#trolls band together alternate plot

[squirrelwriter]

Ooh, I see a couple novel titles up there I don't recognize! Mind talking about Softies? :3

Ahh, Softies! Sure thing :3

This is one I thought of and started working on during a drive to a family reunion several years back, but I stopped at... *checks* ...about 40k words and didn’t continue it because the premise, plot, and world needed further thought and revision. You might recognize it once I describe it, though.

Softies is urban fantasy that features humans and fantastical beings living side by side in a modern setting—with all the infrastructure challenges and societal problems that entails. A dragon has trouble finding a place large enough to rent but wants to stay in the city. Fairies are trying to protect their tiny communities and claim patches of nature and property for themselves among all these big people, which leads to ownership disputes. Etc.

The story begins when Tina, an overworked human project manager, runs into a troll named Bugbreath (who also introduces himself as Carlton). Bugbreath works for a nonprofit that takes odd jobs and tries to resolve local community problems, and after they talk a while (because the stupid subway is mondo delayed), he offers her a position. Tina, who’s reaching her breaking point with her current work, resigns and joins Bugbreath and co. The rest of the story is about Tina reckoning with what she truly wants and what she can do that will put food on her table without leaving her drained and unhappy. The nonprofit org brings elements and perspectives into Tina’s life that she didn’t realize she needed… but it’s in danger of going under.

The planned climax is, tentatively, Tina, Bugbreath, the org, and various citizens vs Tina’s prior employer over some highly unethical thing they’re doing. The resolution would be Tina banding together with all her new friends and allies and winning this fight—and perhaps not staying with the org, but finding a better balance between stability and fulfillment, in the end. Having friends. Liking herself and her life better.

The logic behind the title is the idea that we've gotta be softies sometimes--honest and vulnerable and caring--to connect and to help both ourselves and each other. And Tina's historically been in environments that discouraged her from doing that, even though deep down, she is a softie.

Softies would be quite the challenge, if I were to pick it up again. The premise requires engaging with the socioeconomic struggles of existing a capitalist society in a way that most of my work doesn't--that, and themes of diversity and prejudice. And man, that's tricky to write. It requires a careful touch to make those threads exist with nuance and subtlety and not mishandle them. I'd have to overhaul what I wrote in... *checks timestamp* ...2019--probably reincarnate it, which is what I call it when the structural changes are large and deep enough to make the story nigh unrecognizable--and I'd still be tackling stuff I don't usually tackle and don't usually want to tackle. Politics is not my realm.

Hm.

For starters, I'd probably make up a city and alternate world instead of shoving them in Boston. I might also, uh, make the prejudices more subtle? Handle them better? Integrate all the different people into a more interconnected city? This'd take a lot of work...

Whew, that was long. Well, here's an excerpt from the first chapter:

---

A T alert popped up on Tina's phone. Delays of thirty or more minutes due to a disabled train at Kendall.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!"

Someone burst into laughter. The sound echoed off the walls, low and hoarse and amplified to the point that it seemed to fill the whole station. It was coming from the pile of clothes--or what had been a pile of clothes, but now was the hairiest little man Tina had ever seen. Dark curls sprouted from his scalp and face like a wild growth, and from the tops of his feet, which poked out from underneath the blankets. City grime had formed a grey shell over the soles of those feet, and his toes were bent and crooked. He had large ears that tapered to points. His bulbous nose must've been broken twice at least. His black eyes glinted with mirth.

Tina glared at him.

The stranger stood up. The excess blankets and old shirts fell to the ground in a heap, leaving him in just his cargo pants and a stained hoodie. He approached, his hands shoved in his pockets and his grin exposing yellowed teeth. Tina tensed. His arms were too thick, his shoulders and head too proportionally broad for a human. He must be a troll. She hadn't seen many trolls, let alone talked with any, but she'd heard about them. They mostly kept to themselves. Stayed in dark places and underground tunnels, isolated themselves from the city schools and businesses. She'd heard they had their own government, coexisting in the same geographic area as the humans'. She'd also heard stories about them eating pets and robbing people in dark alleyways. They were a rough bunch, the trolls. Or so everyone said.

She stuffed her hands in her pockets so the troll couldn't see them jitter.

He stopped a few paces from her. He couldn't have been more than four feet tall. "Lots of rage in those lungs," he said. "And that face. Stones, lady, you must've had a rotten day."

"Try not to make it rottener."

He held his hands up in the universal gesture for I carry no weapons, I mean no harm. Tina relaxed. A little. "Just surprised me, is all. Train's not coming?"

"It broke."

"Figures." He shook his head. "I've been here years, lady, and they've been like this since times immemorial."

"Tina," she said, just so he would stop calling her lady. She almost said that she'd been here years too, that she was born down in Roxbury, then caught herself. If she started chatting with him, he'd never leave her alone. And she needed to get home. Somehow. There was a bus stop a few blocks north. Was a bus coming soon? The roads would take forever in comparison, but it'd be better than just waiting in a subway station for thirty plus minutes… which could turn into an hour… which could turn into midnight when the city's railroads slept and anyone who wanted to get anywhere would have to cough up for an Uber.

"Well met, Tina. Name's Bugbreath."

Tina stared.

The stranger chuckled. "M'pulling your leg. Call me Carlton."

"…Alright, Carlton."

He didn't offer his hand, and Tina didn't offer hers. He did smile, though. Then he asked, "Can you buy me a pizza down at Mike's? Been ages since I've had pizza."

Tina mentally zipped through her potential responses. She was in a rush? Sort of, but she was stuck until the next bus or the next train, whichever was sooner, probably the bus. She didn't have money on her? Carlton seemed sharp; he'd probably sniff out that lie in a second. Or how about just, no? No, with no excuse, no explanation to accompany it, and an undercurrent of leave-me-the-frick-alone. 

The "no" made it partway up her throat, but it must've gotten lost somewhere in her vocal cords, because what came out of her mouth was, "If you want good pizza, you don't go to Mike's."

[yellowmagicalgirl]

12. Krexie for 50 types of kissing prompts, please

12. Sneaking away to a hidden corner to share a secretive kiss.

from 50 Types of Kisses - Writing Prompts

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates it!

This takes place in some alternate version of RotT where Akiridion kissing doesn't cause pregnancy, after Douxie is returned to his own body. I still refuse to watch the movie, though, so don't expect this to follow RotT's plot that well.

CW: references to Douxie being reckless with his own life

AO3

FFN

Krel watched and waited for Douxie to extract himself from their friends. Even after all this time, he still wasn't sure how to deal with strong emotions when it came to crowds, even if they were mostly his friends. (Mostly. He was pretty sure the pink troll didn't like him, or Toby for that matter.) And between the world probably ending from the loss of Nari and everything he had just been through, it made sense for Douxie to stay in the middle of the crowd. After all, hopefully Douxie's latest sacrifice had bought them something other than just a few horvaths before the next apocalypse.

But eventually, because planning was needed and the world was probably ending, the crowd began to thin.

"Douxie," Krel said, keeping his voice steady. "I need a second pair of eyes for this project." And, then, just to make sure everyone else's eyes would glaze over, "I'm mainly just trying to refine the photonic drive core accelerator, make sure if interfaces with the secondary tachyon warp field modulator properly."

That was, of course, nonsense, but Douxie stood up and walked to Krel nonetheless. It had been one of the first things that had drawn Krel to Douxie, the way Douxie worked so well with Krel on the time trap. All of their other friends, while nice, just didn't understand and didn't try to understand.

