning of their quest…   Chris Pine is perfect as the disillusioned bard. He has to do a lot of heavy lifting with exposition, but he sells it so well that it’s never grating. The whole cold open is a big exposition scene and not only hilarious but also quite moving, too. He’s a strong enough actor to also carry the more emotional scenes, and his talent for comedy is well utilised. I also really liked the team as a whole; Rodriguez, Smith and Lillis work well together, and especially the friendship between Edgin and Holga is very believable. (Also, how refreshing to have a friendship between a man and a woman that is loving and trusting but also still stays a friendship without any forced romance crammed in?!) Doric is a great character and gets some cool scenes with her shapeshifting powers, and Simon also has a little arc of his own that is well done and has a cool pay off in the end.   Hugh Grant obviously is still having a blast to play smarmy villains and he does so to best effect here. At his side is Daisy Head as sorcerer Sofina, her dead-eyed stare truly chilling at times. And of course a special shout to Regé-Jean Page as Paladin Xenk, whose role isn’t as big as the trailers make it seem, but who is a hilarious addition to the quest and seems to bring huge joy to all DnD players as his character type is very recognisable.

I loved the tone of the movie. It is frequently funny, sometimes hilarious, with great quips and one-liners or entertaining dialogue and sight gags, but – and this is important – it laos gives emotional moments time to breathe. It doesn’t feel the need to undercut a sad or poignant moment with a quip, it’s really genuine in how the characters interact and it takes its characters seriously. A great example is the scene were Holga meets her ex again. The scene starts out funny and predictably awkward, but as it progresses, it actually becomes a quite heartfelt scene with two adults being mature about their break-up.   The special effects were great for the most part, and I also loved that they used many practical effects and also shot a lot on location. The movie was expensive but it shows. The world we’re presented with feels lived in, like there are stories around the corner. Really good production design, the costumes were awesome, too (check out Xenk’s armour! XD), and a lot of opportunity for horse girls like me to appreciate pretty horses. I also really enjoyed the action sequences and set pieces; for once, they weren'r edited to death or being dragged down by unnecessary shaky cam.

I also want to thank the movie for the decision to not end on a cliffhanger. There was a moment where a cliffhanger could easily be used, and looking at online discussions, many people basically expected the movie to end there. But they didn’t do that, they actually told the story completely and it was a good decision. And another heartfelt thank you for being proof that "set up - pay off" works for a reason!   Some stand out scenes in no particular order that either were incredibly funny or really, really cool:   - "JARNATHAN!" MVP character right there XD - that dragon! XD (shame that the dragon is in the promo, they should've kept it a secret) - the whole graveyard interrogation XD - botched guard distraction XD (Which will likely become a new meme or something) - the whole final battle in the streets - the brain eater monsters XD - the fucking bridge! XD XD (But basically that whole part of the quest was amazing.) - “He walks in such a straight line…” XD   Can’t recommend this enough! Really give it a shot in the cinema if you can. The trailers don’t do this movie justice, it’s far funnier and a real feel good movie!  

[thavron]

So I went to see the Dungeons and Dragons movie. I was a little on the fence about going because of the whole recent Hasbo/Wizards of the Coast fuckery, but I've been playing for the best part of a decade so I just couldn't help myself. I went in with super low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

A few things that annoyed me. 1. The constant references to D&D campaigns and locations. Ok yes, this is a D&D movie not a generic fantasy, can you please stop shoving it down my throat? The strange thing is, it really didn't need to do this. It already felt like a D&D movie, and there was enough lore and rules woven organically into the plot, that it really didn't need to push the point home.

2. There was some good attention to the rulesets, In fact I was impressed by how much, it really helped separate this film from other fantasy films, and then they would sort of spoil it by using magic classes interchangeably. Are they Witches, Wizards or Sorcerers? These are not interchangeable in the D&D universe.

