#my charisma is my best ability score

[animentality]

You posted a while back (I think it was you, the post is buried in your durgetash brainrot archives) that you're vulnerable to psychic damage but gives advantage on wisdom saves. I think I'm the opposite, I'm resistant to psychic damage like a necromancy wizard is resistant to necrotic, but I have disadvantage on wisdom saves and the only action I can use is "Perform a Task" where I have to succeed on a wisdom save or take 1d4 psychic damage and end my turn.

I have disadvantage on all intelligence saving throws, if that makes you feel better.

[wonyowonyo]

Crossfire (M. Sakura X M!Reader)

A/n: heyaaa wonyo_wonyo here!!! I've missed u guys :3 anyways I got sum vacant days, free from the shackles of life so I decides to write wohoo. I'm posting this on my phone so I apologize in advance if the post is kinda scuffed. This one's a 4k word oneshot, hope yall enjoy and I'll catch yall in the next one. wonyo out!

In the bustling world of eSports, few could rival the fame of Pro-Gamer Miyawaki Sakura from Le Sserafim. Known for her sharp reflexes and strategic mind, she dominated the Valorant scene with her team. But recently, her attention had shifted to a new prodigy: a rookie male player who had taken the community by storm.

The Valorant community buzzed with excitement as Y/N, the rookie sensation, was making headlines. His gameplay was reminiscent of Tenz, combining precision with an uncanny ability to predict opponents' moves. Sakura, while preparing for her own matches, found herself drawn to his streams, captivated by his skill and charisma.

In her downtime, she would secretly watch his highlight reels, her heart racing at each clutch play. Little did anyone know, she had become one of his biggest fans.

The grand tournament was set, featuring some of the best teams in the world. Y/N’s team, Cloud9, was pitted against the reigning champions, Gen.G, in the semi-finals. The arena was electric, with fans eagerly anticipating the showdown.

As the match began, Y/N showcased his prowess with Jett, dashing through the map with surgical precision. The rounds were intense, each team trading blows, but Y/N consistently outperformed, making impossible shots and leading his team to victory.

Sakura, watching from the audience, couldn't help but cheer. Her heart fluttered with each of his plays. She was falling for him, and it was exhilarating.

The finals were set: Cloud9 versus Le Sserafim. The tension was palpable. As the teams gathered backstage, Sakura and Y/N finally met. He was charming, his confidence evident but not overbearing.

"Looking forward to our match," he said with a grin.

Sakura, momentarily flustered, replied, "I hope you're ready for a challenge."

Their banter was light-hearted, but both knew the stakes were high.

The match was legendary. Each map was a nail-biter, with both teams pushing their limits. The first match was set on Haven. As the timer counted down, Sakura’s fingers danced over her keyboard. She played Sage, anchoring the team with her healing and strategic walls.

The rookie’s team pushed aggressively. His precision with the Operator was deadly, picking off Le Sserafim members one by one. Sakura’s heart skipped a beat whenever she saw him on her screen, but she quickly refocused. She needed to keep her team in the game.

In a crucial round, Sakura found herself in a 1v3 situation. The crowd’s roar faded as she breathed deeply and clutched the round, using Sage’s abilities to perfection. The scoreboard evened out, and excitement crackled in the air. But Y/N retaliated on Ascent, his Jett plays leaving the crowd in awe.

The final map, Bind, was neck-and-neck. With the score tied, the last round would decide the victor. Y/N found himself in a 1v3 situation. The crowd held their breath as he deftly maneuvered, taking down two opponents. It was just him and Sakura now in a one-on-one duel. Sakura could feel the eyes of the crowd on her, the weight of her crush mingling with the pressure to win.

With nerves of steel, Sakura planted the spike. Y/N approached, anticipating her every move. The final showdown was a dance of skill and strategy, Sakura’s heart raced as she anticipated his moves, using her Viper abilities to outmaneuver him. The arena held its breath as she landed the final shot, securing victory for Le Sserafim.

"Congratulations,You were incredible out there." Y/N said, offering a handshake.

Sakura blushed and  took his hand warmly, her admiration for him evident. "I’ve been... a fan for a while," she admitted shyly.

Y/N grinned, "I’m honored, especially coming from someone like you."

As they shared a laugh, it was clear this was just the beginning of a new friendship—and perhaps something more.

————————————————————

In the days following the thrilling tournament, Sakura found herself constantly on the lookout for a glimpse of the rookie sensation, Y/N. Their moment of connection after the finals had left her with a fluttering heart and a newfound desire to get to know him better.

One afternoon, as Sakura was leaving the esports arena after a team practice, she turned a corner and nearly collided with a familiar face. There he was, Y/N, standing just a few feet away. Their eyes locked, and Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Sakura! I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Y/N said, a sheepish smile spreading across his face.

"No, no, it's my fault," Sakura replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I wasn't expecting to see you here."

An awkward silence fell between them, and Sakura found herself searching for something to say, desperate to prolong their chance encounter.

"I was just, uh, heading out to get a coffee. Would you... would you like to join me?" Y/N asked, his eyes filled with a hopeful expression.

Sakura felt a surge of excitement at the invitation, her heart racing. "I'd love to," she responded, a shy smile spreading across her face.

As they walked side by side, the familiar scents of the arena fading in the distance, Sakura couldn't help but feel a growing sense of anticipation. This unexpected meeting had the potential to be the start of something truly extraordinary.

The cozy café was filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the soft murmur of conversation as Sakura and Y/N settled into a quiet corner. The atmosphere was casual and relaxed, yet Sakura couldn't help but feel a subtle tension between them, a palpable energy that crackled in the air.

"So, how have you been?" Y/N asked, his voice gentle and warm.

"I've been good, just... you know, practicing and preparing for the next tournament," Sakura replied, her fingers nervously wrapped around her mug.

An awkward silence fell between them, and Sakura found herself desperately searching for something to say, a way to break through the barriers and truly connect with Y/N.

Summoning her courage, she looked up and met his gaze. "I... I've been thinking about our match a lot, you know. The way you played, it was... it was amazing."

Y/N's eyes widened slightly, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Really? I... I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have to admit, I've been thinking about it a lot too."

Their eyes locked, and the world around them seemed to fade away. Sakura could feel the energy shifting between them, the subtle flicker of something more than just a friendly connection.

"I... I'd love to play with you again sometime, if you're up for it," Sakura said, her voice soft and hopeful.

Y/N nodded, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Absolutely. I'd be more than happy to."

As they made plans to meet up for a gaming session, Sakura couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. This casual meetup had opened the door to something deeper, and she was eager to see where this journey would lead them.

The familiar hum of gaming rigs and the click of keyboards filled the air as Sakura and Y/N immersed themselves in a friendly match. The tension between them had dissipated, replaced by a sense of comfortable camaraderie as they strategized and executed their plays.

Sakura found herself captivated by Y/N's skill and focus, the way his brow furrowed in concentration and the way his lips parted slightly as he issued commands. She couldn't help but steal glances at him, admiring the way he commanded the virtual battlefield.

As the match progressed, their communication and teamwork became increasingly seamless, each of them anticipating the other's moves and working in perfect harmony. Sakura felt a surge of pride and exhilaration, not just from the thrill of the game, but from the growing connection she felt with Y/N.

When the final round came to an end, the two pro-gamers sat back, their eyes meeting in a silent exchange. Sakura could feel the tension building, the unspoken feelings that lingered between them.

"That was... really amazing," Y/N said, his voice soft and sincere. "You're an incredible player, Sakura."

"Thank you," Sakura replied, her heart racing. "You were incredible as well. I... I really enjoyed playing with you."

The air between them was thick with a palpable energy, and Sakura knew that the moment was ripe with the promise of something more. She felt a surge of courage, a desire to take a leap and explore the depths of this connection.

"Hey, would you... would you maybe want to grab a coffee sometime?" Sakura asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'd love to... to get to know you better."

Y/N's eyes widened, a warm smile spreading across his face. "I'd love that, Sakura. I really would."

The days that followed were filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement for Sakura. Her casual coffee date with Y/N had opened the door to a budding friendship, one that she found herself eagerly nurturing. They would meet up regularly, sometimes to game together, other times to simply chat and get to know each other better.

In those quiet moments, Sakura reveled in the easy banter and the genuine connection that was blossoming between them. There was a palpable chemistry that crackled in the air, a spark that both of them seemed hesitant to acknowledge, at least for the time being.

As the next major Valorant tournament loomed on the horizon, Sakura found herself torn between her professional obligations and the growing desire to explore this newfound relationship. She knew that the competition would be fierce, and she couldn't afford any distractions. Yet, the prospect of being apart from Y/N for an extended period left her with a sense of unease.

————————————————————

The hype and anticipation surrounding the upcoming Valorant tournament reached a fever pitch, with players and fans alike eagerly awaiting the clash of the titans. Sakura and her team, Le Sserafim, were considered the clear favorites, their dominant performances in previous events cementing their status as the team to beat.

But as Sakura prepared for the tournament, her focus began to waver. Memories of her time with Y/N would creep into her thoughts, distracting her from the intense training regimen she had so meticulously followed. The more she tried to push these feelings aside, the more they seemed to consume her.

One evening, after a grueling practice session, Sakura found herself alone in the team's gaming lounge, her fingers gently tracing the edges of her mouse. She couldn't shake the sense of longing that had taken root in her heart, the desire to be with Y/N and explore the depths of their connection.

It was in that moment of vulnerability that she made a fateful decision – a decision that would have far-reaching consequences, both for her professional career and her personal life.

————————————————————

The flashing lights and thunderous cheers of the Valorant tournament filled the arena as Sakura and Y/N took their positions on the stage. The energy was palpable, the air thick with anticipation as the two pro-gamers faced off in a highly anticipated match.

Sakura gripped her mouse, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she scanned the virtual battlefield. Y/N mirrored her expression, his brow furrowed as he plotted his team's strategy. The opening rounds were a tense back-and-forth, with both players showcasing their impressive skills and split-second decision-making.

As the match progressed, the crowd erupted in applause and shouts of exhilaration. Sakura and Y/N were in perfect sync. The tension was palpable, neither side willing to back down.

In the final moments, the score was tied, and the outcome hung in the balance. Sakura felt her heart pounding in her chest as she maneuvered her agent, her mind racing with calculations and contingencies. Across the stage, Y/N was equally focused, his eyes locked on the screen as he made a crucial play.

The final round was a nail-biter, both players pushing the limits of their skill and strategy. Sakura held her breath, her entire being consumed by the intensity of the match. And then, in a flurry of action, Y/N emerged victorious, his team erupting in celebration.

Sakura felt a mix of emotions – pride, admiration, and a twinge of disappointment. As she shook Y/N's hand, their eyes met, and she saw a glimmer of something more than just a professional rivalry. The spark that had ignited between them still burned brightly, undimmed by the heat of their virtual clash.

In that moment, Sakura knew that this was far from the end of their story. The Valorant stage had brought them together, but the true connection that lay between them was something that transcended the virtual realm.

The post-match interviews and press conferences had dragged on, and Sakura found herself eagerly anticipating the moment when she and Y/N could finally steal away from the public eye. As she made her way through the crowded backstage area, she spotted him, his gaze fixed on the ground, seemingly lost in thought.

Approaching him cautiously, Sakura placed a gentle hand on his arm, causing him to look up, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Hey, you," she said softly, offering him a warm smile.

Y/N returned the smile, though Sakura could detect a hint of vulnerability in his expression. "Hey, Sakura. That was... quite a match, huh?"

"It was," Sakura replied, her voice low and intimate. "You played incredibly well. I'm... I'm really impressed."

A moment of silence passed between them, the weight of unspoken emotions hanging in the air. Sakura could feel the tension building, the desire to bridge the gap between them growing stronger with each passing second.

"Y/N, I..." she began, her voice trembling slightly. "I need to tell you something."

He looked at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. Sakura took a deep breath, summoning her courage.

"I... I've been thinking about you a lot. About us. And I... I can't stop thinking about the connection I feel between us. It's... it's more than just a professional rivalry, isn't it?"

Y/N remained silent, his expression unreadable. Sakura's heart raced, the uncertainty of his reaction threatening to consume her.

"I know this might be... complicated," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I... I need you to know how I feel. I don't want to keep this bottled up any longer."

The air was thick with tension as Sakura waited, her entire being focused on Y/N's response. The moment seemed to stretch on endlessly, until finally, he reached out and gently took her hand, his touch sending a shiver down her spine.

"Sakura..." he began, his voice low and filled with emotion. "I feel it too. I... I've been struggling with these feelings for a while now."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat, her heart threatening to burst from her chest. The vulnerability in Y/N's eyes was a mirror to her own, and in that moment, she knew that the path forward, though uncertain, was one they would navigate together.

The air crackled with a potent mixture of vulnerability and anticipation as Sakura and Y/N stood there, their hands intertwined, the world around them fading into the background.

"I've been... so afraid to say anything," Sakura confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't want to jeopardize our careers, our friendship. But I can't keep denying what I feel for you."

Y/N gave her hand a gentle squeeze, his eyes reflecting the same tumultuous emotions she was experiencing. "Sakura, I feel the same way. These past few months, getting to know you, being around you... it's been both exhilarating and terrifying."

Sakura felt a surge of relief wash over her, but the uncertainty that lingered was palpable. "What do we do now? This... this could complicate things, both on and off the field."

"I don't know," Y/N admitted, his brow furrowed in contemplation. "But I do know that I don't want to lose you, Sakura. Whatever happens, I want us to figure this out. Together."

Sakura's heart swelled with a mixture of joy and trepidation. She knew the challenges they would face, the scrutiny and the potential fallout, but in that moment, all that mattered was the connection they shared.

"Okay," she said, her voice steadier now. "Let's take this one step at a time. We'll figure it out, no matter what."

Y/N nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'm with you, Sakura. Through it all."

As they stood there, hand in hand, the weight of their decision hung heavy in the air. But there was also a glimmer of hope, a promise of a future that was theirs to shape, no matter the obstacles that lay ahead.

————————————————————

The aftermath of the Valorant tournament was a whirlwind of activity, with both teams and players facing intense scrutiny and media attention. Sakura and Y/N had made the conscious decision to keep their newfound relationship under wraps, at least for the time being.