Krel grabbed Douxie's hand, and dragged him off down the hall. After dealing with the fiasco of certain people simply not appreciating his music and genius, he had relocated to a different lab where he could drown out everyone else and all of his panicked feelings with his music.

(He'd had his music on shuffle, and the only thing that had kept Krel from breaking down sobbing in fear when the Ash Dispersal Pattern song came on was the fact that Douxie rarely did backup vocals and was never the lead.)

"Do you mind reminding me what a tachyon warp field is, love?"

Krel only dropped Douxie's hand so he could hug his boyfriend with all four hands. He squeezed Douxie until Douxie let out a squeak that reminded Krel that, even for a non-warrior, his grip was stronger than his boyfriend's lung capacity. Krel released his boyfriend with his upper pair of arms, using them to cup Douxie's face.

"Please don't ever do anything like that again." Krel punctuated each word with a kiss to a different freckle. "You scared me."

Douxie grabbed one of Krel's hands and kissed his fingers. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you."

He never did. Starting with they day they met (because no, Douxie, Krel didn't remember seeing each other in the crowd at the Battle of the Bands) Douxie hadn't thought about how Krel felt about seeing Douxie's lifeless body. It was so frustrating to deal with, so much that sometimes Krel just wanted to yell at his boyfriend. He wanted to yell at his boyfriend right now, yell and scream and demand that Douxie start thinking about how his being reckless made Krel feel.

Krel wanted to hold Douxie close even more than he wanted to scream. Krel was no warrior, but he wanted to hold Douxie so close that Krel's body would be a shield if the need came down to it.

"Just..." Krel stroked Douxie's face before pressing their foreheads together. "Just promise me you'll at least try to be careful? For me?"

Douxie took a breath. "I'll try."

It was no promise, but perhaps Krel shouldn't have expected one. Promises were such fragile things in the face of the apocalypse.

"I just don't want to lose you. I don't think I can lose you, not again," Krel said before kissing Douxie.

Krel kissed him slowly, gently stroking his hair and trying not to cry.

Eventually, Douxie broke the kiss, and Krel let him go. He needed to continue breathing.

"As I was saying earlier, love, what's a tachyon warp field?"

"Oh. Um. It's nothing. Just an excuse to get you alone. We've already proven that my one idea for taking down Bellroc and Skrael won't work, and I can't think of anything else. I guess we should have known it would've risked too much."

"Your anti-magic ray wasn't risking too much."

Oh, yes, because clearly Douxie knew the line between proper risks and risking too much.

Krel mentally cast that thought into an incinerator. Not now. They weren't having that conversation right now. Douxie had not-quite promised to be better.

"You haven't told Aja about me, have you?" Douxie said, a teasing smile on his face like nothing was wrong.

"I'll tell her when this is over," Krel said. He didn't promise, either.

~

A/N: I would like to thank Springhole.net for their Technobabble Malfunction Generator, which I used to come up with the random tech terms.

[maandarinee]

what are all the podcasts you listen to?

anon I'm so glad you asked

Since it is a pretty long list including synopses (stolen from the podcast feed or website because I'm Bad at summaries and in some cases it's been a while since I listened) I'm going to put it under a cut.

I've separated the list into "Complete" (either finished or cancelled) and "Ongoing" podcasts. Some have additional comments by me. Current favorites are marked orange. My eternal beloved are Our Fair City and Wolf 359.

Complete

ars PARADOXICA: "When an experiment in a time much like our own goes horribly awry, Dr. Sally Grissom finds herself stranded in the past and entrenched in the activities of a clandestine branch of the US government. Grissom and her team quickly learn that there's no safety net when toying with the fundamental logic of the universe."

Blackwood: "Five years ago, Molly Weaver, Bryan Anderson, and Nathan Howell started a podcast focused on the local legend of a monster called The Blackwood Bugman. Quickly, the investigation grew out of their control, as they discovered that, not only are the legends seemingly true, many people in Blackwood have turned up dead or disappeared without a trace." --> [this feels like the Blair With Project, but as a podcast. Didn't get a second season due to no funding, but it works as a standalone]

Dreamboy: "Dane, a spun-out musician spending the winter in Cleveland, Ohio, has two main goals: keeping his job at the Pepper Heights Zoo and trying not to waste all his time on Grindr. What he doesn’t expect is to get swept into a story about dreams, about forevers, about flickering lights, about unexplained deaths, about relentless change, and about the parts of ourselves that we wish other people knew to look for. Oh, and also a murderous zebra." --> [very NSFW; does cool things with music! Didn't get a second season due to no funding, but it works as a standalone]

King Fall AM: "...centers on a lonely little mountain town's late-night AM talk radio show and its paranormal, peculiar happenings and inhabitants." --> [cancelled after 100 episodes, ends on a huge cliffhanger]

Our Fair City: "A campy, post-apocalyptic audio drama." --> [I know the description sounds like nothing but just trust me, I love it so much]

Steal the Stars: "...is a gripping noir science fiction thriller in 14 episodes: Forbidden love, a crashed UFO, an alien body, and an impossible heist unlike any ever attempted."

Stellar Firma: "...a weekly Science Fiction, Comedy podcast following the misadventures of Stellar Firma Ltd.'s highest born but lowest achieving planetary designer Trexel Geistman and his bewildered clone assistant David 7. Join them each episode as they attempt to take listener submissions and craft them into the galaxy's most luxurious, most expensive and most questionably designed bespoke planets. However, with Trexel's corporate shark of a line manager Hartro Piltz breathing down their necks and I.M.O.G.E.N., the station's omnipresent and omniinvasive stationwide A.I. monitoring those necks to within 3 decimal places, they'll be lucky to make it a week before being slurried and recycled into raw human resources." --> [semi-improvised, I thought I'd have a problem with the improv bit because that's not usually my thing, but no, I absolutely devoured this]

TANIS: "...is a serialized docudrama about a fascinating and surprising mystery: the myth of Tanis. Tanis is an exploration of the nature of truth, conspiracy, and information. Tanis is what happens when the lines of science and fiction start to blur." [+ spinoff The Last Movie] --> [I have no clue what the hell is going on here]

The Black Tapes: "...is a serialized docudrama about one journalist's searc for truth, her enigmatic subject's mysterious past, and the literal and figurative ghosts that haunt them both."

The Magnus Archives: "...is a weekly horror fiction anthology podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus Institute, an organisation dedicated to researching the esoteric and the weird. Join new head archivist Jonathan Sims as he attempts to bring a seemingly neglected collection of supernatural statements up to date, converting them to audio and supplementing them with follow-up work from his small but dedicated team. Individually, they are unsettling. Together they begin to form a picture that is truly horrifying because as they look into the depths of the archives, something starts to look back…"

Time:Bombs: "...a new audio drama podcast about the hilarious world of bomb disposal. Ride along with EOD technician Simon Teller on the busiest night of the year for him and his team - when business is, quite literally, booming."