3. What class even is the main character? He's obviously high charisma and carried a lute, so you would think bard right? Yet not once do they utilise him in this fashion. No bardic inspiration, no playing the lute during combat to boost his team. Based on his backstory I wonder if he is a Fighter or Paladin of some sort. Even so, I kind of think they missed a trick by not leaning into the bard class. Having a main character play a support role would have been different and interesting. They could have had Chris Pine running around trying to maintain his song whilst chased by bad guys. They could have had tightly choreographed fight scenes edited to music just like the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, only the song in question is some medieval jig instead of the latest pop hits. But they didn't and it seemed like a wasted opportunity to me.

Generally speaking though this was a positive movie experience. They had some really good things going on, and when it was good, it was really really good. The film managed to really capture the feeling of Dungeons and Dragons, separating it from other fantasy franchises.

They have a group of assorted heroes, each with an interesting backstory and a distinct class. They come up with a plan to achieve their quest (I'm being vague so as not to be too spoilerific). As with the game, it goes wrong, mostly due to one persons critical failure, they then have to replan on the fly. The story gets more and more convoluted as it goes on, but in the exact way D&D campaigns do when the DM is trying to help their players out. It felt a lot like games I have played if I'm honest.

Characters are likable, and well acted. It was fun, action packed and had a great sense of humour (and not in that Marvel one liner witticism sort of way). I think that is what I really liked about it. It didn't take itself too seriously. I love fantasy as a genre, and I find generally speaking, most fantasy shows are played quite straight, so by being a bit more tongue and cheek, it really set itself apart.

I quite enjoyed the helpful NPC and the appearance of the dragon.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this movie. They managed to put together a fun, exciting romp of an adventure, with high stakes, and interesting characters. Not only that, it looked pretty cool, albeit a bit cheesy at times. It really felt like the creative team has played a lot of D&D and were writing a love letter to a game they adored rather than a cash grab from Hasbo. If you enjoy D&D as a game, I think you will probably like this movie, and if you've never played, it's still a good fantasy film. Everything is suitably explained.

Much to my surprise, it is a thumbs up from me.

[yes-prisoner]

19! for all your tavs please <3

Ooh, this one is fun. Let's go with the ones I already played until the end, my other tavs are still pretty early on the game or are just in plans for now. (I got sucked in another rpg...)

Under the cut because I talk a lot.

19. Bonus: can their love interest(s) answer these questions? Why or why not?

Rhiell was my Mephistopheles tiefling and sorcerer. She is a chaos gremlin that makes questionable decisions.

So she fucked the blood sucker lol What was not the plan. Because she is pretty good hearted, but somehow he liked her.

And of course, my girl had a 20 charisma. She knew he was playing games, so she decided to play with him because she is petty.

Aaaand this is how two gremlins fell in love. But focusing on the question.

I do think Astarion is able to answer some of that, the real challenge is if he will answer with the truth if someone asked it. I will not spoil because this is something related to act 3, but seeing how he can react if you say personal things about him to a stranger I don't think he could answer sincerely. Rhiell and him could just goof around with nonsensical answers lol Both are kinda insecure about this kind of personal stuff so makes sense to me. Plus seeing Rhiell's backstory before all the mess in BG3, some answers can be about her old life and... some things are better left in the past.

Kalistria, she/they are my durge and paladin of vengeance that romanced Gale! Not at first because his romance was so fucking bugged in act 2 and 3, but after it was fixed and I replayed to romance him properly (...No. I don't have a problem, what you mean? *trying not to think about how many hours I spent in this game*). Another romance I didn't plan but it worked really well in the long term.

He totally could know the answer to everything lol First: it's Gale. No one can convince me he could lose a trivia contest. Second: He is a big idiot in love.

Heck, he probably knows more about Kalistria than they know about themselves sometimes. My wet cat of durge could look at him in awe while he gets everything right. How to make your serial killer partner that can crush a skull with their hands to blush: just surprise they with how much you care even with the small things.