However, their carefully guarded secret was not destined to remain hidden for long. During a post-match interview, a seemingly innocuous question about their "close friendship" triggered a line of questioning that quickly spiraled out of control.

Sakura felt her heart race as the interviewer probed deeper, hinting at the possibility of a romantic involvement between the two pro-gamers. She glanced at Y/N, who was visibly tense, his jaw clenched as he struggled to maintain his composure.

The tension in the room was palpable, and Sakura knew that they were rapidly running out of time to address the situation before it spun entirely out of their control. She took a deep breath, summoning her courage, and made the decision to speak up.

"Look, the truth is, Y/N and I... we have developed a deep connection. One that goes beyond just being teammates or competitors." Sakura paused, her gaze unwavering as she met the interviewer's eyes. "We've been trying to navigate this situation as best we can, but the reality is, we care about each other. Deeply."

The room erupted in a flurry of activity, with reporters shouting questions and cameras flashing. Sakura felt Y/N's hand brush against hers, offering a silent show of support amidst the chaos.

In that moment, they both knew that there was no going back. Their relationship was now public knowledge, and the consequences, both professional and personal, would be significant. But as they stood there, facing the storm together, Sakura couldn't help but feel a sense of resolve.

Whatever lay ahead, they would face it side by side, determined to forge their own path and to explore the depths of their connection, no matter the cost.

The fallout from the public reveal of Sakura and Y/N's relationship was swift and unforgiving. The esports community, known for its intense rivalries and cutthroat nature, erupted in a frenzy of speculation, criticism, and even outright hostility.

Both players found themselves at the center of a media storm, their every move scrutinized and dissected. Accusations of favoritism, bias, and potential conflicts of interest began to swirl, threatening to overshadow their impressive accomplishments on the Valorant stage.

Sakura and Y/N weathered the storm with remarkable resilience, though the emotional toll was undeniable. They faced intense pressure from their respective teams, as well as from sponsors and league officials, all of whom were concerned about the potential impact on their brands and reputations.

Yet, amidst the chaos, their bond only grew stronger. They leaned on each other, offering support, comfort, and a steadfast determination to weather the storm together. In the rare moments they could steal away from the public eye, they would simply hold each other, drawing strength from the connection that had blossomed between them.

"I never imagined it would be this difficult," Sakura confessed one night, her head resting on Y/N's shoulder. "But I don't regret it, Y/N. I don't regret choosing you."

Y/N pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, his arms tightening around her. "Neither do I, Sakura. We'll get through this. I promise."

As they sat there, the weight of the world seemingly on their shoulders, they knew that their love would be the anchor that kept them grounded, even in the face of the most turbulent storms.

————————————————————

Despite the intense scrutiny and controversy surrounding their relationship, Sakura and Y/N refused to let it dampen their competitive spirit. As the next major Valorant tournament approached, they were more determined than ever to prove their worth on the virtual battlefield.

In the weeks leading up to the event, they immersed themselves in a rigorous training regimen, pushing their skills to new heights. Sakura could feel the electricity coursing through her veins as she honed her strategies, her focus laser-sharp and unwavering.

Y/N, for his part, matched her intensity, his gameplay reaching new levels of precision and adaptability. The two of them were in perfect sync, their communication and teamwork seamless as they coordinated their team's movements.

As the tournament began, the scrutiny and pressure only seemed to fuel their determination. Sakura and Y/N were a force to be reckoned with, their performances captivating the audience and their opponents alike.

With each successive win, the noise and criticism that had once threatened to overwhelm them began to fade into the background. All that mattered was the thrill of the competition, the rush of adrenaline, and the unbreakable bond that united them.

And as the final match of the prestigious Valorant tournament commenced. Sakura and Y/N, once fierce rivals, now united by a love that transcended the virtual battlefield, found themselves pitted against each other once more – but this time, the stakes were higher than ever before.

The world watched with bated breath as the two pro-gamers led their respective teams through a grueling series of rounds, their skills and strategic prowess on full display. The intensity of the competition was palpable, the tension thick enough to be cut with a knife.

Yet, amidst the fierceness of the battle, Sakura and Y/N shared fleeting glances, a silent language that spoke volumes of the profound connection they shared. Their teamwork and synergy were unparalleled, each anticipating the other's moves, their decisions seamlessly in sync.

As the match reached its crescendo, the score remained tied, both teams refusing to back down. It was in this moment of pure, unadulterated tension that Sakura and Y/N found their moment to shine.

With a flawless execution of a daring maneuver, Y/N outmaneuvered Sakura's team, securing the final victory for his squad. The arena erupted in thunderous cheers, the fans captivated by the sheer brilliance of the play.

In the aftermath, Sakura and Y/N met in the center of the virtual battlefield, their eyes locking in a moment of profound understanding. Y/N reached out, gently taking Sakura's hand, and in that instant, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them.

"Congratulations, Y/N," Sakura whispered, a soft smile gracing her lips. "You were amazing out there."

Y/N returned the smile, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. "I couldn't have done it without you, Sakura. This victory belongs to both of us."

In that moment, their bond transcended the confines of the tournament, their love shining through as a testament to the belief that true triumph could only be found in the strength of their shared journey. The world watched in awe, captivated by the raw, unadulterated emotion that radiated from the two pro-gamers.

As they stepped off the virtual stage, hand in hand, Sakura and Y/N knew that their story was just beginning. The future was theirs to shape, a canvas upon which they would continue to paint the masterpiece of their love – a love that would inspire generations to come, a love that knew no boundaries.

[utilitycaster]

if sam is truly in a position where he has to introduce a new character, what kind of build would you wish he would try out? or would you like him to still go with a cleric?

Good question! My answer below comes down to "it depends, but I do lean towards a new but very differently flavored cleric."

I think cleric is still probably the best option. It is rough to be a party without a cleric (having played a non-cleric primary healer myself), and Fearne would have to shift pretty dramatically in playstyle if he did not at least play a strong healer. He could go for a more healing-focused druid, but that's a tall order to jump into at L13, or return to a class he knows well and play a bard. @captainofthetidesbreath suggested cleric/wizard multiclass which would also be a great idea; this party does not lack for high charisma with the witches, but could use a high intelligence character, and it's an incredibly powerful multiclass for a reason (though it would mean no higher-level resurrection spells, since the classic split is a cleric dip for a wizard thus granting them scalable healing and armor).

If I were like, Sam's advisor here (so...Liam), I'd say knowledge cleric. It would give them the perspective of a different god (Erathis? Corellon? Ioun?), it's an excuse to play high intelligence and have very good INT-based skills, it would be a very different take on cleric, but it would still have all the useful core abilities. Twilight Cleric is also RIDICULOUS (positive) and would solve a number of problems and, I mean, FCG stats but shift around Charisma/Int/Con scores a bit to be slightly less tank, much more intelligent, and uncharismatic. Would be an interesting way to bring in Sehanine. And, I should note, either knowledge or twilight could be used to make a Marquesian character which might also help fill in some lore gaps.

To talk through some other healing options: I do love Tary but I believe he was played as a Battlesmith and so that's only half healing. Paladin is an option, actually, if he plays one of the more healing-focused ones (65 lay on hands points? no joke), and I think Sam would make a good paladin in many ways (and paladin auras at L13 would be MASSIVE for the party. My one concern is that because paladins need to have good charisma and strength and a decent CON score, filling the intelligence gap gets tougher unless he rolls very good stats. I wouldn't go for divine soul sorcerer because three sorcerers is ridiculous, but Celestial Warlock wouldn't be bad either. I actually am a big fan of rangers now that the Tasha's and Xanathar's options are far better than the core build, and I really do think hybrid classes are a great fit for Sam, but I'm again a little worried about the stat demands and the quantity of healing. If I were Sam's advisor I would also have a serious talk with Ashley to see how she feels about Fearne taking on more healing to guide my decision.

[cantcompetewhereudontcompare]

Louis' boxscores are out and wow, was I spot on!

In my last post I claimed that he hadn't actually grown his audience from his last tour, as his fans claimed, and that he repeated the same numbers instead.

This is what I said about Argentina:

Louis in Argentina had sold 25,957 tickets in 2023 "while Harry was touring. (Harry sold 123,942 tickets in the same country)." If he even repeated his 25,000 crowd I'd be shocked. But he definitely didn't grow this audience. It was as small as before, at best.

This was his box score for Argentina:

Estadio Vélez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires: 20,318 (72.76%) - $1,490,300

Bahahahha. This is what I said about Brazil:

Harry had three shows in Allianz Parque which had a combined attendance of 137,009. Each show roughly 45/46K. That is a third of that stadium. And Louis did not sell out, there were tickets available in all sections right up until the moment the show started. Louis had one show. You can see the empty seats in multiple videos on Twitter. Meaning, Louis' attendance was at best 15K. That is, once again, the same exact audience he had for his previous tour.

This was his box score for Brazil:

Allianz Parque, São Paulo: 16,406 (77.81%) - $1,299,866

This is what I said about Mexico:

The 70,000 number came from a fan and people just ran with it, particularly multiple Spanish speaking blogs who aren't very reputable. The actual attendance was 32,000. I know there's a source for this but I didn't save it, it was an official Mexican news outlet who spoke with the organizers.

This was his box score for Mexico:

Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City: 31,562 (97.06%) - $2,788,570

Genuinely shocked at my own ability to guesstimate audiences at a glance, but ANYWAY.

His fans are obviously claiming these numbers are fake, or they're just "platinum tickets" ????

Touring Data posts box scores they obtain from Pollstar, which audits concerts and gets information straight from the source. Either the artist's team or the venue. The numbers are 100% official. This is what he sold.

If they hadn't been hellbent on surpassing or matching Harry, and centering this man's life and career around his former (much more famous, much more talented) bandmate, then they'd realize that the fact that he has those audiences is a miracle that should be celebrated.

A person who cannot sing, play instruments, or compose music, refuses to dress up or make any sort of effort, doesn't learn his own lyrics, and has the charisma of a cardboard box, selling 32,000 tickets for a show is ridiculous enough.

Here's the complete list:

Mexico City (Mexico): 31,562 (97.06%) - $2,788,570

Buenos Aires (Argentina): 20,318 (72.76%) - $1,490,300

São Paulo (Brazil): 16,406 (77.81%) - $1,299,866

Guadalajara (Mexico): 12,975 (99.46%) - $1,143,498

Santiago (Chile): 12,979 (50.08%) - $829,243

Querétaro (Mexico): 4,938 (100%) - $480,594

Bogotá (Colombia): 5,576 (69.53%) - $463,305

Curitiba (Brazil): 5,379 (64.07%) - $452,919

Lima (Peru): 5,784 (90.54%) - $425,584

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil): 6,101 (80.30%) - $387,853

Montevideo (Uruguay): 2,882 (73.60%) - $343,658

San José (Costa Rica): 3,314 (48.67%) - $290,948

Panama City (Panama): 1,718 (68.80%) - $174,277

Asunción (Paraguay): 3,025 (65.12%) - $167,174

San Juan (Puerto Rico): 2,046 (38.19%) - $161,370

The percentages are off, of course, because that's the percentage of tickets sold THAT HE PUT OUT ON SALE. Not actual capacity. In actuality, those places are much, much bigger, he just reduced capacity by a bunch and put only parts of the venues on sale, and even then he could only fully sell out ONE show.

Let's look at actual venue capacity of his biggest shows, not going by Wikipedia numbers, because often those numbers are maximum-maximum and to actually achieve that you have to not have a stage or a catwalk or a sound box. I'm going to compare to other concerts in the same venue, where possible!

Mexico City, Mexico - Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez

This one is actually quite hard to find info of. It's a venue used mainly for festivals, such as Arre, Electric Daisy, Vive Latino, etc. I cannot find single concerts here. And it makes sense because Louis' wasn't a single concert, but that vanity project of his that is his "Away From Home" festival. Where it's him as the main act and two or three more random white boy bands, who are often far better than him.

Anyway, attendance to this ground goes from 70,000 to 110,000, so the idea that his 31,562 sold out 97% of tickets is absurd. It's more along the lines of 30% of capacity.

Buenos Aires, Argentina - Estadio Vélez Sarsfield

This one is easy, as I've said before, One Direction performed there in 2014. I presume he chose it as some sort of ego trip?

One Direction sold out two shows at 80,622 making attendance for each 40,311.

To be fair, let's look up other shows! Karol G did two shows in 2024, her attendance for both was 82,818, meaning 41,409 for each.

Bad Bunny did two shows in 2022, his attendance for both was 85,345, meaning 42,672 for each.

So how on earth would 20,318, what Louis sold, represent almost 73%? If we take capacity of this stadium to be 41,000 then he sold less than 50% of the total amount of tickets....

São Paulo, Brazil - Allianz parque

Harry did three shows in this stadium, totalling 137,009 tickets sold, meaning 45,669 per show.

BTS had two shows in this stadium in 2019, totalling 84,728 tickets sold, meaning 42,364 per show.

Ed Sheeran had two shows in this stadium in 2019, totalling 81,156 tickets sold, meaning 40,578 per show.

Paul McCartney had two shows in this stadium in 2019, totalling 90,384 tickets sold, meaning 45,192.

Let's average it and we get about 43,500 for capacity. So how much of that did Louis' 16,406 represent? Was it almost 78%?

No, more along the lines of 37.7%.

I'm entirely too lazy to look up the others, and most of them are rather small and the arenas are quite obscure, so less acts have performed there (honestly, I think it'd be almost impossible to find concrete info for the venues in Costa Rica and Puerto Rico), but I really wanna know what possessed this man to book these venues??

He sold the same amount or more tickets for his first tour, in much smaller venues. It makes no sense at all. Booking those stadiums/big venues is more expensive, security for those venues is more expensive, staging is more expensive, you need more man power to put the stage together and apart, you actually have to either have multiple versions of your stage to fit the different types of venues, or have a too big stage at a small venue or a too small stage at a big venue, the ambiance of the show is worse, the sound of the show is worse.

So WHY? Is it the ego trip to claim he performed there? He can't possibly be that ridiculous. He's almost 33 years old. He's losing money. For a lot of these shows, I'm willing to bet he actually, not figuratively, had a loss in terms of the cost of putting the show together vs the gross of the show itself.