Wolf 359: "Life's not easy for Doug Eiffel, the communications officer for the U.S.S. Hephaestus Research Station, currently on Day 448 of its orbit around red dwarf star Wolf 359. He's stuck on a scientific survey mission of indeterminate length, 7.8 light years from Earth. His only company on board the station are stern mission chief Minkowski, insane science officer Hilbert, and Hephaestus Station's sentient, often malfunctioning operating system Hera. He doesn't have much to do for his job other than monitoring static and intercepting the occasional decades-old radio broadcast from Earth, so he spends most of his time creating extensive audio logs about the ordinary, day-to-day happenings within the station. But the Hephaestus is an odd place, and life in extremely isolated, zero gravity conditions has a way of doing funny things to people's minds. Even the simplest of tasks can turn into a gargantuan struggle, and the most ordinary-seeming things have a way of turning into anything but that." --> [starts funny, turns very intense]

Ongoing

Alba Salix, Roya Physician (+ The Axe & Crown): "A witch, her apprentice, and her fairy herbalist treat the ills of a fairy-tale kingdom." + "Gubbin the troll tavernkeeper deals with his clueless new landlord, his shady niece, and some new competition."

Archive 81: "A found footage horror podcast about ritual, stories, and sound."

Arden: "A (fictional) true crime podcast about cold cases and the reporter and detective who try to solve them."

Brimstone Valley Mall: "The year is 1999. Lurking somewhere between Hot Topic and the food court, five misfit demons from Hell kill time inciting sin in a suburban shopping mall. When the lead singer of their band goes mysteriously missing, the demons only have two weeks to find him before they play the biggest gig of the millennium - or face the wrath of Satan herself."

CARAVAN: "First rule of Wound Canyon: No one who gets in, ever gets out. So when a brilliant, ghostly specter flies through the sky amid the rain and lightning, Samir stumbles off a steep cliff and into a hidden world, one in which demons, vampires, and all other manner of paranormal creatures take sanctuary." --> [also pretty NSFW and horny in general]

Death by Dying: "The Obituary Writer of Crestfall, Idaho finds himself deeply in over his head as he investigates a series of strange and mysterious deaths… when he is supposed to simply be writing obituaries. Along the way he encounters murderous farmers, man-eating cats, haunted bicycles, and a healthy dose of ominous shadows." --> [I had to stop listening to this in public because it kept making me undignified laugh and snort noises]

Desperado: "Blood magic, Voodoo magic, old gods, new gods: We've got it all! Follow the story of misfits from all over the world, as they try to survive and protect their heritage from modern-day crusaders."

EOS 10: "Doctors in space, a deposed alien prince, a super gay space pirate and a fiery nurse who'll help you win your bar fight."

Girl In Space: "Abandoned on a dying ship in the farthest reaches of known space, a young scientist fights for survival (and patience with the on-board A.I.). Who is she? No one knows. But a lot of dangerous entities really want to find out. Listen as the story unfolds for science, guns, trust, anti-matter, truth, beauty, inner turmoil, and delicious cheeses. It’s all here. In space."

Janus Descending: "...follows the arrival of two xenoarcheologists on a small world orbiting a binary star. But what starts off as an expedition to survey the planet and the remains of a lost alien civilization, turns into a monstrous game of cat and mouse, as the two scientists are left to face the creatures that killed the planet in the first place. Told from two alternating perspectives, Janus Descending is an experience of crossing timelines, as one character describes the nightmare from end to beginning, and the other, from beginning to the end." --> [absolutely harrowing horror]

Love and Luck: "...is a fictional radio play podcast, told via voicemails and set in present day Melbourne, Australia. A slice of life queer romance story with a touch of magic, it follows the relationship between two men, Jason and Kane, as their love grows both for each other and their community." --> [soft and gay, feels like a warm hug]

Potterless: "Join Mike Schubert, a grown man reading the Harry Potter series for the first time, as he sits down with HP fanatics to poke fun at plot holes, make painfully incorrect predictions, and bask in the sassiness of the characters." --> [the only non-fiction podcast on the list]

Primordial Deep: "When a long extinct sea creature washes up on the shores of Coney Island, marine biologist Dr. Marella Morgan is contacted by a secret organization to investigate the origins of the creature’s sudden and unnatural resurgence. Soon, she and a team of experts find themselves living on the research station The Tiamat, traveling along the abyssal plains as they search for answers far below the waves. But there are dangers in these ancient waters. Reawakened, prehistoric monsters are rising from the deep -- jaws wide and waiting, and in the darkness, something is stirring."

Red Valley: "No one at Overhead Industries wants to talk about defunct research station Red Valley, and account man Warren Godby is out of his depth. When he meets Gordon Porlock, a disgruntled archivist with a bag of tapes from the station’s last known occupant, they will begin a journey to the limits of experimental science, confront horror and trauma from the past, present and future, and try to remember the cheat codes from Sonic the Hedgehog 2."

Rusty Quill Gaming: "An actual play podcast following a mixed ability group of comedians, improvisers, gamers, and writers as they play through the extended, tabletop roleplaying campaign Erasing the Line, an original game world of the GM’s crafting." --> [took me a while to get into because I have trouble focusing on non-scripted things, but eventually I got really hooked on the plot and attached to the characters. This podcast is really fucked up at times if you think about it]

SAYER: "A narrative fiction podcast set on Earth’s man-made second moon, Typhon. The eponymous SAYER is a highly advanced, self-aware AI created to help acclimate new residents to their new lives, and their new employment with Ærolith Dynamics." --> [feels like Welcome to Night Vale but narrated by GLaDOS from Portal]

StarTripper!!: "Join Feston Pyxis on a road-trip through the cosmos, as he leaves behind his old life in search of the best and wildest experiences the galaxy has to offer!"

The Amelia Project: "...is a secret agency that fakes its clients' deaths, then lets them reappear with a brand new identity! A black comedy full of secrets, twists... and cocoa."

The Big Loop: "...a biweekly anthology series. Each episode is a self-contained narrative exploring the strange, the wonderful, the terrifying, and the heartbreaking. Stories of finite beings in an infinite universe." --> [I don't like anthologies, except this one]

The Bright Sessions: "Dr. Bright provides therapy for the strange and unusual; their sessions have been recorded for research purposes." --> [think X-Men, but with therapy instead of a school]

The Deca Tapes: "Recordings have surfaced of ten people that are locked into the same space together. We don’t know where they are, or if they'll get out. But the answers must be somewhere on these tapes."

The Silt Verses: "Carpenter and Faulkner, two worshippers of an outlawed god, travel up the length of their deity’s great black river, searching for holy revelations. As their pilgrimage lengthens and the river’s mysteries deepen, the two acolytes find themselves under threat from a police manhunt, but also come into conflict with the weirder gods that have flourished in these forgotten rural territories."

The White Vault: "Follow the collected records of a repair team sent to Outpost Fristed in the vast white wastes of Svalbard and unravel what lies waiting in the ice below."

Tides: "...is the story of Dr. Winifred Eurus, a xenobiologist trapped on an unfamiliar planet with hostile tidal forces. She must use her wits, sarcasm and intellectual curiosity to survive long enough to be rescued. But there might be more to life on this planet than she expected." --> [think The Martian, but on a water planet]

Unwell, a Midwestern Gothic Mystery: "Lillian Harper moves to the small town of Mt. Absalom, Ohio, to care for her estranged mother Dorothy after an injury. Living in the town's boarding house which has been run by her family for generations, she discovers conspiracies, ghosts, and a new family in the house's strange assortment of residents."