His first tour in Latin America vs his second tour:

Chile:

2023 | 24,063

2024 | 12,979

Paraguay:

2023 | 5,178

2024 | 3,025

Argentina:

2023 | 25,967

2024 | 20,318

Uruguay:

2023 | 6,627

2024 | 2,882 (oof, and this was in the same venue)

Brazil:

Rio 2023 | 12,206

Rio 2024 | 6,101

Sao Paulo 2023 | 15,426

Sao Paulo 2024 | 16,406

Peru:

2023 | 13,950

2024 | 5,784

Colombia:

2023 | 10,825

2024 | 5,576

Costa Rica:

2023 | 7,302

2024 | 3,314

Puerto Rico:

2023 | 3,595

2024 | 2,046

Mexico:

Monterrey 2023 | 6,674

Queretaro 2024 | 4,938

Guadalajara 2023 | 8,004

Guadalajara 2024 | 12,975

Mexico City 2023 | 23,894

Mexico City 2024 | 31,562

I put together Monterrey and Queretaro cause they're both in Mexico and he didn't repeat cities there. He had two extra cities, one in Brazil (Curitiba 5,379 attendance) and one in Panama (1,718 attendance) comparing from his last tour.

Total amount of tickets sold in Latin America in 2023: 163,714

Total amount of tickets sold in Latin America in 2024: 135,003

This is even though the venues were bigger and he visited more cities. But I thought he was doubling, tripling his audiences? LMAO.

His gross was sliiiightly more than in 2023:

2023: 9,240,254

2024: 10,473,240

But any positive difference he may have made was most likely offset by the cost of renting those venues and putting the shows together. Plus, not to mention it has been quite the year of inflation globally.

His own fans need to stop setting him up!

This is the source for the data

I'll be back soon, god willing, to make a comprehensive post about Louis being a high school homophobic bully and his large documented history of homophobia.

[youroriginalsublimecupcakestuff]

Fem chuuya when she have her periods, it's a code red and a state of emergency for the port mafia, they even have a bunker preparred for the occasion, i mean fem dazai with her periods is dangerous too and make you question your entire existence but fem chuuya is really irritable while dazai is passive agressive and she lose control of her ability.

Chuuya wear sport short , spandex, stocking or pants under her skirt or a running skirt but she prefer to wear pants for easier movement, she prefer to use sport bra when she train but mysteriously when she does that the training room seem to empty itself with the room's security camera always ending up hacked.

Kouyou like to dress her up with mori sometimes joining like bickering with kouyou passive agressively about what would be the best outfits to chuuya dismay ( Elise always save the day by distracting mori and chuuya treat her to cake afterward), kouyou especially like to see her in kimono .

I can see yuan liking to do her makeup or doing differents hairstyle on chuuya and enjoying girls time with her while she was in sheep.

I think that she used to wear short hair ( maybe a bob haircut or shorter), because she found it more pratictal but then after that dazai left she let her hair grow after all anyone who would try to use her long hair against her would discover what is like to be crushed by gravity.

( And i just imagined elise trying to braid chuuya hair or doing others haircut like my cousins used to do with me).

I also think that it will be nice to have the port mafia girls going shopping together like in the omake of chapter 23 when gin and higuchi Hangout together in a cafe ( i also headcanon chuuya and gin having similar taste in music ( maybe not in everything but i found cute to have chuuya, gin ( and ryunosuke) quietly enjoying the same music together.

For fem soukoku I love their time in the arcade when they could be kids together but i also see them go to karaoke together and make bet on who would have the best score , i can also see them doing purikura and trying to mess up the others photo but also going shopping together ( they definitelly did shoplifting dazai goaded chuuya into it and they made bet about it and they criticize the others techniques.)

The first time that dazai saw chuuya with a cherry lip gloss, she couldn't keep her eyes on her lips it was ackward.

Fem Dazai is a black widow, her charm, charisma and seduction are her weapon and she's even more manipulative than canon dazai, when she was on the run she stayed with her lovers.

she's very proefiscient with a gun and chuuya insisted to teach her martial art ( and it was also forced upon her by Mori so that she at least know how to defend herself even when she was grumbling all the way) but she prefer psychological and emotional warfare.

Chuuya is oblivious and too workaolic to realize that peoples are interested in her and all the confession that she receive always misteriously disappear before that she notice it .

( Dazai, Verlaine and Kouyou are scaringly efficient when they work together).

[alt-wannabe]

MCSR D&D

Reign's sheet is FINALLY done and as per the poll I also included his character mini.

The Genie (Efreeti) Warlock 8 / Oath of Glory Paladin 7

Chat I tried my absolute best for a streamer I don't know as well so hopefully this one makes sense and is up to standards :)

So in the polls it was a pretty damn clear consensus that his highest stat would be charisma. Class wise that left me with bard, sorcerer, and warlock as charisma mains and out of those I felt warlock made the most sense. With Con voted the second highest stat, I figured I could get away with a martial multiclass so paladin ended up being one of the better options. Oath of Glory also ended up having a bunch of class features that make sense in my mind so it worked out. Finally I picked Pact of the Blade for a warlock pact in order to give him a bunch more utility as a martial attacker.

We've got two spell lists since both paladin and warlock get spells. This one was a LOT more based in utility than characterization- both because I'm not exactly confident in my ability to characterize Reign and also because this multiclass is a little funky so I can't just go all in on gimmicks. I tried to give him a pretty large amount of charm spells (ie Command, Charm Person, Enthrall) in order to reflect the super high charisma score in a way outside of just pure ability modifiers. Some other smaller references include invisibility (get it like the potion omg so im so smar- *gunshots*), Dimension Door (my mind is pretending this is like the nether and end portals even though utility wise it's infinitely closer to an ender pearl cause it's a teleport), Locate Object (spawner locating), and Enhance Ability (basically can be used for a variety of effects kinda like potions). The biggest stretch reference is Summon Fey and that pick was ENTIRELY because in this AU silverr is fey adjacent.

Here are the picks for the inventory- congrats Reign on being the first person to get a hella rare artifact yippee. A lot of these are slap in the face references: scale mail from the dragon, the brazier sounds straight out of a nether fortress, flame tongue greatsword is basically just a fire aspect sword, and I've been trying to give all the speedrunners something movement based so I added the gloves. Fun fact when you pick the warlock class you get to pick an arcane focus and one of the options was a rod so that's got double utility as a MC reference and also a spellcasting focus. Like the other sheets I gave him pearls but also note that he has a folding boat cause these speedrunners love their mf boats.

This is just the utility of the orb of dragonkind to give y'all a bit of understanding as to why I picked it.

Okay we've got a lot of features coming up so just like be prepared lmao. The top image is just ripped straight out of Tasha's Cauldron guidebook; I thought I'd let yall read about the subclass and judge if I picked right or not. Divine Sense is akin to finding spawners imo, and I picked interception as the fighting style because of the duos runs Reign does.

These are some more features from his paladin subclass that seemed fitting for specifically duos speedrunning. The big one here (and basically the whole reason I split the multiclass 50/50) is the 7th level feature Aura of Alacrity, which deadass just increases the speed of all allies nearby.

Finally here are the warlock invocations I picked up. Agonizing Blast just adds damage to eldrich blast (warlock cantrip aka an attack that doesnt use spell slots) based on your charisma score so it's an ESSENTIAL pick for a warlock (like genuinely if you make a warlock you need this invocation). Tricksters Escape gives freedom of movement which is essentially just a spell that prevents you from getting stopped by difficult terrain- really fitting for a speedrunner imo. Eldrich smite was just so perfect since he's multiclassed into paladin, giving him access to traditional smites.

And to go along with the character sheet I've also got the mini made!

Features I'm Proud of:

The sword is supposed to look like it's made from the ender dragon's jaw, and it's aflame like his sword from the character sheet

The paws/claws that are featured on his gauntlets (they're technically lion paws not bear but shhhhh)

The wand on the ground I colored like a blaze rod (I was trying my best guys there's no just plain rod)

Looking at his MC skin I have no idea what the thing on his head is so I just made it a circlet.

The teal thing is supposed to be the Orb of Dragonkind but with an eye of ender type of color palette.

The thing on his back is technically a vial pouch but I'm hoping it looks like a strap where he could put his sword when it's not in use- all of the sheaths were too small.

[nerdythebard]

#60: Susano'o-no-Mikoto, God of the Summer Storms

Welcome back, Gods and Goddesses!

This anonymous request brings us face to face with the mighty Susano'o, Japanese God of Storms and Sea. Susano'o, wild and impetuous, became a wandering hero after his banishment from the divine realms and created several kinds of plants and crops (and many, many descendants) while on his travels across Japan. Let's see what this short-tempered troublemaker can bring to your game.

Next Time: Reluctantly, I have to accept this one... Because I am Nerdy the Bard of the D&D Library... and I am burdened with Glorious Purpose.

Now then, let's see what do we need to focus on:

A MIGHTY STORM: Heh heh... old SMITE jokes are great. Anyway, yes, we need to have some connection to the raging storms, hurricanes, and the seas. Their destructive power shall serve us.

An even mightier Sword: While we embody the raging power of a storm, we are also a skilled and peerless warrior god. We are, in fact, the bone of our sword (love you, Grailfinders!) and it is the extension of ourselves.

Gotta Go Fast: Mobility will be important for us, as the God of Storms and a wandering warrior. We need to be able to position ourselves to face any danger.

---

Normally, I'd use my usual trick and make a god we're building an Aasimar (as I did with his sister, Amaterasu -> see HERE). This time, however, I want to play around a little, so let's make Susano'o an Air Genasi. Going by the guidelines from Mordenkeinen's Monsters of the Multiverse, we get a +2 and a +1 to two abilities of our choice (Dexterity and Strength respectively), our movement speed is just slightly better at 35 feet per round, we get 60 feet of Darkvision, we are able to hold our breath indefinitely if not incapacitated (effectively gaining resistance to gaseous attacks and ability to remain underwater forever) and are resistant to lightning damage. Thanks to the Mingle with the Wind feature, we also gain the Shocking Grasp cantrip and some other spells in the future.

What better for a banished god than a redemption as a Folk Hero. We gain proficiency in Animal Handling (poor horses) and Survival, as well as one type of artisan's tools and land vehicles. We also gain the Rustic Hospitality feature; the pathetic mortals kind common folk may offer us their kindness on occasion and provide with shelter, food, or perhaps the latest gossip. They may also shield us from danger, although it's unlikely they'd risk their lives for a stranger right away. Although...

ABILITY SCORES

We will start with Dexterity on this one. We strike fast, we strike often. As a being of heavens, we also boast a divine Constitution. Finally, we need to strike with the power of the storm, so we're also investing in Strength.

Charisma will be next, we have enough to intimidate the weak and trick a giant demon snake. Intelligence will be on the lower end, and we're dumping Wisdom - we are definitely not thinking about the consequences of our actions.

CLASS

This one had a few options, but I decided that the best balance between Susano'o's divine abilities and his swordsmanship would be to make him a Fighter start-to-finish. Fighters get a d10 as their Hit Dice, [10 + Constitution modifier] initial Hit Points, proficiencies with light armour, medium armour, heavy armour, shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons. We can see Susano'o wear some armguards in the art, but since we cannot get just those in the game, we're going to start him without any armour. And we will give him a longsword that you can reflavour visually as a katana. Our saving throws are Strength and Constitution, and we get to choose two class skills from the list (Athletics and Intimidation).

Level 1: We begin by choosing our Fighting Style. For this, we shall take the Dueling style, which lets us add a +2 to our damage roll when we wield a weapon in one hand and nothing in the others. We also get Second Wind, which we can use as a bonus action once per short or long rest in order to heal [1d10 + our Fighter level] Hit Points.

Level 2: Thanks to Action Surge, we can now take one additional Action during our turn in combat. We can do so once per short or long rest.

Level 3: We choose our subclass, our Martial Archetype. Susano'o is a warrior first and foremost, but due to his divine heritage he also displays some supernatural abilities; therefore, we shall make him an Eldritch Knight.

From now on, we get access to Spellcasting. Intelligence is our casting ability, and we know cantrips and regular spells. We start with two cantrips (Gust and Sword Burst) and threee 1st-level spells, two of which must be either from the Abjuration or Evocation school of magic; we'll take Mage Armour, Thunderwave, and Disguise Self). From our Air Genasi race, we also get Feather Fall.

We also make our sword truly mighty by developing Weapon Bond. From now on, we cannot be disarmed unless we're incapacitated or allow so. Additionally, as a bonus action, we can summon our sword to our side from whenever it is as long as it is on the same plane of existence as us. We can Bond two weapons at once (giving us now a full set of samurai swords).

Level 4: We get our first Ability Score Improvement where we upgrade our Strength by both points. We also get another spell (Fog Cloud).

Level 5: At this level we get Extra Attack. From now on, during a single Attack action we can strike twice. We also get our final Air Genasi spell: Levitate.

Level 6: Time for another ASI. Let's raise our Strength and Wisdom by one.

Level 7: At this level we get another subclass feature. With War Magic, if we cast a cantrip as our Action, we can make one weapon attack as a Bonus Action. We also unlock 2nd-level spell here; we can grab Magic Weapon to recover some of our lost divinity.

Level 8: Time for another ASI. Let's raise both Strength and Dexterity for that nice 18 on both, and pick up another 2nd-level spell: Warding Wind.

Level 9: We gain the Indomitable feat. We are now able to re-roll one failed saving throw. We must, however, use the new result even if it's worse than the original one.

Level 10: Halfway through the build and we're getting another subclass feature. With Eldritch Strike we can now place a cut on our enemy that makes them vulnerable to magic; when we hit a creature with our melee weapon, it has disadvantage on the saving throw of the next spell we cast before the end of our next turn. With that, we can now pick a new 2nd-level spell: Shatter, which will force a Consitution saving throw.

We also get another cantrip; let's take True Strike that will synthesize nicely with our War Magic subclass feature.

Level 11: Here, we get an upgrade to our Extra Attack. From now on, whenever we Attack we can make a total of three strikes per turn (six if we decide to take Action Surge). We also get another spell, See Invisibiliy, to always find our enemies.

Level 12: Another ASI. This time, we shall cap our Dexterity into 20, which will increase our AC and Initiative bonus to make sure we get the first strike before anyone else.

Level 13: Our Indomitable can now be used twice per long rest. Additionally, we finally unlock 3rd-level spells. Let's grab Call Lightning to become the Thunder Bringer (yes, EPIC the Musical released a new Saga and it is awesome!)

Level 14: Time for another ASI. Let's cap our Strength to 20 for that divine striking power. But what's power without more mobility, so for our next 3rd-level spell, let's grab Thunder Step.

Level 15: For our final subclass feature, we shall get Arcane Charge. After using our Action Surge, we can now teleport to an unoccupied space within 30 feet of us. With that, and our last choice, we can now cover quite a lot of distance whether in combat or outside of it.

Level 16: With the next ASI, we will actually bump up our Constitution and Charisma by one point each. We also get another spell. Here, let's pick Pulse Wave and flavour it as a sheer wind pressure coming from our sword slashes.

Level 17: We get a few upgrades to our fighting mechanics. We can now use Indomitable three times per long rest, and we can use Action Surge twice per short or long rest.

Level 18: For our final subclass feature, we get Improved War Magic; this lets us make a weapon attack as a Bonus Action if we use our Action to cast a spell.

Level 19: For the final ASI of the build, we will round off our Constitution and Charisma to nice even numbers. Here is where we unlock 4th-level spells, however we will keep to the previous level in order to grab Lightning Bolt.

Level 20: As our capstone we are Fighter 20, which gives us improved Extra Attack. During a single Attack, we can now unleash up to four strikes. For our final spell, let's grab Tidal Wave to create the ultimate storm.

---

And that's Susano'o-no-Mikoto, the wild god of storms. Let's see what we came up with:

First and foremost, we're a combat beast. Plenty of attacks, both physical and magical, maximum score for both Strength and Dexterity, solid Speed; we're clearly a frontline fighter. Mobility and Crowd Control is our strongest tactic here.

Our unarmoured AC is 15 (18 with Mage Armour), we have a +5 to our Initiative, and the average of 211 Hit Points.

Unfortunately, though a solid build, we cannot do a lot outside of combat. We don't have a lot of skill proficiency and out mental ability scores are pretty weak; we need to procure some sort of item that will help us not being mind controlled. My personal recommendation: the Mindguard Crown from Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk.

---

And that's it. As promised, we're back my dears. As penitance, I shall work on the next build right away, so keep watch!

-Nerdy out!

[grailfinders]

Grailfinders #334: Koyanskaya of Dark

today on Grailfinders we’re building Koyanskaya one final time. this time, of Dark! as much as I would love to complain about having to look at her face for even one second longer than necessary after Tunguska, this build was actually pretty interesting to set up. after all, there aren’t a ton of ways to fling meteors at people.

we can get that, plus make the build super literal by being a Shadow Sorcerer. we’re also going to make her a Shepherd Druid so we can summon some of that slaughter beast troupe, and so you can turn into a fox. or really any animal you want, aside from maybe a Tyrannosaurus.

with all that out of the way, let’s get started on the third and final koyanskaya build, below the cut! (if you’d rather just read the character sheet, that’s over here.)

next up: What if I say I’m not like the others? What if I say I’m not just another one of your plays?

Ancestry & Background

I know we went harengon last time we made koyanskaia, but 1. she doesn’t use guns in this one so the “hare trigger” pun isn’t as funny, and 2. we need a feat first thing, so now she’s a Custom Lineage. they didn’t really have a race for the congealed suffering of millions of animals anyway, but at least this gives you a +2 to Charisma, as well as some Darkvision to style on those hominids, and the Weapon Master feat for +1 Dexterity and proficiency in four weapons of your choice, like a whip, and three other, better weapons. fun fact, I built this whole thing using the trial quest, where koyanskaya’s locked in her third ascension, so I straight up didn’t realize she had a whip until the build was practically over. hence the bad feat. egg on my face, but I don’t think there’s a better way to get good weapons in this build anyway, level nine spells are a pain to build around. 

but, the more things change the more they stay the same- she’s still a Faceless, giving her proficiency in Deception and Intimidation. there are some people who would call her voice lines persuasion attempts, but I try to make these builds system-agnostic.

Ability Scores

your number one ability this time around is Charisma- you managed to fool one of the greatest Chinese sages of all time and the entire FGO fanbase into thinking you were Tamamo. one of those feats is more impressive than the other, but I’m madder about the latter, so it’s still staying in the script. also all your magic comes from being who you are- inspiring, and a charisma trait.

your second highest score is Wisdom. animals are great with animal handling, and you sure are animals! also most godly casters get their stuff from wisdom, and you are a god. somehow. what the hell is going on in your final ascension is still pretty unclear to me.

anyway, moving on! number three, Dexterity. you like whips and hate armor, that one’s pretty open and shut. fourth is Constitution because you’re so good at not dying you don’t even die after we kill you a good million times.

all that means your Strength is a little low. I’m sure dark has the same human hurty powers as light, but you fight with a whip and magic, and neither of those are strength-based, so we can ignore the greatswords this time around.

finally, we’re dumping Intelligence. you weren’t even raised by wolves, and just thinking about Tunguska makes my head hurt so I can’t imagine how badly it affects the people living it.

Class Levels

1. Sorcerer 1: sorcerers get their specialties right off the bat, so as a Shadow sorcerer you start off with Eyes of the Dark, an extra 60’ of range on your darkvision. on top of that, at level three you get the Darkness spell for free, and if you cast it using just sorcery points you can see through it.

speaking of, you learn Spells starting this level that you can cast using your Charisma. I wasn’t able to get a true curse to complete dark’s goddess morph, but I got fire and poison coming your way, plus plenty of other debuffs to help you squash humanity. one of the best is also one of the earliest- Silvery Barbs. when a human of your choice tries to make an attack, check, or save and succeeds, you can make them re-roll. if they fail this time, you can give a nearby beast advantage on their next attack, check, or save for a little bit. it’s a debuff for some, a buff for others, just like most of your skills.

you also get the Mind Sliver cantrip to eat away at people’s saving throws, as well as Light, Thunderclap, and Booming Blade because hoo boy there sure was a lot of that in Tunguska that day.

finally, you get Mage Armor for a +3 to AC and plot armor so thick that even after turning yourself into a raid boss you turn into an egg instead of dying, and then come back to life twice to boot.

two more things- you have proficiency in Constitution and Charisma saves, as well as Persuasion and Religion. we’ve already gone over your charisma, as well as the fact that you’re at least part god.

two, you have the Strength of the Grave, so once a day you can stay at one HP when you should be knocked out by making a charisma save of five plus the damage taken, letting you get ready for another round of raiding. worth noting, however, this won’t save you from radiant damage or critical hits, so if we ever get a rerun make sure to pack Gawain and Kojirou. wait, they’re hominids… Tamamo Cat and Asterios maybe?

2. Sorcerer 2: second level sorcerers are a Font of Magic, giving you sorcery points equal to your sorcerer level each long rest. you can spend them to make new spell slots, or spend spell slots to make new points. this isn’t an equal exchange, so this is just and extra spell slot a day right now.

speaking of spells, I know Dark doesn’t get Sleep in-game, but it’s a hell of a debuff, especially at low levels. I choose to believe that if Tunguska happened during part one, she’d be a sleep spammer. you cannot prove otherwise.

3. Sorcerer 3: third level sorcerers get Metamagic, little beast things that make you a little harder to deal with. by spending sorcery points you can make a spell either Heightened or Careful, the former making it harder for one creature to save, the latter guaranteeing up to five creatures save. you’ve got some big AoEs coming, it’ll be nice to make sure your animals survive. or just. make sure that one annoying human bites it. they’re mutually exclusive, but I’m sure you’ll make the right choice.

you also start getting second level spells this turn like Spray of Cards. this is our first “turn into a giant shadow fox” option. it’s not quite cloaking your entire body in darkness yet, but it will blind nearby creatures for a round and deal damage at the same time. maybe the real curse was the 52 pickup we made along the way.

4. Sorcerer 4: fourth level sorcerers get their first Ability Score Improvement, so bump up that Charisma. we also pick up the Infestation cantrip this level for some poison damage and a humble start to our murder troupe, as well as the Flaming Sphere spell. this fulfills our fire damage quota, and is a cheaper meteor to throw at people when you just can’t be assed to burn a ninth level spell slot.

with this spell, you can summon a 5’ tall meteor that floats around, and anything next to it needs to make a dex save or they’ll take damage, then as a bonus action you can move the ball around and even ram it into people. it hovers, but it can jump gaps, and even set stuff on fire around it.

5. Sorcerer 5: fifth level sorcerers get Magical Guidance, letting you spend sorcery points to re-roll failed skill checks. boom, instant business acumen. you’re welcome. you also get third level spells now, and I can think of no greater curse than Hold Person. you force a wisdom save on someone, and if they fail they’re Paralyzed for up to a minute, with rerolls each round. paralyzed creatures can’t do anything on their turn; automatically fail strength and dexterity saves; and not only do attackers get advantage to hit them, but those attacks automatically crit when they hit. this spell only works on humanoids, but so do you, so it’s fine.

6. Sorcerer 6: sixth level shadow sorcerers get your third ascension’s buster attack, the Hound of Ill Omen. with this, you can summon a direwolf as a bonus action, with the caveat that it’s only medium sized and technically not a beast any more. when summoned you sic it on a target, which it then exclusively moves towards and attacks, ignoring everything in its way- thankfully, it can phase through walls. it’s biggest strengths are that it can knock enemies prone for more advantage on attacks, as well as give its target disadvantage on saves against your spells while it’s next to them.

to make the most of this, force your enemies to make a billion saves with Melf’s Minute Meteors, tiny rocks you summon as an action and then can flick a few of them at enemies each turn. when they hit something, they explode and force nearby creatures to make dexterity saves. it’s thematic, and denying people their spells is basically buff removal if you think about it.

7. Sorcerer 7: seventh level sorcerers get fourth level spells. we still don’t have any summons, but at least you can Dominate Beasts now. if they fail a wisdom save, you can control the beast for up to a minute, linking you two up telepathically and letting you command them with your mind. these commands can be general, or you can spend your action to take over their body exactly. at higher levels you can increase the length of this power for up to eight hours. sadly we can’t extend your body out for several miles like in Tunguska proper, but this is still a great way to spy on people or get stuff sneakily.

8. Sorcerer 8: eighth level sorcerers get another ASI, letting us cap off our Charisma fairly early and get a point into Dexterity to boot. that being said odd numbers do nothing, so it’s not great right away. if you’re confused as to why we’re doing this then you might be under the effect of Confusion. if you didn’t fail a wisdom save and aren’t randomly doing things, you’re probably safe though. yeah, we’re still trying to find a debuff that can replace curse damage. tbh anything can be a curse in D&D, so I guess all these spells are fine?

9. Sorcerer 9: you know what’s better than fine though? fifth level spell slots. we still can’t summon animals, but we can Animate Objects and say they’re animals! with this, you can “summon” up to ten “animals” of small or tiny size, or add in some larger “animals” for double the cost per size larger they are. tbh the biggest and smallest animals are usually the best picks, but it’s totally up to you how you do this. at max level you could summon up to two huge creatures, so I guess that’s the break bars covered for your boss fight. murder troupe acquired!

10. Sorcerer 10: tenth level sorcerers get another kind of Metamagic, and the Distant spells will double the range you can cast a spell. you’re going to get some big blasts by the end of this, and trust me, you don’t want to be standing right next to them.

we also get another great “curse damage” option this level from the cantrip Chill Touch, which hits someone with necrotic damage and prevents them from healing for a round. you can also empower your beast backup with Skill Empowerment, giving a target creature expertise in a skill they’re already proficient in. you can still only get your wolf to do wolf things, but now it wolfs harder than ever before.

11. Sorcerer 11: eleventh level sorcerers get sixth level spells like the Investiture of Flame! eh, eh? see what I did there? Investiture, like the taigong wang thing.

anyway, you can cast this and for up to ten minutes afterwards you’re immune to fire and resist cold, force nearby creatures to take fire damage just for being near you, and can shoot fireballs as an action, forcing a dexterity save on everyone in a line. now baby you’re a firework! or a meteor. guess we’ll find out soon enough.

12. Sorcerer 12: at level twelve we get another ASI:, so let’s round up our Dexterity and get another debuff to curse humans with at the same time with the Slasher feat. now you can reduce a target’s speed once a turn when hitting them with your whip, and a critical hit gives it disadvantage on all attack rolls.

13. Sorcerer 13: we’re still a ways away from being a meteor, but at least we can start doing some serious ecological damage thanks to the Fire Storm spell. with this you create, well, a fire storm! the storm takes up a total of 10 10’ cubes that connect to each other, forcing all the creatures inside to make dex saves or take a ton of fire damage. this spell also sets everything in it on fire, but you can choose whether or not that includes plant life. but if you ever wanted to be able to spell out “NFF rulez, Tamamo sux” in big burning letters now you can.

14. Sorcerer 14: at level fourteen you can Shadow Walk as a bonus action, moving up to 120 feet from one area of dim light or darkness to another. I choose to believe that’s how you get into space for your NP. I mean, it’s dark up there, I’m sure it counts. that’s also why your third ascension wears such a big poofy dress- a spot of permanent darkness beneath you everywhere you go.

15. Sorcerer 15: eighth level spell time, and the only one we want it Dominate Monster. it’s like dominate beast, but it works on every kind of creature for up to 1 hour at base level. it’s also an eighth level spell instead of a fourth level spell, so it’s waaaay more expensive. still, a lot of NFF services’ minions are definitely not beasts, so you’ll need this to keep them tamed.

16. Sorcerer 16: sixteenth level sorcerers get one last ASI, and the Elemental Adept feat will help your fireballs ignore resistance and also turn any ones rolled on damage into twos. it’s simple, but it’ll get very useful in just a second.

17. Sorcerer 17: we finally made it. level nine spells, at last. also you can cast Subtle spells, which makes them uncounterable, but there’s nothing subtle about Meteor Swarm. you can launch a meteor up to a mile away, hitting four different spots at once and forcing a dexterity save on everything in the area. it deals 20d6 fire and bludgeoning damage respectively, so that elemental adept we just got kicks the damage floor of this spell up a good 20 points per creature caught in it. it also, of course, sets everything in the area on fire. it was the crown jewel of the Ishtar build, and it still is here. idk what to tell you, big rocks go brrrr.