VAST Horizon: "Nolira is an agronomist tasked with establishing agriculture in a new solar system, but when she wakes up on a now- empty colony ship, the whole of her plan disappears. The ship has been set adrift, with numerous mission-critical problems requiring immediate attendance outside of her area of expertise. Nolira is aided by the ship’s malfunctioning AI, which acts as her confidant and companion during the fight for survival."

Victoriocity: "Even Greater London, 1887. In this vast metropolis, Inspector Archibald Fleet and journalist Clara Entwhistle investigate a murder, only to find themselves at the centre of a conspiracy of impossible proportions."

We Fix Space Junk: "...follows seasoned smuggler Kilner and reluctant fugitive Samantha as they travel the galaxy, dodging bullets and meeting strange and wonderful beings as they carry out odd jobs on the fringes of the law."

Welcome to Night Vale: "Twice-monthly community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, where every conspiracy theory is true. Turn on your radio and hide."

Within the Wires: "Stories told through found audio from an alternate universe."

Wooden Overcoats: "Rudyard Funn and his equally miserable sister Antigone run their family's failing funeral parlour, where they get the body in the coffin in the ground on time. But one day they find everyone enjoying themselves at the funerals of a new competitor - the impossibly perfect Eric Chapman! With their dogsbody Georgie, and a mouse called Madeleine, the Funns are taking drastic steps to stay in the business…" --> [one of THE funniest podcasts I have ever listened to]

[theshadowedqueen82]

Thoughts on Trollhunters S3

 Watched the first five episodes and oh boy. OH BOY.

MY CLEVER CHILDREN making magical election signs!

but what are they going to do when the election is over? Huh?

Maybe they could magic something else, like street cleaning signs or something else you can’t legally remove

AND THEY TRIED TO GIVE ONE TO HER OPPONENT HAHAHA

I literally gasped aloud when I saw Strickler was training Jim, this was all I ever hoped for

Okay but is the changeling!Jim thing canon? Because uh “his humanity is too weak” sure sounds like it’s canon

and his dad’s never around... and that would explain why the amulet chose him...

Look I really hope it’s canon but I’m not through the entire season yet so NOBODY TELL ME

But really “darkness within you” if it’s not changeling or half troll idk what it is because Jim is a cinnamon roll whose only dark side could be genetic

The kid cooks for his mother like, absolutely zero darkness detected

Things are so much darker this season already! No Troll Market is the most heartbreaking thing ever

I’m so proud of Blinky leading the trolls, he’s trying his best and if anybody criticises him I’ll attack them

Claire in the sewers episode talking about how she’s really sick “well you could go home” “what no! I’m fine” honestly so relatable

Claire ignoring all the warning signs (signs? Get it?)

I was yelling at the television “JUST TELL THEM OKAY”

They could have avoided her living room being destroyed if she’d just told them “hey, those signs keep appearing under my bed”

It still might have taken them a while to figure out but you know Toby would have immediately gone “holy Chamber of Secrets you’re being possessed!”

Speaking of Toby he and Darci are the cutest thing ever oh my gosh

“the perfect place for a first kiss! Darkness, adrenaline, lasers.” Toby my precious child

Also I am delighted to see that Darci’s dad is a cop and ARRESTS HIM

this is going to be a fantastic story to tell at their wedding reception

Toby’s short lived life as a fugitive is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen on screen absolute gold

“You mean the burglaries were done by actual burglars?” I was rolling on the ground dying

Toby literally is given an ultimatum between dating Darci and possibly going to jail and he goes for the jail option askjlhdskjfslk

look Toby might have not stolen the mopeds but he sure did steal my heart

Now if we want to talk about ships I don’t like then who is this blue haired joker? Hm?

Get between my Jlaire and I will destroy you

Miraculous Ladybug did such a better job introducing a blue haired punk kid as an alternate love interest

He might be allowed to date Mary as long as he gets away from Claire

Look nobody can convince me that it wasn’t just Morgana who has a crush on him, okay? Because Claire is LOYAL to JIM AND ONLY JIM

In other news CLAIRE HAS A BAND I WANT ALL OF THEIR ALBUMS

CLAIRE PLAYS ELECTRIC GUITAR TOO

Look I get that it’s scary she fainted and all but I literally gasped in that scene out of fear for the guitar

I hope it’s okay it looked like a really nice electric +  if anything happened to her guitar Claire would probably be Not Okay

Barbara painting Blinky oh my goodness

Also she’s actually a really talented artist I would buy one of her painings

“I made this HATE PAINTING of my ex, who I HATE” then why’d you use your largest canvas hmmm?

speaking of ships THE STRICKLAKE OKAY

I’M LYING NONE OF IT IS OKAY

Before I mainly shipped Stricklake because of fanfic but now the canon is making it impossible to not ship

And um, it might... hypothetically stand a chance... of being my favourite ship in this show

*hides under a table* I’M SORRY OKAY BUT THEY HAVE SO MANY MOMENTS

STRICKLER HIDING FROM BARBARA AT THE CAFE, STRICKLER BRINGING HER THE WINE, “I came back to protect her!” “you want to protect my mom, Barbara, remember how she makes you feel”, “he came back” aaaaaaaAAAAAA

“I can make her love you despite the monster you are” JUST RIP OUT MY HEART OKAY

Side note: Blinky and Strickler semi bonding was A+++ nothing brings you together like your surrogate son’s possessed girlfriend

“WHAT DID YOU BARGAIN?” “I SAID NO!”

“Wait were you going to stab me with that?” “No!” “Yes!”

The one who died in that scene was ME, of laughter

The shadow realm is super creepy actually

But why haven’t we seen it’s illusion creating ability before? Is it because Morgana is now more powerful and was responsible for this hmmm?

I thought it wasn’t possible to love Claire even more, but guess what? MAGIC CLAIRE

In that scene she was possessed, magic, a ghost who believed she was somewhere else, and female, which makes her a maniac pixie dream girl

Hey do you ever think that the reason why Strickler had such a hard time making the portal was because he spends so much time repressing his emotions

ANYWAYS let’s talk about the grave dust! Which links back to my changeling!Jim hopes because maybe Strickler and Nomura are trying to get him to shift?

Also WHY WOULDN’T YOU CHECK THE COFFEE CONTAINER

I think Jim could have just gone up to the teachers and gone “excuse me, my coffee fell out of my backpack and rolled in here, would you mind passing it to me?” but “surprise teacher dance party” Toby also has benefits

The true plot twist would have been if Jim grabbed actual coffee from his house and Barbara was the one who had the grave dust, and then proceeded to hunt down Strickler from his scent to tear out his throat

Oh dang I might fic that

But I was also very happy with the Steve and coach bonding, and seeing Creepslayerz work with Jim and Toby!

Does Jim explain about Strickler, how does that go? “Our social teacher/ principal dated my mom but is also a changeling who tried to kill me a few times but it’s all cool because he’s stopping the end of the world with us!”