18. Druid 1: we could’ve hopped over to druid whenever we wanted, but I wanted to get to the Meteor as fast as possible. if you’re not confident in your party’s ability to stick together for nearly 20 levels, feel free to slot this in earlier. as a first level druid you learn a new language plus a new way of casting Spells. now they use your Wisdom and they can be switched out each day. grab the most powerful spell in the game, Druidcraft, and Primal Savagery as your cantrips. there’s nothing wrong with a power pick this late on, and at least PS is thematic.

our druid spells may be weak, but we’re here for buffs anyway. Protection from Good and Evil can protect your precious beasts from celestials, demons, and aberrations, which I’m sure humans are, and you can use Faerie Fire to improve their offense by lighting up some humans so they can’t hide and their attackers all get advantage to hit them.

19. Druid 2: second level druids get to turn into Wild Shapes- we’re already almost 3000 words in, so here’s the cliff notes- only your physical stats change, it’s limited to CR ½ creatures, and you can do it twice a short rest. if you die as a beast you turn back and take the excess damage directly. also no you can’t use your whip while a fox, at least not well.

more importantly, you’re a Shepherd now, allowing you to copy beasts of the world and recreate them at any time to gain their power via a Spirit Totem. as a bonus action you make a summoned spirit that has a 30’ aura, and you can move it as a bonus action- while the options are named after specific animals, you can customize them as you wish. the Bear gives creatures you choose temporary HP and advantage on strength checks and saves. the Hawk lets you spend a reaction to give a creature advantage on an attack and gives allies advantage on perception checks. the Unicorn also grants that advantage, and healing spells also heal creatures in the aura a bit.

you also learn the Speech of the Woods, so you can speak Sylvan and talk to animals.

20. Sorcerer 18: our final level gives us the capstone ability of the shadow sorcerer, the Umbral Form. as a bonus action you can spend six sorcery points to transform into the shadow beast (see I’d told you it would come back), giving you resistance to all damage but radiant and force, and you can move through solid objects to boot, though you take damage if you’re in one at the end of your turn. it lasts for a minute, giving you big “boss monster” vibes. but you’re not the boss monster, that’s coming on the 15th.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

you have access to an ungodly variety of debuffs, so you’ll almost always have something that you can use to trip up an enemy, no matter who they are. you’ve got: sleep, save decrease, disadvantage, damage on movement, blindness, forced movement, paralysis, mind control, heal block, slowdown, and getting knocked prone. combining slasher and your hound can knock someone down to only having ten feet of movement per round, so unless you’re facing a bunch of monks you can shut down humans pretty damn easily. …ah right Wang’s a monk, and Nikitich has a dragon. maybe that’s why you lost?

you can also fire off some serious DPS against crowds, with powerful fire spells boosted by your elemental adept feat, plus you can make the spell heightened and use silvery barbs to even the most problematic of human targets will be easy to hit!

you also get a lot of utility by being able to turn any bird you see into your personal spy camera, and turning any spy camera you see into a bird! …well, it flies around and pecks your enemies, at least. also you can make the party better at anything they’re already good at! expertise is such a good feature they gave it to like three classes already, but why should bards rogues and rangers have all the fun?

Cons:

at lot of that utility I just talked about comes from dominate beast, and there’s plenty of situations that won’t be much help to you. conversely, animate objects can only work on the objects around you, so again, it depends heavily on what you can scrounge up on your own. you always can go in guns a-blazing, but trying for any sort of subtlety will be harder for you.

as flavorful as the druid dip was it doesn’t help much with the overall build. wild shape only lets you turn into CR ½ or worse beasts, so it’s useless in combat, and you could already spy on people as an animal before, and Dominate Beast lets you do it without actually being there so you’re not in danger if you’re found out! Druid has one of the best spell lists for sure, but a) we only have level 1 druid spells, and b) your wisdom isn’t great, so by the time you get them they’re almost always going to miss unless you’re terrorizing commoners.

Koyanskaya’s supposed to be a schemer, but having to dump intelligence this build really hurts that. sure you could probably get away with not involving your int score in your roleplay, but I would’ve loved to make it higher if I could’ve. this also means you’re more likely to be eaten by a mind flayer but they aren’t hominids so it’s fine.

[rebelcourtesan]

My D&D 5e Build for Sir Pentious

Yep, fan favorite Sir Pentious gets a D&D character build from me.

While Hell's Overlords tend to look down upon, Sir Pentious has skills that can make him a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Stats (From Highest To Lowest)

Intelligence - This should be Sir Pentious highest stat. While he lacked social suave and other talents, he is an inventor and the most intelligent of everyone in the hotel.

Constitution - Sir Pentious took several beat downs from Alastor and kept going back for more. He's very resilient unless it comes to Divine Blasts from an archangel.

Wisdom - Sir Pentious tends to go up against Overlords and Angels, so he needs a decent Wisdom score to resist magical effects.

Dexterity - Not his best stat, but far from his lowest.

Charisma - Second lowest because he lacks the social charm to woo Cherri Bomb at the club and is held in high esteem by the Overlords.

Strength - Dump Stat. Put lowest score here because Sir Pentious doesn't rely upon strength at all.

Race

For Sir Pentious, I chose Yuan-Ti for his race for obvious reasons as listed below.

Sir Pentious gains 2+ to Charisma (he's such a likable fellow) and +1 to Intelligence.

60ft Darkvision

Innate Spellcasting - Being a snake, Sir Pentious gains the Poison Spray cantrip . He also gains Animal Friendship which can only be cast on snakes and at 3rd level he gets Suggestion. Not really something we've seen him do in the show, but it's nice to have.

He gains Magic Resistance, which means he has advantage on saving throws against magical effects and spells. Very useful when going up against Alastor and other Overlords.

Poison Immunity - Sir Pentious cannot be poisoned and is immune to any poison damage.

Background

For background we're going with Cloistered Scholar which gives him Proficiency in History and select Arcana as his second proficiency.

Sir Pentious is an Intelligence based build so we're going to go into classes that suit his character, but he can excel at with a high Intelligence.

We're going to start Sir Pentious off in Artificer class due to his knowledge of weapons and gadgets. You can flavor the spells as steampunk weapons or abilities as needed.

For Skill select choose Investigation and Sleight of Hand

Level 1 - Artificer 1st Level

At first level, Sir Pentious gains Magical Tinkering. He can create a small item with a magical effect of his voice.

Item can shed light in a 5 ft radius and dim light in another 5 ft.

The item can play a recorded message that can be heard from 10 ft away.

it can emit an odor or nonverbal sound perceivable from up to 10 ft away

A static visual recording can be played on the object's surface. It can be an image, text, or shapes.

Also, Sir Pentious gains spells from the Artificer spell list. You can choose whatever spells you'd like, but the spells listed below are the ones I believe Sir Pentious would have.

Cantrips

Mending - Sir Pentious can make minor repairs to objects.

Magic Stone - Sir Pentious can infused three pebbles (or Cherry Bombs) with explosive damage. Either he or an ally can throw the pebbles at a target within 60 ft. On a successful hit the target takes 1d6 + Sir Pentious spell modifier (Intelligence)

1st Level Spells

Grease - Sir Pentious creates a spill of grease to trip enemies. They must succeed of a Dex saving throw or fall prone.

Alarm - Sir Pentious can rig up an alarm for an area in a 20 ft cube. The alarm notifies him if a creature tiny to large enters the area either through a mental notification or with sound.

Level 2 - Artificer 2nd Level

At this level Sir Pentious can infused an object with magic power. He can choose up to four infusions and can replace one with a new one whenever he levels up in Artificer. He can have two Infused Items at a time, and the Infused Item ability recharges after a long rest.

For his first four infusions select:

Homunculus Servant - The Egg Bois! Sir Pentious can create a creature that is friendly to him and his allies, and will obey his commands.

Repeating Shot - Sir Pentious creates a ray gun (a range weapon). It foregoes the loading property and produces it's own ammunition.

Enhanced Arcane Focus - When holding this object, Sir Pentious can cast a spell +1 bonus to attack and ignores half-cover.

Enhanced Defense - A shield or suit of armor gains a +1 to Armor Class.

Level 3 - Artificer 3rd Level

At this level Sir Pentious goes into an Artificer Specialist, since he likes canons and explosions, we're sending him into Artillerist!

As an Artillerist, Sir Pentious can create a small or tiny Eldritch Cannon. He can do this after a Long Rest or spends a spell a slot to create one. They can have an effect of his choice and costs only a bonus action to activate them.

Flamethrower - The canon expels fire in a 15 ft cone. Enemies within the zone must make a Dex save. On a failed save, they take 2d8 fire damage or half on a success.

Force Ballista - Makes a spell attack at a range of 120 feet. On a hit, the target takes 2d8 force damage and is pushed 5 feet away from the cannon.

Protector - Canon gives off a burst of positive energy that grants allies 1d8 + Intelligence Modifier of temporary hit points.

As an Artillerist, Sir Pentious gets bonus spells added to the list of spells he knows.

Shield - As a reaction, Sir Pentious can grant himself +5 to his Armor Bonus until the start of his next turn.

Thunderwave - Originating from himself, Sir Pentious can create a thunderous force. Any enemy within that zone must make a Con save. On a failed save, they take 2d8 damage and is pushed 10 ft away from Sir Pentious. On a success, they take half damage and is not pushed.

While we're dipping into spells, Sir Pentious gains another 1st level spell slot. Let's give him a new spell: Expeditious Retreat. If Sir Pentious gets into a messy situations, he can use this spell to dash as a bonus action.

Level 4 - Artificer 4th Level

Ability Score Improvement - Put both points into Intelligence. We want to max this out as soon as possible as Sir Pentious replies on this for spells.

Level 5 - Artificer 5th Level

Sir Pentious can now use Arcane Firearm to turn a wand, rod, or staff into a magic firearm (think another type of ray gun). He can use this as a focus for casting Artificer spells. When he uses the fire arm to cast a spell, he can roll a 1d8 and add the result as a bonus to the attack roll.

Speaking of spells, he gets more.

As an Artillerist, he gains two more spells.

Scorching Ray - Sir Pentious can launch three rays of fire to hit one target or more (up to three). On a hit the target takes 2d6 fire damage.

Shatter - Sir Pentious can create a thunderous explosion of a 15 ft radius. Anything within that area must make a Con save. On a failure, they take 3d8 thunder damage, on a success, they take half. Anything made of inorganic material has disadvantage on the saving throw and take double the damage.

He also has access to level 2 Artificer spells. Select:

Heat Metal - Sir Pentious can cause metal armor to glow red hot causing the wearer to take 2d8 fire damage when he casts the spell and as a bonus action each turn until the spell ends or the wearer removes the armor.

Pyrotechnics - Sir Pentious can create a dazzling array of fireworks causing enemies within 10 ft to make a Con save or be blinded by the display. Or Sir Pentious could create smoke in a 20 ft radius causing the area to be heavily obscured.

Level 6 - Artificer 6th Level

Sir Pentious now has Tool Expertise which lets him double his proficiency whenever he rolls a skill check involving his tools.

At this level he can learn two more Infusions and hold three Infused items at a time. Choose:

Radiant Weapon - Sir Pentious can manipulate Carmine's weaponry to make his own Angel Weapons which have +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage. It sheds light in a 30 ft radius and dim light in an additional 30 ft. The weapon has four charges so after a successful hit, the wielder can choose to spent a charge to force the target to succeed on a Con save or be blinded by the weapon's bright light.

Replicate Magic Item - From a list, Sir Pentious can create a magic item based on his level in Artificer.

Level 7 - Artificer 7th Level

Flash of Genius allows Sir Pentious to help his allies out in a pinch. When an ally within 30 ft makes ab ability check or saving throw, he can use his reaction to add his Intelligence modifier to the roll as a bonus. He can do this equal to his Intelligence modifier and regains uses after a long rest.

Level 8 - Artificer 8th Level

Ability Score Improvement - Again, add both points to Intelligence. We want this maxed out.

Leve 9 - Artificer 9th Level

Sir Pentious's cannons are now Explosive Cannons. Their damage output increases by 1d8 for all cannon types. As an action, he can order a cannon to explode as long as he is within 60 ft of it. Each creature within 20 ft of the cannon must make a Dex save. On a failure, they take 3d8 force damage or half damage on a successful save.

He gains two bonus spells for Artillerist.

Fireball - Sir Pentious can create a huge ball of fire with a radius of 20 ft radius. Every creature within that zone must make a Dex save. On a failure, creatures take 8d6 fire damage. On a success, half damage instead.

Wind Wall - Sir Pentious can create a wall of wind 50ft long. Any creature within that zone must make a Strength save. On a failure, they take 3d8 bludgeoning damage. Half on a success. The Wind Wall also offers protection from projectile weapons which came pass through (unless they are large such as boulders or missiles).

Also, Sir Pentious gains access to 3rd level Artificer Spells. Choose:

Protections from Energy - For one hour, Sir Pentious can grant a willing creature (or himself) resistance to one type of damage (acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder).

Fly - SIr Pentious gets a jetpack! A willing creature gains a flying speed of 60 ft.

Level 10 - Artificer 10th Level

At this level, SIr Pentious becomes a Magic Item Adept. He can attune four magical items at a time and it takes less time for him to craft common and uncommon magic items at half cost.

Also, he learns two additional Infusions.

Mind Sharpener - Sir Pentious can craft a set of robes or armor that allows a magic user to succeed on a failed saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell. This has four charges which replenish 1d4 charges daily.

Helm of Awareness - (think wearing tactical helmet) the wearer cannot be surprised and has advantage on initiative rolls.

At this level, he learns a new Cantrip. Select Message which lets him whisper a message to a target that only the target can hear within 120 ft. (either a can on a string or a special messenger device).

Not that we have Sir Pentious able to create gadgets and canons, we can not make him more resilient when going up against Alastor and other Overlords and Exorcists.

To do that, we're going into Wizard class.

Level 11 - Wizard 1st Level

At first level Sir Pentious gets access to Wizard Spells. These spells you can flavor as gadgetry and special weapons to maintain Sir Pentious's character.

To assist with spells, he gets Arcane Recovery. During a short rest he can regain spell slots equal to or less his Wizard level so long as the slots aren't level 6 or higher.

As before you can choose whatever spells you like as the ones below are the ones I would imagine Sir Pentious using.

Cantrips

Shocking Grasp - As a melee attack, Sir Pentious can hit a target with 1d8 lightning damage and it can't take reactions until the start of its next turn. If the target is wearing metal armor, the attack is made with advantage.

Lightning Lure - Sir Pentious attacks an enemy with a lash of lightning energy up to 15 ft away. The target must make a Strength save or be pulled 10 ft towards Sir Pentious and take 1d8 lightning damage.

Acid Splash - Sir Pentious shoots a bubble of acid at enemies. He can choose one or two creatures within 5 ft of each other. One or both must succeed on a Dexterity save or take 1d6 acid damage.

Spells

Magic Missile - Sir Pentious shoots three darts which always hit their target for 1d4+1 force damage.

Magnify Gravity - Sir Pentious uses a device to magnify the gravity in a 10 ft radius. Creatures within the zone must make a Con save, taking 2d8 force damage and movement halved for one turn on a fail, half damage with no penalty to movement on a success.

Level 12 - Wizard 2nd Level

Sir Pentious can go into an Arcane Tradition and the one he's getting is War Magic which will give Sir Pentious protection against harmful effects and spells, perfect for going against Overlords and Exorcists.

Which leads us to Arcane Deflection. Whenever Sir Pentious is hit by an attack or fails a saving throw, he can spend his reaction to gain +2 to AC against that attack or +4 to for that saving throw. However, he cannot use any cantrips or spells until the end of his next turn.

He also gains Tactical Wit, which adds his Intelligence modifier to his Initiative rolls.

Level 13 - Wizard 3rd Level

Sir Pentious gains access to Level 2 Wizard Spells. I would choose:

Invisibility - Sir Pentious can turn himself or an ally invisible. The spell ends if the target attacks or casts a spell.

Darkness - Sir Pentious can create a thick darkness within a 15 ft radius darkvision cannot see through nor nonmagical light can penetrate.

Level 14 - Wizard 4th Level

Ability Score Improvement - By this point, you should be maxing out Sir Pentiou's Intelligence. Use any remaining points to round out any odd ability scores.

Level 15 - Wizard 5th Level

Sir Pentious has access to 3rd level Wizard spells. For War Magic and protection, choose these two spells:

Dispel Magic - Sir Pentious can dispel any magical effect third level or lower. 4th level or higher requires an spell ability modifier (Intelligence) check with the DC 10 + Spell's Level.

Counterspell - as an reaction, Sir Pentious can cancel out a spell a creature casts. It's done automatically if the spell if 3rd level or lower. 4th level or higher, he must make an ability check with spelling casting modifier. DC is 10 + spell's level

Level 16 - Wizard 6th Level

From War Magic, Sir Pentious gains Power Surge. After each long rest, he starts with one charge and gains ones whenever he ends a spell with Dispel Magic or Counterspell. He can hold as many as equal to his Intelligence modifier.

When he damages an enemy, he can spend a surge to deal extra damage equal to his Wizard level.

Level 17 - Wizard 7th Level

Sir Pentious can now cast 4th level Wizard spells.

Vitriolic Sphere - Sir Pentious can shoot an emerald ball that explodes in a 20ft radius explosion. Each creature in that zone must make a Dexterity save. On a failure, they take 10d4 force damage and 5d4 acid damage at the end of its next turn. On a success, only half of the initial damage, and no following damage.

Level 18 - Wizard 8th Level

Ability Score Improvement - By this point, Sir Pentious should have his Intelligence score maxed out. So we could give him a feat instead.

War Caster will allow Sir Pentious to roll concentration checks with advantage to maintain spells.

Level 19 - Wizard 9th Level

Sir Pentious can now cast 5th level Wizard Spells.

Immolation - Sir Pentious can set a wreath of flames on an enemy. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw; on a failure they take 7d6 fire damage, or half on a success. On a failure, the target burns and on each its turns takes 3d6 fire damage until it succeeds a saving throw.

Level 20 - Wizard 10th Level

For his last level, Sir Pentious gains Durable Magic. When Sir Pentious is concentrating on a spell, he gains +2 to AC and all saving throws.

And we have created Sir Pentious, who can withstand and survive encounters with Alastor while dealing devastating damage to enemies.

Have fun with this build.

[wyllzel]

🔗 Link to Google Doc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Fair warning: Possible spoilers ahead!)

Levelling

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

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

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

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

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

Level 1: Rogue (Level 1)

Sneak Attack ⭐

Select:

Expertise: Stealth, Sleight of Hand

Level 2: Rogue (Level 2)

Cunning Action: Dash

Cunning Action: Disengage

Cunning Action: Hide

Level 3: Rogue (Level 3)

Improved Sneak Attack Damage (+1d6) ⭐

Select:

Subclass: Thief

The Thief subclass has the following benefits:

Fast Hands (Extra Bonus Action)

Second-Story Work (Resistance to Falling Damage)

Level 4: Rogue (Level 4)

Select:

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

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

Level 5: Rogue (Level 5)

Proficiency Bonus

Improved Sneak Attack Damage (+1d6) ⭐

Level 6: Ranger (Level 1)

Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons, martial weapons

Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, shields

Select:

1st Favored Enemy: Bounty Hunter

1st Natural Explorer: Urban Tracker

Level 7: Ranger (Level 2)

Select:

Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting ⭐

Spells: Ensnaring Strike, Hunter’s Mark

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

Level 8: Ranger (Level 3)

Select:

Subclass: Gloom Stalker

Spells: Fog Cloud

The Gloom Stalker subclass has some awesome benefits:

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

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

Umbral Shroud (Become Invisible if Obscured)

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

Disguise Self (Gain the ritual spell Disguise Self)

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

Level 9: Ranger (Level 4)

Feat:

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

Level 10: Ranger (Level 5)

Extra Attack ⭐

Misty Step (from Gloom Stalker Subclass) ⭐

Select:

Spells: Spike Growth

Level 11: Ranger (Level 6)

Select:

2nd Favored Enemy: Mage Breaker

2nd Natural Explorer: Wasteland Wanderer: Fire

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

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

Level 12: Ranger (Level 7)

Select:

Spells: Silence

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

Alternatives…

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

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

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

Final Composition

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

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

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

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

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

Gear

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

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

Headwear: Marksmanship Hat

+1 to Ranged Attack Rolls

Also, he looks cool in it. LOL.

Armor: Bhaalist Armor

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

+2 to Initiative Rolls

Cloak: Shade-Slayer Cloak

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

Handwear: Helldusk Gloves

+1d6 Fire Damage per Weapon Attack

+1 to Weapon Attack Rolls

Footwear: Helldusk Boots

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

Amulet: Amulet of Bhaal

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

This feels very apt for a Vampire Ascendant.

Ring A: Risky Ring*

Advantage on Attack Rolls

Disadvantage on Saving Throws

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

Ring B: Caustic Band**

+2 Acid Damage per Weapon Attack

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

Melee Main Hand: Crimson Mischief

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

+7 Piercing Damage when you have Advantage on a target

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

Melee Off Hand: Rhapsody

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

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

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

Ranged Main Hand: Ne’er Misser

Deals Force Damage rather than Piercing Damage

Gain one use of Magic Missile Level 3 per Short Rest

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

Ranged Off Hand: Hellfire Hand Crossbow

+2 Weapon Enchantment

Hellstalker: Possibly inflict Burning when attacking while Hiding or Invisible

Damage Numbers

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

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

No conditional Damage on Crimson Mischief

Sharpshooter is toggled on

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

Example: Combat Against Githyanki

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

[fleursom]

hello ! bringing you my hot mess of a girl ZHONG LINA ( 22 ) who works as a gossip columnist @ the herald and abuses the hell out of her charm manipulation ( tldr she can effectively manipulate her own or the charisma of others to her liking. by doing so, she can either amplify her / their charm or do the exact opposite ). still have to add a few pages, but for now you'll find important stuff below the cut. a little red heart if you're looking to plot would be appreciated, thank you! x

image credits to moonaetics on tumblr.

I. SYNOPSIS

ZHONG LINA's story goes a little something like this ... she's born to a mother who's made herself quite the name in the dance industry. as someone so renowned, it's only a given that her daughters follow in her footsteps. yep, hers and not dad's because he's never been in the picture. anyway! both daughters learn dancing from as early as age three under the watchful eyes of their mother, though it quickly becomes apparent that lina's elder sister possesses an exceptional, possibly inert talent for the arts. lina wasn't terrible per se, but no matter how hard she worked, her mother would only sing praise to her sister (didn't help that she was scoring lead roles for stage plays left and right whereas lina was left with crumbs of supportive roles).

luck does have its own unpredictable ways though (re: mom is able to pull some strings), for lina's efforts land her a role that finally allows her to showcase the world her own talent. said role becomes crucial for her admission into sunhwa arts high school which pretty much marks the beginning of her demise. she moves countries, pushes herself way too hard all the damn time, practices day and night to keep up with her sister's seemingly natural talent, and somewhere along the path she discovers her powers: the ability to temporarily charm people.

she keeps her abilities to herself for obvious reasons, but you see — in an environment as competitive as her school, isn't it only natural for her to utilise her powers as best as she possibly can? so yes, of course she begins charming people around her. it serves her for a good while, helps her pass evaluations and lands her a dozen opportunities to advance her career. hell, she even receives a sprinkle of mommy's attention!

and then comes her downfall.

the worst possible thing happens: an injury that ruins not only her future but also forces her into a painfully long recovery phase. her sister stays thriving, lina is in shambles, and mother doesn't know what to do with a useless daughter. so there goes everything the poor girl has worked so hard for. she's young, and yet it feels as though she's wasted too many years on ballet to find something new ... start over. but dwelling over her misery isn't a choice either. so she ponders and ponders, stumbles upon the second chance collective and knows that it might be her only (second) chance at life ... as a gossip columnist (she swears she hasn't charmed her way into the position).

II. PERSONALITY

lina is ... cotton candy clouds on an orange tinted sky. she's the dainty glow across the horizon with a smile that's warm like spring's first sun rays and gentle like the caress of an afternoon breeze. she's laughter in twilight, sweet like honey drizzled over cinnamon toast. when you see her you think of delicate windchimes and sun catchers, of butterflies and golden clouds. lina is a walking ray of sunshine ... and fake as they come.

that's right — none of it is real. well, most of it isn't real. and why so? because 80% of the time she's charmed people enough to get away with things. she's a girl with expensive taste, and those expenses had to be paid if not gifted to her by somebody, no? not that her neighbours have ever questioned where all that money comes from. lina is an archangel a little damaged. growing up in a predominantly competitive environment has shaped her personality in complex ways. she's a perfectionist, pays way too much attention to detail and appearance, has a blunt communication style that can come off harsher than she intends to — but also grapples with vulnerability. she's very prone to second guessing other people's intentions and motives which makes socialising on a deeper level a little difficult for her ( how many genuine friends does she truly have ). and speaking of, the cunning minx knows how to hold grudges. now lina isn't terrible to have around per se! she can very much be fun and genuinely empathetic ... it just doesn't come as naturally to her as it should.

II. PLOTS

enemies? a neighbour she has yet to charm? a muse's beloved that she has exploited? co-workers who find her suspicious? a friend ... maybe two? meet uglies & meet cutes? maybe she does you a favour (charms someone for you)? somebody from her past? your muse witnesses lina in the act? honestly! would very much love to brainstorm a little something ( or perhaps take on a wanted connection of yours that may suit lina ) so if you're down, leave behind some love and i shall slide into those dms. little side note that it's busy szn for me so replies will be a tad slow. catch you around!

[deadmomjokes]

Betwixt Christmas gift cash and Steam Family Sharing workaround shenanigans, the husband and I have finally started Baldur's Gate 3.

Went in basically blind except for knowing the names of the companions and the fact that Astarion is a vampire (couldn't miss that cultural osmosis).

We also came in on two different meta-levels as players.

He is very familiar with D&D, D&D-based games, computer games in general, and these sorts of games specifically. He's also that kind of person that plays things on Extreme Difficulty Mode for fun. He quits when something isn't challenging enough. His idea of relaxing, rewarding gameplay is ultra-hard-mode Elden Ring and Dark Souls.

I, on the other hand, am bad at games. Full stop. I have lost Wii Mario Kart to a 6 year old, repeatedly. I get hopelessly lost even when there's detailed maps, trackers, compasses, and flagged waypoints. I also panic in combat situations and have no strategic ability aside from "stand there, hit it, and hope it doesn't move." I'm more of a low-stakes visual novel sort of gamer. Stardew Valley is as intense as I get.

He is playing a Seldarine Drow warlock in a pact with an archfey. She's a noble with a ridiculously high Charisma score, a perfectly balanced spell loadout, and an even more balanced overall stat build. She's DPS without being totally squishy and helpless, and has advantage to almost everything. She also has an impeccable fashion sense and always looks put together, even when on death's door to a brain worm. Or, to put it in a way my husband would loathe, she got that drip.

I am playing a ginger himbo of a high elf fighter with -1 to Charisma and a -1000 to common sense. He's an impulsive maniac with, somehow, a +3 to intimidation despite being a truly gentle soul that believes every sob story he comes across. He's a sweaty, dusty, grubby little feral child (outlander background) with the world's messiest ponytail and greasepaint-turned-eyeliner that a 90s ex emo kid would be proud of. And that's him trying to look presentable. Despite having an impressive dexterity score, my natural disadvantage to dexterity (and Wisdom and Intelligence) as the player makes it so that this man bumbles his way into everything and only gets out by making horrifying threats he has absolutely no intention of following up on, or by being forced to stand his ground and take it on the jaw.

So this was going to be An Experience no matter what. And boy, it sure has been.