O yeah, there was also plot wasn’t there, I guess Morgana was pretty scary and Angor Rot’s back now, so that’s not good

Does he have his soul back? Because it sounded like she gave him his soul back so I’m going to be majorly disappointed if he doesn’t defect since that’s all that kept him in Morgana’s service the last time we saw him

SOMEBODY SAVE DRAAL HE NEEDS TO BE OKAY

AND AAAARRGH! ALSO NEEDS TO BE OKAY I CAN’T LOSE HIM AGAIN

Blinky’s not going to be happy at all to learn that Aaaargh! sacrificed himself for Dictacious

Wait Blinkous is shortened to Blinky does that mean Dictacious

Well no wonder he turned evil

Look it’s hard for me to focus on the doom because there was so much SHIPPING

THE DOUBLE DATE OKAY

“She’s flirting with you! She’s giving you the flirty eyes!” They were more like STABBY EYES

Them walking home like “I can’t wait to kill you” “wait WHAT” “KISS you, I said kiss” “oh okay”

Afterwards Toby would be all “how’d the date go?” and Jim would be “you might have seen the scary movie but I LIVED it”

Speaking of which the “look behind you!” moment was GENIUS

“What are you doing?” she just tried to CUT OFF YOUR HEAD JIM, what do you think she’s doing

And then! He proceeds to pillow fight his possessed girlfriend!

Look Claire you’d better keep him he cares a lot about you

“Claire you’re seeing this right? I’m not the one who messed up your living room this time!” ohmygosh this child

Hang on did Jim salvage some of his reputation in Claire’s parents’ eyes by setting up all those campaign signs? these are the questions I need answered

Final thought: Toby was kissing the basketball and Coach said “what did I tell you? No making out with the equipment!” which means this is not the first time, Toby has done this before enough times to warrant the coach telling him off for it, that is all

[masterdungeonguide]

Adventure Ideas #1

This is a lose idea for adventure. Not a perfectly fluent ready to run module. A mere sketch if you will.

For convenience of use, should a DM want to reference this straight from the web, the order of description is somewhat un-natural for reading placing the location up top and the backstories and plots at the bottom of this post.

Lets get on with it...

The Cave Of The Invisible Ugly

Somewhere in the wildlands not very far from simple civilisations of farmers and foresters some streams come together and dissapear under ground and have carved out natural caves over the ages.

It has hosted many different inhabitants mostly animals and some times small bands of creatures.

In recent times from two unlikely events the inhabitants are somewhat different and are tied to a wave of dissapearing items in nearby homes.

There are three possible ways to enter and exit this cave to the outdoor levels. At 1) working ones way down the pond falls to a room. At 6) where the dryed out stream came in from the north-west, and through the small grass covered window that leads straight down to Orvar's work-shop.

1 Main Entrance Chamber

The small stream from the south west trickles down over some grey bare stones into a small pond that sits at the edge of a round cave room. The floor is a flat moist surface of brown sediment that has filled much up what was once flooded with water.

There is a good chance a perceptive character can spot tracks of footsteps in it. Most from troglodyte leaving and comming. Shoe prints from Orvar having done the same and from animals who hide here from time to time.

The former lead inwards to and from some carefully placed stones that make a low staircase up to the passage.

Possible encounters:

A scouting troglodyte is just passing trhough here and will be startled at the adventurers presence

A predator animal is feasting on a cadaver in the cave room that may react violently

2 High Passage

Leading upwards this tunnel ends in a small climb up to a ground above right next to the wooden door. It's easily spotted from tracks and the clearing of boulders that this path has been frequently used. It is the alternative walk around to a wade through a pond at the other end of it.

A small drop in the middle of the passage leads to a low natural cave room. A DC 20 to climb up and out of but not a hard one to jump down into. You may place abducted prisoners and or corpse here. Victims of the raiding troglodyte outlaws.

3 Underground Pond

A very deep underground pond fills most of this place and a stream comming out of the cave wall in the west leads into it. The chamber is damp and drips from the ceiling. A layer of cold mist is in the air.

Explorers may be greeted by a disturbing site in the form of floating body parts. This is where the band of troglodytes often dispose of bodies they dragged in and are done looting. Most sink and stay at the bottom but sometimes fresh ones float up.

At the bottom quite a few valuables can be found still on the corpses however. The band only know so much of what to value. Holy symbols, spell books and other sofisticated items would have been ignored.

One has to swim or wade along the very edges of the cave walls to get across.

If a challenge is desired here the troglodyte band of outcasts has brought a creature from the deeps to help consume the bodies they dump into it.

A jellyfish like being of the under deep lakes from their realm that blindly consumes anything that it detects through smell.

A squall of purple big water leaches that suck every surface clean of organic tissue.

4 Dryed Out Water Shaft

This is to where the more rich streams of water flowed down in the past. A deep drop into the dark is at the center and a clear drafts of air can be heard from below. It's an absurd climb down and up but not impossible.

The troglodytes came up this way using root-ropes and a lifetime of climbing experience.

Should the adventures chose to dare these depts they first end up in a vast network of natural caves hard to navigate and still a far way from the realm of the toglodytes. This new adventure will not be covered here but up to the creativeness of the DM.

This largest open area around the deep pit from where they came is still where the bandits from below make their primary living quarters. Sleeping matts, containers, tools and such can be seen stacked up towards the walls. Some bizare game squares is marked near and around the pit. (Where the troglodytes plays a game of 'live or die' with live catches of animals). In day times most of the troglodytes are here passing time. At night fewer stay put as some are out scouting the surface and their leader is off on 'unseen' affairs with the nearby settlements.

5 Storage

A small cave chamber that used to flood completely before the dry out. The band of troglodytes use this far 'back room' to store valuables in one corner and food reserves in another. It stinks! From the food and from the blood that they did not bother wipe from some of the takings.

6 Dried Out Stream

This is the least likely entrance to the cave-complex but maybe a useful exit. A narrow tunnel leads off for a long while and eventually blends in to the layer of soil above that can be dug through. On a rainy day with some sliding soil by cheer absurd luck an adventurer could posible sink through enough with a wrong step to realise something is there.

7 Orvar's Home

A thick wodden door set againt crudely adjusted natural rock and sediment distinguishes the one entrance to this place from the others in the cave complex. A small window leading straight out into luch hillside above, it's other entrance (one of three possible ways for adventurers to find this cave complex). The place is modestly furnished but makes up a comfortable living area. Part of it closest to the widow is a tight combination of a small library and herb collections with a sturdy messy desk.

Consider the content of this place an equivalent to a component pouch of a spell-caster and the books as a source to various low level spells and how to make them into potions. If you wish some ready minor potions are available on the desk as well.

Depending on how the outcasts came across Orvars medallion the state he is in (dead, captured, barricaded in, or perhaps fled) his home could be broken into and ruined or just ignored or unable to break through.

PC's who have come here with prior knowlege of Orvars tale may find it peculiar to be furnished for two. As if to hint he has a regular guest. There are two beds and two sets of almost everything.

The Tale Of Orvar And Astelle

In a small settlement with tightnitted folks on the border of the forests they once had master spin weaver of very old age. Although well appreciated for her crafts she was somewhat feared and kept at distance for her nasty manners and hot temper.

Nobody had ever seen her with male company and though well past such age one winter to everyones big surprise she came to be pregant.

In the early spring the same year she gave birth to a truly hideous child.

So hideous, and more hideous as the years went by, that people started talking of it not being all human. Trolls, Hobgoblins and even Demons came to peoples mind. While the weaver had named him Orvar behind his back he came to be known as Gobman The Hiddeous. Distrusted and avoided by all.

Just a year later than The Master Spin-Weaver a jolly and respected forester familly also had a child. A pleasant charming daughter. Her Name was Astelle. The irresistable child loved by all.

By coincidence the foresters cottage lay only a few steps off from the weavers house where Orvar grew up and with no one else of the same age Orvar and Astelle played as friends in secret.

Well aware even as children the dislike the grown ups would have had to this acquaintance.