Thus far, we have:

Accidentally pacifism'd our way into every Goblin/Absolute aligned settlement we've encountered on the pure luck of husband's choice to play a Drow because he thought it would add an interesting dynamic. That interesting dynamic, he thought, would be difficulty. He thought being a Drow would make it harder because of the general hatred toward them. He's technically good-aligned, but, y'know, planet-of-hats racism means he was expecting it to work against him, which he likes because he likes when things are hard. Only now it's basically a free pass into all the areas we'd normally have to fight or sneak into. Great for our shared pacifist tendencies, but LOL

Lost a full hour of progress because my computer screen is tiny and bad at graphics and I hadn't learned all the controls yet, so while trying to investigate a hole in the floor of an abandoned church I tripped in face-first and got us into an unescapable, imminent-TPK situation, whereupon the game immediately autosaved for the first time since waking up on the beach. We have since learned to spam the quicksave button liberally.

Accepted a ton of mutually exclusive quests, half of which we have no intention of doing, just to try and get out of situations without combat, so now the mini map now looks like a cubist rendition of a simple sun drawing and I'm SO worried it's going to come crashing down and get us shanked in our sleep.

MET BEST BOY DOGGO I WILL DIE FOR SCRATCH 😭

Discovered husband's character is, build wise, a carbon-copy of Wyll. This was 100% unintentional and he's BIG mad about it LOL RIP

Impulsively pushed a button in a crypt without saving and woke up a bunch of skellies we weren't prepared for, but were somehow also saved by that same impulsivity because I had previously run around the entire area and looted every single skeleton no matter how useless it was to my character, so they all woke up without their weapons so HAH take that I TOLD YOU being a klepto would pay off

Immediately after this fortuitous stroke of fate, having learned exactly nothing, my impulsive maniac opened the shiny sarcophagus before consulting anyone or healing. Luckily it wasn't cursed or trapped or full of enemies (it was Withers, and I'm love), but I'm now not allowed to open or interact with anything bigger than a crate without announcing it first so husband has the chance to go NO WAIT LET ME SAVE FIRST

Sneaked into a secret underground passage, whereupon my husband sent his invisible'd familiar around to carefully scout the area, discovering the button that would turn off the overpowered guardian statue. My character then readied a crossbow shot to hit said button, but in trying to move out of the way of the other party members, stepped right into the statue's attack circle. I panicked, tried to move, but couldn't figure out how to unselect the attack I could no longer use, and tried to fix it by pausing. But all of that just resulted in me standing there, doing nothing, until I finally dropped dead. Luckily I passed my saving throws, and more luckily still, my husband managed to stop laughing long enough to eldritch blast the statue to pieces and come get me.

So anyway, we're having the best time. I know we're late to the party, but it really is so good. I may have even teared up a little during the dream sequence with the psychedelic neon light guardian warriors. This is going to consume my brain for the next few months, and I'm happy to have paid for the privilege. 10/10, absolutely deserves that GOTY and the $60 price tag both.

No spoilers please, we're only level 3 and just encountering the Goblin Camp. (We've met everyone but Karlach, I believe.) But rest assured, as we learn and discover more I will come yelling and seeking those who will screech with me. Probably mostly about my new sons that I've acquired, namely the lying purple sadsack trash wizard with some horrifying kind of chronic illness and/or addiction, and the prettiest most specialist murder machine who definitely won't admit it but is definitely gonna need a hug when I finish breaking down those obviously performative emotional walls.

Also, Lae'zel scares me. Please stop yelling at me, you cranky fish woman, I'm trying my best here 😭

[thehomelybrewster]

Ability Scores in 5e & Other RPGs

This little rant is inspired by a post by a blog named The Angry GM, titled "Your Ability Scores Suck" as well as a post titled "8 Abilities - 6, 3, or 4 Ability scores?" by DIY & dragons, because those two articles and my past few months of looking at various TTPRGs have led me to some insights into my own philosophy in how I like TTRPGs and how I feel about 5e's Ability Scores.

So let's look at how a couple of RPGs handle ability scores or their equivalents. Namely I'll look at D&D 5e, Pathfinder 2e, The Dark Eye (4th Edition Revised), CAIRN, and Pokémon. Yes, Pokémon is relevant to this. And it'll actually be the second game we'll discuss, but the first obviously has to be...

D&D 5th Edition

D&D famously has six ability scores: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. In most situations the exact ability score no longer is that important, however, since from 3e onwards d20-based checks have become the near-universal input you play D&D with. This means that instead the ability score modifier is key, which ranges from -4 to +5 for most player characters.

Now while these six scores might seem pretty equal, players have quickly figured out that certain ability scores are more desirable than others, unless you play specific classes.

Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom are for example the three most common saving throws. 109 out of the 361 spells in the Player's Handbook force a saving throw using one of these three ability scores, while Strength, Intelligence, and Charisma only have 24 spells. Thankfully every D&D class gives proficiency with two saving throws, one of the three major ones, and one of the lesser ones (and certain subclasses as well as the monk get more saving throw proficiencies, but that's besides the point).

Additionally, when it comes to skills, and thus out-of-combat usefulness, Strength only has one skill tied to it by default (Athletics), while Constitution has none. Charisma has four skills to its name, Dexterity three, and both Intelligence and Wisdom have five.

Now the DIY & dragons article mentions that there are effectively three axes you have to cover with your ability scores: physical vs mental, force vs grace, and attack vs defense. That leads to eight abilities total. In 5e, using what we know about the game, we can make some great deductions.

For one, Strength is almost exclusively concerned with physical force attack, while Constitution nearly exclusively covers physical force defense. Dexterity meanwhile fully covers physical grace attack, as well as physical grace defense, since it affects AC and is used for Stealth, as well covering evasion-type saving throws. Dexterity is incredibly powerful in 5e, arguably the most powerful ability score.

On the mental stat side, the lines are less clear. All three ability scores can be used for offence, though Intelligence, being the casting ability score of only wizards and the generally utility-based artificers is the least offensive of the three. Still, its association with wizards means it probably is best associated with force, because fireball. Charisma easily can be sorted into grace and is mostly offensive, and Wisdom straddles the line between force and grace, but is also both clearly offensive and defensive.

As you can see, Intelligence & Wisdom & Charisma are rather ill-defined, a point also made by the The Angry GM article, but mechanically Wisdom is universally useful, while Charisma is either super important (because you're playing either a Charisma caster or a face-type non-caster, such as a rogue), or can easily be sidelined/dumped. In fact a lot of tables seem to disregard or minimize Charisma when it comes to roleplay, my tables have definitely done that. Mostly because you don't want to have players not participating in roleplay encounters because they don't have at least a +2 in Charisma and several skill proficiencies in that area.

Speaking of proficiencies, for skills the maximum you can add is +6 or +12 if you have expertise, while with saving throws the maximum proficiency bonus is +6, so with saving throws in particular, a +5 for a saving throw from that relevant abilty score is a massive defensive boon, though it's often less relevant for skill checks.

This knowledge, as well as the known issues with Intelligence-based skill checks often being seen as gate-keeping plot relevant information, leads to the realization that Strength, Intelligence, and Charisma are the three most frequent "dump stats", with the latter two in particular often having implications in out-of-combat situations, while Strength is a "safe" choice for full spellcasters.

Now let's think about how other games handle this... Let's begin, as I threatened in the beginning, with...

Pokémon

Pokémon famously uses six so-called base stats for its collectible creatures: HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. Using the system described by DIY & dragons, Attack and Defense clearly map onto the physical, and Sp. Attack and Sp. Defense clearly onto the mental. There is no distinction made between grace and force. HP is a universally defensive stat, and Speed is both offensive and defensive.

Naturally, Pokémon doesn't involve dice rolls. These stats are used for formulas and comparisons. But you can already see that Pokémon, at least since Special got split into Sp. Attack and Sp. Defense starting in Gold & Silver, has a clear division of these stats, with it being clear what they do.

Now due to the mechanics and the goals of Pokémon, an individual character (read: the actual Pokémon) doesn't need to have balanced stats. Largely also because these stats only affect combat, the main mechanic of these games. Any out-of-combat activity present in Pokémon games in fact uses distinct stats, completely distinct from the base stats of the Pokémon. These can then be discarded/put into the background when that out-of-combat activity, such as Pokémon Contests, is removed from subsequent releases.

Now let's look at a D&D-related game that has a different approach to ability scores, because it provides a stepping stone to look at different RPGs...

Pathfinder 2nd Edition (Pre-2023 Revision)

Pathfinder, being a game spun out off the 3rd Edition of D&D, also uses the six ability scores that D&D uses: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.

Just like with 5e, Pathfinder associates certain skills with certain ability scores, and just like 5e, Strength and Constitution are connected to only one and no skills respectively.

Still, that's just part of the bigger picture. Pathfinder 2e, just like D&D 3e, doesn't use ability scores as saving throws. Rather it uses three distinct saving throws that are tied to ability scores. Those saving throws are Fortitude (Constitution), Reflex (Dexterity), and Will (Wisdom). These are, for the keen-eyed, the same ability scores that are the primary saving throws in 5e. This means that defenses are covered exclusively by these three ability scores, and of these Constitution remains purely defensive, while Dexterity and Wisdom also have offensive capabilities. Still, the offensive power of Dexterity is lowered because in general it cannot be used to increase your weapon damage, contrary to how 5e does it.

It should also be noted that both when it comes to skills and saving throws, the calculations for rolls are very different than in 5e! If you are proficient with a skill or saving throw, you add both a bonus equal to your degree of proficiency (from +2 to +8), as well as your character's level, to the roll, in addition to your ability score modifier. This leads to massive bonuses, especially since magical effects can be added to that, too. Of course Pathfinder uses a sliding scale to determine difficulty classes and has a degrees of success system, but with that knowledge, the -4 to +5 you add to your rolls will matter less than 5e's ability score modifiers do. In general, as long as the modifier is at least a +1, it's fine.

This has actually led to Wisdom being considered a dump stat for many Pathfinder players, and that especially applies when playing with one alternate rule that I want to highlight.

In the Gamemastery Guide, the Alternative Scores variant rule splits Dexterity into Dexterity and Agility, merges Strength and Constitution, and makes Charisma rather than Wisdom the relevant ability for Will saving throws. That variant rule acknowledges the power of Dexterity and the relative weaknesses of Strength and Constitution, but somehow strengthens Charisma further. I don't have any numbers or insight on how popular this alternate rule is, but given what I know about Pathfinder 2e character optimizers, I wouldn't adopt the change to Will saves if I were to run this variant rule myself.

Still, the knowledge of these three saving throws puts us nicely into the realm of indie RPGs, which have really run with this. So let's look at one as an example.

Cairn

This lovely little game written by Yochai Gal has been a well-supported indie darling and is currently in a playtest for a 2nd edition.

Cairn uses three ability scores: Strength, Dexterity, and Willpower. It also uses a d20 roll under system, contrary to 5e and Pathfinder. This means that you aim to roll below your ability score, rather than adding a number to a d20 roll and seeing if you can meet the difficulty class threshold.

They are also, in combat, mostly defensive. Strength in combat mostly concerns surviving blows. Dexterity is used to determine if you move before the enemies and for escaping combat. Both Strength and Dexterity can be used for saving throws against certain spells. In combat Willpower is necessary to cast spells without suffering penalties.

Offensively none of the three ability scores are that important. They don't add to damage, they aren't important for making attacks, or anything of the sorts. Spellcasting outside of dangerous situations usually doesn't involve die rolls either.

This makes the three ability scores very balanced, but it also gives them comparatively little meaning. They are your protection from harm. Including out of combat. But Cairn doesn't know skill checks whose failure state isn't "nothing happens". If player characters have no pressure, they succeed. Especially if they have useful equipment for it.

Using the DIY & dragons blog post as reference, Strength only represents physical force defense, Dexterity only represents physical grace defense, and Willpower represents mental grace and force defense.

So, let's look at a different roll-under system, one that might provide additional inspiration for game designers...

The Dark Eye (4th Edition, revised)

The German TTRPG The Dark Eye (Das Schwarze Auge) is old, almost as old as D&D, and in its design its often as an antithesis for D&D. It's incredibly math-y, has a generally less heroic (but also categorically "good") playstyle, and is a class-less (kinda), level-less system. To ensure I know what I'm talking about, I'll focus on the 4th edition, which has by now been superceded by its own 5th edition, because that's the one edition of it I actually played.

DSA (its German acronym which I will use for brevity's sake) uses eight attribute (!) scores:

Courage, Cleverness, Intuition, Charisma, Dexterity, Agility, Constitution, and Strength.

Each of these eight attribute scores affects the character directly. Heroes have base values (melee attack, ranged attack, parry, initiative) that are calculated by adding together set combinations of attribute scores and dividing the sum, most often by 5, to determine those base values. For brevity's sake, let's look at two of these base values: attack and parry. Attack is calculated with Courage + Agility + Strength, while parry is calculated using Intuition + Dexterity + Strength. Both use two "physical" attributes and one "mental" attribute.

Similar rules also apply to calculating how much your character can withstand, be it through their general vitality (which is equivalent to hit points), their endurance (mostly used as a resource for athletic feats), and their wound limit, all of which can be used to defeat characters. Even the amount of astral points, the spellcasting resource, is calculated using your attribute scores. Every attribute is used at least once when calculating these eight values, with only Cleverness, Charisma, and Dexterity being used only for one of these eight fundamental character traits, with Charisma being the least important, because it is only used to calculate astral energy points, which are irrelevant for characters that don't know spells.

Furthermore skill checks in DSA are made by rolling three attribute checks in a row and then using skill points to modify the results if necessary. Skills use either three distinct attribute scores (e.g. Cooking, which requires Cleverness & Intuition & Dexterity), or two attribute scores (with one being used twice, e.g. Perception requires one Cleverness check and two Intuition checks). Simple attribute checks where you use only one attribute are rare, with heavy lifting often being the key example for it. There are also loads of skills in DSA, with the character sheet per default having twenty four skills, with more being common on most characters.

As you can hopefully see, all eight ability scores are used very often and impact your character greatly. They are furthermore more clearly delineated than the D&D standard, however they also don't map onto the DIY & dragons parameters for ability scores, despite having eight of them!

Conclusion

What can we learn from this? Well, honestly, draw your own conclusions. The six ability scores of D&D and Pathfinder are not the "be-all and end-all", that's for sure. You really need to think about what your game wants to do.

Is it just combat-focused? Then all ability scores should matter in combat and to (roughly) the same degree!