They grew very fond of each other, gave each other gifts for hollidays and left letters under a rock in their secret place. Astelle learning the foresting would bring materials and Orvar would know many crafts to form them.

No one knew how but from somewhere the hideous man also over the years picked up certain darker crafts like that of whitches and wizards. Particularly he was blamed for being able to walk unseen.

One could think that he merely granted them their wishes. To not have to look upon him but this only served to deepen the fear and distrust for him.

On one unfortunate evening when they were young adults and still the best of friends in secret they were after all these years spotted playing. It was immediately assumed this monstrosity of a man were chasing after fair Astelle with a romantic interest and there was outrage.

In the craze of vengence while some wanted to lock the abomination up, others to chase him away, a few sough to end his life, the master spin-weaver was slain refusing to let them in to her house while Astelle in secret helped Orvar to escape the towns wrath. Fleeing to the woodlands that she knew well and a to take refuge in a well hidden cave complex that she had found years earlier.

The spin-weavers son was never seen again but some year later suspicions of invisible stalkers and burglars have lead peoples mind to wonder if he is really gone.

Medalion Of The Unseen

A potent trinket that you as a DM may want to consider carefully before allowing into your PC's hands if you run this idea at level one. It is not without limitations however and those limitations are stronger the weaker the players saves are (effectively with level).

It's origin is not defined.

Is Orvar origin really of troll heritage and has the medallion been given by those mysterious creatures of the forest? Was the weaver a powerful witch with foresight to put her powers into this item to protect what she new would be a child to hide? I leave this to the reader as I aim to inspire creativity and flexibility.

When worn if one covers up it's field of view with ones hand the wearer dissapears from visibility of any kind in the world. Magic, divine or natural perceptions are all blind to the wearers prescence.

Made out of crude wood and artisticly flawed metal working this medallion portrays an eye.

The catch is; The eye want's to see and it will fight back to do so!

It burns the wearers hand and mind in a fire of pain that grows over time. Causing both constitution and wisdom saves that starts at a mild DC 10 but increases in difficulty for every 5 rounds. (The save has to be made every round but only increases at those intervals.)

An observant reader may note from below that our proposed stats for Orvar have him at abysmal constitution and mediocre wisdom. Orvar is used to the pain since he was a toddler however and should be treated as both always having advantage on the rolls and fight it at a reduced DC. (You may opt for a similar approach if a PC carries and uses this item over a period of years)

The Troglodyte Outcasts

Deep down far below our cave and away from mines of dwarves and gnomes there is a vast network. The realm of the troglodytes.

Alien in morals and customs to the races under the sky above but not without norms these deep dwellers form clans under a high chief. What they would call something of a 'familly' is in fact the whole realm.

Not long ago a very ambisious member of the realm betrayed the sacred rules of allegiance to ruling sisterhood. The queens of the realm. In his ambition to gain more influence he and a small group of allies murdered and hid one of the chosen females with the intent to replace her with one in his own sphere of allies. A female who like so many failed to qualify to the sisterhood.

The plot was uncovered and the conspiring group were forced to flee for their lives. In this vast realm only one direction could offer sanctity. Up. To the realm under the sky.

By chance these group of murderous traitors crossed path with an other outcast. One mistrusted for his appearance and his mothers reputation alone.

What came of this meeting is yet to be uncovered.

A conflict or an understanding of mutual benefits?

In any case the band of troglodyte outcasts and it's ambitious leader are in posession of a an amulette of invisibility. One that they use to raid nearby settlements. For items and riches and to abduct people. All the while the suspicions are directed towards The Ugly Who Could Walk Unseen that dissapeared some years ago. Is that monster back to take vengence?

Note: that these suggested creatures are our Troglodytes and as should be obvious not the MM ones. Here is another post on them:

https://masterdungeonguide.tumblr.com/post/178192126310/creatures-treassures-alien-realms-in-the

You can of course swap them out for something else that you think would fit the concept

Common Troglodyte Outcast: Armour: 'Medium' Scaly Hide, made out of deep dwelling worm-skin. Weapons: Bone Spears, Bone clubs, and bone Daggers (-1)Speed: 25, Hits: 1d6/level, Attack Bonus: +3

...

- All content in this post is free to use and distribute as desired. Even re-publish on your own game spot in any fashion that does not seek to profit from it. Crediting us is appreciated

- If anyone is interested this adventure was sketched out using Bamboo Paper on and iPad

Happy gaming!

[kuwaiti-kid]

The Best PS2 Role Playing Games (RPGs) of All Time

Action, suspense, thickening storylines, and newly advanced graphics.

The PS2 RPGs have them all rolled into a perfect gaming combination. What could possibly be better than experiencing your favorite vintage RPGs on the old school PS1?

Amazing new RPGs on an upgraded system with augmented graphics! Many of the RPG series and games we have come to love received sequels and additions to the new PS2 system. With their cult followings, unique stories, and newly upgraded visuals, these games are worthy of more than just one playthrough.

Here is our list of the 10 Best PlayStation 2 Role Playing games ever created!

The Best PS2 Role Playing Games (RPGs)

1. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (2004)

Are you looking for a creative, adventurous journey full of vibrant color and eye-catching 3D graphics? You cannot go wrong with Dragon Quest VIII! The game begins with the court jester of the kingdom of Trodain, Dhoulmagus, stealing an ancient scepter and casting a spell on Trodain castle.

The spell turns King Trode, into a troll; the princess, Medea, into a horse; and the rest of the castle’s inhabitants into plants. The only one left unaffected is the unnamed protagonist, a Trodain guard. The guard, King Trode, and Princess Medea set out on a quest to track down Dhoulmagus and break the spell.

These battle scenes have visually changed dramatically from earlier games in the series yet retain a similar text-based menu system for battles. It continues to follow the turn-based RPG combat system, but with a shifting camera view based on who is battling the enemy.

Dragon Quest VIII is the biggest selling game ever for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. It was the first Dragon Quest game to receive a score of 39 out of 40 from Famitsu. It won both 1UP.com’s and GameSpy’s “Best RPG of E3 2005” award, ahead of runner-up Kingdom Hearts II.

Time to grab yourself a copy and pop this one into the PS2!

2. Final Fantasy XII (2006)

Encompassing both beautiful scenery and intriguing character, Final Fantasy XII lives up to the high expectations of the legendary series.

Final Fantasy XII takes place in the familiar world of Ivalice, hundreds of years after Dynast King Raithwall united its warring kingdoms in the Galtean Alliance. It follows the street urchin Vaan who becomes embroiled in a quest to save the occupied kingdom of his homeland, Dalmasca, from a war that seems imminent.

Excluding the massively multiplayer online role-playing game FF XI, FF XII is the first entry in the main Final Fantasy series not to include random encounters. Another new feature is the “gambit” system, which allows the player to program each character to perform certain commands in battle in response to specified conditions.

Final Fantasy XII does a superb job of blending a Star Wars-esque spirit with an Anime presentation. The game has it all, political intrigue and rebellion, aerial dogfighting, sleek spacecraft, and an eclectic cast of characters.

Add this one to your list! You will not be disappointed.

3. Kingdom Hearts I (2002)

What happens when you combine the magic of Disney with the unparalleled storytelling of Final Fantasy? You get something Epic, and they named it Kingdom Hearts.

The series begins with a 14-year-old boy named Sora is separated from his friends Riku and Kairi when their home Destiny Islands is consumed in darkness. Sora obtained a weapon called the Keyblade that allows him to fight the Heartless, creatures that originate from the Realm of Darkness. Sora is then transported to the infamous Traverse Town, where he teams up with Donald and Goofy.

They are two emissaries from Disney Castle sent to find the Keyblade wielder under orders from their missing king, Mickey Mouse. The three band together to travel through different worlds and battle some very familiar villains.

The games are influenced by their parent franchise, Final Fantasy, and carry its gameplay elements over into their action-based system.

Like many others, Kingdom Hearts features an experience point system that determines character development. Fans of Square’s other RPG entries will recognize some gameplay staples, such as the magic spells and summoning spells, and the whole thing truly plays like an action-adventure title.

The characters truly pull at your heartstrings as you fall in love with their good-hearted nature and perseverance. The world in which you play feels lighthearted and magical amidst the darkness.

It is impossible to put your controller down once you wield your first key blade. It is no surprise that Kingdom Hearts would become a ps2 RPG top seller that is worthy of multiple sequels.

  4. Kingdom Hearts II (2005)

Grab your key blade and get back in your Gummi Ship! It’s time to experience more amazing character-filled worlds!

The first Kingdom Hearts was such a success that it is no surprise that there would be a Kingdom Hearts II.  Full of a double dose of magic, the second story adds even more combinations of both Disney and Final Fantasy characters.

Where this game really shines is in the presentation. Even by today’s standards, it’s a great looking game, and the lush coloring and animations in the world all but beg you to adventure through it.

In Kingdom Hearts II, you reprise the role of Sora, wielder of the keyblade. The crux of the game has you, Sora, traveling from one land to another with companions Donald Duck and Goofy to dispel the heartless and to rescue friends of yours that are missing. Along the way, you’ll join forces with the heroes and heroines of Square, Disney, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

While still an action RPG, Kingdom Hearts II gives you some freedoms, both in determining your characters’ attributes and in resigning yourself to standard combat. You can do a little bit of both or a lot of one or the other, depending on your preferences. Seasoned role-playing gamers will be able to spend time perfecting the allocation of their abilities, synthesizing new items, and grinding to level up.

For those less interested in the role-playing aspects, you can breeze through the main gameplay without paying much attention to statistics.

Kingdom Hearts II is a wonderful experience in which every character interaction allows you to live through some of the magic moments of these movies and games.

5. Shadow Hearts: Covenant (2004)

If you are looking for some realistic intrigue with a strong hint of mystical, you have come to the right place! Covenant, the sequel to Shadow Hearts, brings the reality of war mixed with the intrigue of fantasy.

The game takes place in an alternate WWI-era setting that is rife with supernatural elements, and it has a rich cast of characters, including vampires, wolves, military officers, and even a puppeteer.

The story follows six months after the events of Shadow Hearts during the time of World War I. The heroes are drawn into an intriguing plot involving the demons of demonolatry, the chief advisor of the tsar of Russia, and a man from the main character Yuri Hyuga’s past.

The battle system is unique in that it features a “judgment ring,” which acts as a timer to deliver crucial hits

Overall, this a roleplaying game that will leave a lasting legacy.

6. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (2008)

The intrigue of mystery, Suspense, and unsolved murder lands Persona 4 next on our list. The intriguing storyline is based on the work of mystery novelists owing to its murder mystery premise.

The plot centers on another high-school protagonist who must overcome spirits, murders, and killer fog. The rural setting was based on a town on the outskirts of Mount Fuji in the fictional town of Inaba.

We follow high school student, Yu Narukami in later media, who has recently moved from the city to attend school at Inaba. Unexplained murders have taken place in the small town, where bodies are found dangling from television antennas and their cause of death being unknown.

The main focus of the game revolves around Personas, avatars projected from one’s inner self that resembles mythological figures and represents the façades worn by individuals to face life’s hardships.

The “Shin Megami Tensei” series earned rave reviews for its willingness to break with the RPG convention. It blends traditional RPG gameplay with simulation elements. You will travel through dungeons, all based upon a victim that has been kidnapped. The player enters battle upon coming into contact with a Shadow. You engage in combat using the elements Physical, Fire, Ice, Wind, Electricity, Light, Dark, and Almighty.

“Persona 4” improves on the previous entries by delivering better animation and mechanics. It is critically acclaimed being one of the greatest games of all time.

7. Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (2003)

This installment of Star Ocean is a bit of a wildcard. While some absolutely love the game, others were not as thrilled. While having many similarities to its predecessor, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time includes many elements that make it unique among the majority of role-playing video games.

The game begins on the resort planet of Hyda IV. Fayt Leingod is on a family vacation with his parents Robert and Ryoko Leingod and his childhood friend Sophia Esteed.

Everything appears fairly normal until the galactic faction known as the Vendeeni invades the planet. Fayt and his family are forced to flee, but he is separated from them. His escape pod ends up crash-landing on the planet Vanguard III. His journey thereafter will not only reveal a few truths about himself but about the origin of their very universe.

The game inherits the recurring real-time interactive combat system from the series while presenting many new elements. Instead of random encounters, battles now occur when running into enemies on the main travel field or when certain pre-scripted events occur.

Enemy attacks can target either a player’s hit points (HP) or mental points (MP). Players will also lose HP from using special attacks or lose MP from using symbology or runeology, which is functionally equivalent to magic in other games.

Whether you love the game will truly depend on your preferences. Will you find the story to be solid or unbalanced? Will the large midway plot twist enhance or hinder your journey?

You will have t pick up a copy and find out!

8. Rogue Galaxy (2005)

Ever had the urge to become a pirate, board an airship, and fly around to save the galaxy? Who hasn’t?

Rogue Galaxy is exactly how it sounds, a vibrant story where you become a space pirate board an airship on a quest to defend the universe.

You play as Jaster Rogue, a young man with avid dreams of exploring the galaxy. The story begins on the planet Rosa, where its citizens live under their oppressive control and are forbidden from leaving the planet. Due to a series of fortunate events, Jaster is recruited by a gang of space pirates who mistake him for the legendary hunter, Desert Claw, and can leave Rosa. Jaster finds himself taking part in a galaxy-wide search with the crew for a legendary planet said to hold the secrets of a highly advanced civilization along with the immense treasure.

Rogue Galaxy is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective in which the player moves through a continuous environment, with no load time between overworld exploration and combat. Battles occur as random encounters like traditional role-playing video games. Unlike the traditional turn-based combat, Rogue uses a real-time hack and slash combat system in which the player fights with a party of three characters.

With its advanced graphics, range of side quests, and game scope Rogue Galaxy is worthy of a playthrough!

9. Suikoden III (2002)

With its impressive cult following, it is no surprise that Suikoden III has landed on our list.

Like other games in the series, Suikoden III features an intricate, detailed setting. However, it differs from Suikoden II in that in Suikoden III, the story is told through three different protagonists. That means gamers will play as a mercenary, a knight, and the son of a chieftain. The plot is explored through three different viewpoints, allowing events to be seen from multiple sides.

This is an excellent game for those who look to switch things up if they lose interest easily in a storyline.

The gameplay is along the lines of the traditional turn-based system we see in most RPG’s. Characters can also character can also learn specific skills; for instance, the “Parry” skill allows a character to defend against attacks more often, while other skills may increase damage output or hasten the casting of spells. Each character has their affinity for what works best for them.