Does your game consist of multiple gameplay elements? If yes, then they should all be accessible and fun for players even if their base stats are "bad" in one aspect, while still allowing for specialization of player characters.

Generally, there is no "one size fits all" solution, and this rant hasn't even gone into ambiguity between different terms, the implications of specific terms and associated thresholds, or the exact history of ability scores in D&D before 3rd Edition!

Anyway, I hope this was legible, fun and informative.

[littjara-mirrorlake]

Plane Shift: New Phyrexia - Human Subraces

For the past 2-3 years, I've been working on a homebrew D&D 5e supplement for New Phyrexia, and it occurred to me that I could publish/share it in installments here on Tumblr! Today, I'll put up human subraces. Core-born Phyrexians and playable myr (among other things) to come! PS:NP was written to take place during Scars of Mirrodin block or earlier, since that's when my campaign is, but its contents--including these subraces--are forward compatible with other points in the timeline.

--

Like their relatives on other planes, the humans of Mirrodin are ingenious, ambitious folk who strive to leave their mark on the world. They are divided into five distinct ethnic groups: the Auriok of the Razor Fields, the Neurok of the Quicksilver Sea, the Moriok of the Mephidross, the Vulshok of the Oxidda Chain, and the Sylvok of the Tangle. Your Mirran human character has the following traits.

Type. You are a Humanoid. You are also considered a human for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be a human.

Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 2, and another increases by 1.

Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live about a century.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice (except  Phyrexian).

Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Ethnic group. Choose one of the five Mirran human ethnic groups for your character to belong to.

Auriok

The Auriok are a nomadic people, specializing as warriors, spellcasters, and diplomats who form alliances between tribes and with the other races of the Razor Fields. Each Auriok tribe is led by a champion who is responsible for their people's well-being. Auriok skin is bronze-colored and embedded with gold, and their hair is bleached white by the constant light of the suns.

Auriok Combat Training. You are proficient with the longsword and shortsword.

Diplomatic. You have proficiency with Insight and Persuasion.

Neurok

Having thrown off the yoke of slavery under vedalken masters, the Neurok have risen to a dominant position in the chrome-spire settlements on the Quicksilver Sea, based in their capital at Lumengrid. They are scientists and inventors, among the first to notice and study the increasing amounts of glistening oil on Mirrodin's surface. Silvery, chrome-like metal adorns Neurok skin, and their hair, often hidden under elaborate, multi-eyed headdresses, is brown, red, or blond.

Breadth of Knowledge. You gain proficiency with any combination of three skills or tools of your choice.

Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it (choose when you select this race).

Moriok

Carving out a living in the inhospitable swamp of the Mephidross, the Moriok endure constant exposure to its necrogen gas and battle the harsh urges its fell magic draws out. Lead-like metal emerges from underneath their skin, often forming visors over their eyes. They are tall and pale, decorating their bodies with dark leather and ornaments of tooth and bone.

Inured to Necrogen. You are resistant to poison damage, and you have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.

Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Vulshok

Renowned blacksmiths, warriors, and geomancers, the Vulshok people create armor and weapons of the best quality that can be found on Mirrodin. They are divided into six tribes based on their smithing specialization: Anvil, Blade, Hammer, Helm, Shield, and Spear. The iron spikes on their skin afford them a degree of natural armor. Vulshok are heavyset and sturdily built, and ember cores are embedded in their chests, glowing red-hot in moments of strong emotion.

Expertise of the Forge. You have proficiency with smith's tools.

Heart of Flame. You have resistance to fire damage. In addition, you know the produce flame cantrip. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it (choose when you select this race).

Iron Skin. You gain a +1 bonus to your AC when you aren't wearing heavy armor.

Sylvok

The most insular of Mirrodin's humans, the Sylvok are druidic hunter-gatherers who place emphasis on tradition, nature, and harmony. Unlike the canopy-dwelling elves, Sylvok inhabit the undergrowth of the Tangle, subsisting off gelfruit and the meat they hunt. They view artifice as a form of worship, using their skills to venerate the natural world through imitation. Their skin is decorated with intricate patterns of copper that imitate the look of plant growth.

Expert Navigator. A lifetime spent in the twisted growths of the Tangle has made you sure-footed and adept in tough travelling conditions. You ignore nonmagical difficult terrain.

Sylvok Magic. You know the druidcraft cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the animal friendship spell once per day; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells (choose when you select this race).

Tangle's Lore. You gain proficiency in a skill of your choice from among Animal Handling, History, Nature, Religion, and Survival.

[pathfindercatalog]

Aardgnoll (Race)

(Hey! This is the first time I’ve finished one of my homebrew drafts! Image Source: https://furbooru.org/images/233343)

Aardgnolls are smaller, insectivorous relatives of gnolls. Dwelling in small, close-knit family groups led by the eldest female, they hunt insects and other vermin, and some families have been known to domesticate and herd vermin. Aardgnolls are pacifists, and refuse to kill anything other than vermin. Dwelling in harsh climes, the typical punishment for breaking this taboo is exile, roughly equivalent to a death sentence. The majority of aardgnoll adventurers are such exiles, and typically grow to see their comrades as their new family. Aardgnolls are viewed by many larger races as adorable, like puppies or kittens, and use this to their advantage in trade and diplomacy with other desert races. Larger gnolls view aardgnolls as pests or embarrassments at best, and food sources at worst. Aardgnolls are often rangers or druids.

Aardgnoll (15 RP)

Small (0 RP) monstrous humanoid (3 RP)

Speed: 30 ft. (0 RP)

Ability Score Adjustments: +2 DEX, +2 CHA, -2 STR (0 RP)

Languages: Linguist (1 RP). Aardgnolls begin play knowing Common. Aardgnolls with high Intelligence scores can learn any languages they want (except Druidic and other secret languages).

Ancient Foe (3 RP): Aardgnolls gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC against vermin and a +2 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks made to grapple vermin.

Desert Runner (2 RP): Aardgnolls receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue and exhaustion, as well as any other ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, and hot or cold environments.

Healthy (2 RP): Aardgnolls gain a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves against disease and poison, including magical diseases.

Emissary (1 RP): Once per day, aardgnolls can roll twice when making a Bluff or Diplomacy check and take the better roll.

Gregarious (1 RP): When aardgnolls successfully use Diplomacy to win over an individual, that creature takes a –2 penalty on attempts to resist any of the member's Charisma-based skills for the next 24 hours.

Quick Reactions (2 RP): Aardgnolls receive Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.

[skelletors]

MCYT as D&D Characters 5 - Philza

Part 5 of me turning MCYTs into playable D&D characters! Today, as you might’ve guessed, I’m taking a crack at the man, the myth, the legend, Philza Minecraft. And, of course, before we begin, the ground rules.

This will not be balanced and the builds may not be very good. This isn’t for the minmaxers (not that there's anything wrong with that), this is purely based on either stories these people have participated in or their overall persona on the internet

These characters will go up to level 20, but in no way do you have to play them to the max level to get all the mechanics that make up the character

There will be no homebrew in this build.

I will be using standard array for all of these characters (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) when determining the stats for these characters for my own ease of use.

Character Traits to Emulate:

Bird

Angel of Death

Old as hell

Anarchist

THE father figure

Race, Class, Background and Stats

Race: Protector Aasimar (There was a lot of debate on what race Phil would be, if he would be a full bird or more human, but I decided on Aasimar purely for the connection to celestials/gods in D&D canon. Plus, they live longer than the bird races and have some fun features!)

Ability Score Improvement: +2 to Charisma, +1 to Wisdom

Darkvision: You can see in the dark! Sick

Celestial Radiance: You’re resistant to necrotic and radiant damage

Healing Hands: You can heal people a number of hit points equal to your level once per long rest. Maybe use it on a particular pig to make sure he can keep standing…

Radiant Soul: Once per long rest, for a minute you gain the power of flight (a fly speed equal to your walking speed) and deal extra radiant damage on attacks.

Background: Far Traveler (I think this one fits the best with Phil and his connection to his hardcore world, where he’s generally implied to be from.)

Proficiencies: Insight, Perception, a musical instrument or game of your choice (let’s choose lute) and a language of your choice

Class: Ranger 11, Cleric 9 (This one may need some explanation, but the features Rangers get are just about getting knowledge about creatures quickly and fucking people up, which is a very Philza vibe. Cleric is for his connection to Mumza)

Stats

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 14

Constitution: 12

Intelligence: 13 

Wisdom: 15 + 1 = 16

Charisma: 8 + 2 = 10

The stat distribution is also somewhat self-explanatory, Phil isn’t really lacking in any stat but he’s definitely not the most charismatic and as a bird man, probably not the strongest. Not to worry, he definitely uses finesse weapons rather than heavy longbows.

Level 1: Ranger

Favored Enemy: You’re really good at tracking and know quite a bit about certain enemies. I’m not sure what Phil’s would be, maybe undead or something like that.

Deft Explorer: This is a more general replacement for the normal level 1 ability Natural Explorer. Natural Explorer makes you specialize in different areas but I think the more general expertise that comes with Deft Explorer makes more sense.

Expertise in one ability of your choice

Two more languages of your choice

Level 2: Ranger

Fighting Style: Dueling

You get a +2 to damage rolls with a weapon if you’re only holding that weapon

Spellcasting: You get some cool spells! Like Hunter’s Mark! To kill things better!

Level 3: Ranger

Primeval Awareness: You can expend a spell slot to become aware of the kind of creatures around you like abjurations, fiends, fey, undead, etc.

Sssssssssssssssssssssubclass time! The subclass being…

Monster Slayer! Fuck yeah, this subclass is exclusively about learning the weaknesses of your enemies and fucking shit up. It’s just better Hunter, I will not be taking criticism.

Hunter’s Sense: As an action, you can choose an enemy within 60ft of you and learn any immunities, resistances and vulnerabilities as long as they aren’t immune to divination. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus

Slayer’s Prey: As a bonus action, you can designate a creature within 60ft to be your victim. The first time each turn you hit the creature, you deal an extra 1d6 damage

Level 4: Ranger

ASI Time baby!

Level 5: Ranger

Extra Attack! Not much, but hey, you can hit shit more often

Level 6: Cleric

Time to finally go into those Cleric levels! Clerics are pretty fun, especially since they get their subclass at level one. That subclass, of course, being…

Death Domain!! There was a bit of debate between this and Grave Cleric, especially with how the two synergize with other members of SBI (especially a certain pig), but I chose Death Domain because it really is just a Cleric class for people who want to fuck shit up. Also, Death, Mumza, pretty obvious.

Bonus Proficiency: You get proficiency in martial weapons. Unnecessary, since Rangers already have proficiency in martial weapons, but I’m mentioning it just so I’m not skipping any features

At first level, you learn a necromancy spell from any spell list. And, when you cast a necromancy spell that targets one creature, you can target two within range and within five feet of each other

Level 7: Cleric

Channel Divinity! This is one of Clerics more fun features, and there are two options open to you. You can do this once per long or short rest.

Turn Undead! As an action, any undead within 30ft of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, it must take it’s entire action to either run away or, if it cannot run away, take the dodge action

Touch of Death. This is something exclusive to Death Domain Clerics, and it's pretty fun. Whenever you make a melee attack, you can add necrotic damage equal to 5 + double your Cleric level

Level 8: Cleric

ASI Time! This time we’re adding a +2 to his Wisdom, bringing it to 18

Level 9: Cleric

Nothing special here but you have more spells!

Level 10: Ranger

Back to ranger baby! Rangers are so cool, they are my favorite class and if I can put my favorite CCs in the ranger class, I will

Deft Explorer Improvement: Walking speed increases by 5 (that’s 45ft for those of you keeping track) and you have a climbing and swimming speed equal to your walking speed! That’s also a 45ft fly speed, so good luck to anyone trying to escape you.

Level 11: Ranger

Supernatural Defense: Whenever an enemy makes you make a saving throw or escape a grapple, add a 1d6 to the roll. Helpful, especially with the grapple. You have a +0 to Strength, you’re not escaping anything

Level 12: Cleric

Destroy Undead: Basically an improvement to Turn Undead, if the undead you’re targeting is under a certain challenge rating, they’re instantly destroyed

ASI Time! We’re going to be adding another +2 to Wisdom, bringing it to 20

Level 13: Cleric

Inescapable Destruction: Necrotic damage dealt by Cleric spells/abilities ignore resistance to necrotic damage

Level 14: Ranger

Land’s Stride: Moving through non-magical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement, as well as being able to move through non-magical plants without taking any damage from hazards. You also have advantage on magical plant spells meant to impede movement

Level 15: Ranger

Nothing special here, but you get more ranger spells!

Level 16: Cleric

ASI Time! Now, we’re taking another feat, and it’s going to be Observant! With the observant feat, you gain a +1 to Wisdom, can read lips as well as a +5 to passive perception and investigation. And if Phil is one thing, it’s perceptive. Seriously, he could tell his eggs were being played by different admins on the QSMP insanely quickly, this fits so well.

Level 17: Cleric

Divine Strike: Your weapon attacks are infused with necrotic energy. 1d8 until 14th level, so effectively 2d8. Pretty sweet, and it fits perfectly, thematically speaking!

Level 18: Cleric

Nothing special here, unfortunately

Level 19: Ranger

Nature’s Veil: Briefly, you can turn invisible until your next turn a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all expended uses with a long or short rest. Kinda redundant with invisibility, but hey, could also free up spell slots

ASI Time! We’re going for Shadow Touched. You can add a +1 to Charisma, Intelligence or Wisdom, obviously we’re going for Wisdom. You also learn invisibility and another 1st level illusion or necromancy spell, and there are some fun ones out there. Seriously, do not discount 1st level spells, some of those things are broken. Also, I think it’s fun that both Phil and Wilbur have this feat, since they’re both touched by death. Also, Phil now has a 22 in Wisdom, so a +6. Fucking christ.

Level 20: Ranger

Magic User’s Nemesis: If an enemy is casting a spell within 60ft of you, you can effectively counterspell them by making them make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. You can only use this once per short or long rest, but it’s pretty nice to be able to counterspell if your allies can’t!

And that's pretty much it! I hope you enjoyed reading and let me know any requests for future mcyts, I accept requests for pretty much everyone