Make sure to grab a copy of this one to add to your quickly growing Suikoden collection!

10. Final Fantasy X (2001)

“Listen to my story. This…may be our last chance.” -Tidus’s narrative

Last but definitely not least, we come to the beautiful, imaginative story that is Final Fantasy X.

The story of Final Fantasy X is told by Tidus, a sports star from the futuristic metropolis called Zanarkand. During a match, Tidus gets swept up to another world and joins summoner Yuna and her friends on her journey to save the world of Spira from a rampaging monster known as Sin. From here, it unfolds a wonderful story you will experience with beautiful graphics and unique characters.

Final Fantasy X introduces the Conditional Turn-Based Battle system in place of the series’ traditional Active Time Battle system first used in Final Fantasy IV. Whereas the ATB concept features real-time elements, the CTB system is a turn-based format that pauses the battle during each of the player’s turns.

The game added in the intricate sphere grid system, which is utilized for leveling up your characters. Additionally, the concept of “Limit Breaks,” highly damaging special attacks, reappear in Final Fantasy X as “Overdrives.”

Final Fantasy X is beloved for its solid story, richly layered characters, and ahead-of-its-time animation. If you haven’t played it, you need to.

Wrap Up

The best ps2 RPG video games became staples as our daily adventures. We would spend hours of our day exploring different fantasy words envisioning what life would be like on these imaginary planets. Not only were these games fully immersive, but they also became home.

These games would make you forget the real world, even if only for a moment. These are the RPG games that deserve a chance. Deserve a second playthrough. Deserve recognition from us as the ones that side quested their way into our hearts.

Where can I get these video games?

Can’t find a ps2 RPG on the list? Here are some primary locations to obtain these classics:

Playstation Store Classics – Store.Playstation.com

LukieGames – LukieGames.com

DKOldies – DKOldies.com

GameStop – Gamestop.com or In-Store Locations

Best Buy – Bestbuy.com

Want to check out the origins of some of these epic video games? Check out our list of Top PS1 RPG’s!

The post The Best PS2 Role Playing Games (RPGs) of All Time appeared first on Your Money Geek.

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[techcentry-blog]

Not-Horrible iPad Cases: a round-up of the best A few people think the iPad is so stunning it needn't bother with a case. It does.

Some individuals think the iPad is so lovely it needn't bother with a case. I dissent, and my most loved general case is Joy Factory's SmartSuit 3.

I'm amazed we could limit it down; this took some doing. After around 70 hours of trolling distributed audits and reviews of each case accessible for the new iPad, we brought in about twelve finalists to check the fit and feel ourselves. We dispensed with the clearly monstrous, shabby feeling, poor-fitting, not well looked into cases in past iPad 2 cycles, and chose the most defensive, ergonomic and tastefully satisfying models accessible. We took a gander at each model from creators like Speck, Targus, XtremeMac, G-Form, Switcheasy, Marware, DODOcase, Grovemade.

(An in advance tip of the cap to iLounge's Nick Guy is all together here, in light of the fact that he is obviously the best iPad case analyst around. We picked up a considerable measure, from his experiences as well as from the sheer number of cases surveyed. His work speaks to as entire an index as you'll discover.)

With respect to our criteria: The case needed to hit a sensible value point ($60 or less) and secure the iPad by leaving no corner uncovered. On the off chance that it accompanied an intro page, it needed to incorporate magnets keeping in mind the end goal to actuate the programmed rest/wake usefulness. It must have the capacity to be collapsed again into a stand, be built with strong and quality materials, and be agreeable to hold. Once more, when we didn't test, we let experienced commentators take out the duds. For instance, Vaja's Leather Agenda, as Nick Guy clarifies, was excessively costly for a case that leaves the base edge and upper corners of the iPad open to scratches. In the interim, models like Speck's PixelSkin HD made the cut in light of the fact that the packaging holds the iPad so safely that even without the attractive cover, it offers extraordinary insurance.

Our dozen finalists incorporated the Kensington BlackBelt, the M-Edge Latitude Jacket, the Acme Infinite Angle, the Zero Chroma Vario-SC, and numerous models from Speck and Targus. Survey units of Case-Mate's Textured Tuxedo Case and Barely There were not accessible, however Gear Diary was a fan. I'd consider adding them to the short rundown when we can see with our own eyes, however they do require some sticky tape to be connected to the back of your iPad, so I'm not going to hold my breath, either.

Concerning the testing, we slipped our iPad into each case and bore it in a shoulder pack to decide weight. We additionally flexed the packaging and did some drop tests to decide toughness, watched video, written on grades, and held every one close by. At that point we considered whether the asking cost was an esteem or not.

Our Favorite:

Satisfaction Factory SmartSuit3: Again, the SmartSuit3 took the crown since it exceeds expectations at each critical assignment expected of a $60 case. It adds next to no mass to the iPad, the outside material feels strong and is wonderfully finished, and the magnets are great. Collapsing the cover's sections into a vertical or slight grade stand is simple and the case will hold its position even with some shaking. Whenever shut, and notwithstanding when we held it confront down noticeable all around, the cover clung to the iPad without waking it. The most brilliant shock is the magnet in the back, which holds the fold level against the back side so you can hold it as though there were no case by any means, a deed we didn't see coordinated on numerous different models. One complain: It's not accessible in exceptionally fun hues; just dark, dim and darker. Some may call that exhausting; we call it exemplary.

Beside our own particular look, CNET incorporated the past adaptation of this case in its rundown of the Best iPad Cases, and iLounge gave a similar model a B+ (Recommended). Neither has surveyed this model. Grumblings about the stand's usefulness and open corners appear to have been settled with this refresh. Consistent 5-star Amazon surveys mirror the change. $47

Standard Full Cases:

Skech Fabric Flipper: This comes nearest to coordinating Apple's feel in a full case. The cover's magnets are right on the money (however it won't clutch the back like Joy Factory's does) and the fabric/elastic outside gives only the perfect measure of hold. For assurance, it does not have the SmartSuit's scope—the Fabric Flipper leaves the highest point of the iPad uncovered, clarified here. $45

STM Skinny: The Skinny is a colossal esteem. It has an intense nylon outside, the plastic packaging that holds the iPad has exact measurements with all-over security, and the entire thing is subtly light. Our exclusive issue is with the slide tab that holds the fold close. It keeps the iPad sleeping when it gets tossed around, however sliding it out and opening for utilize requires exertion. We likewise favor the four-piece divided cover on the Joy Factory, yet for $20 less, this is a strong decision. iLounge gave it a merited A-(Highly Recommended). $40

Incase Book Jacket Select: This is the iPad case for the board room. We like its softened cowhide inside coating, simple plotting for writing and video, and its flexible band that keeps the attractive cover set up so you won't squander the battery on a wakeful iPad if your sack substance stir the case. It's great, yet the corners are left uncovered and the fit is a little chintzy so it's not our top choice. The new iPad display hasn't been inspected yet, however our involvement with it was for the most part positive, aside from the additional mass. New hues are accessible, as well. $60

Incipio SLIM Kickstand Folio: We like the Incipio Kickstand Folio ($40) for its persuading artificial calfskin (in spite of the fact that it's likewise accessible in nylon). As ChipChick stated, the Kickstand is a most loved for its delicacy (8.8 oz.), and holder set patterns that grasp the iPad's bends effectively. CNET included it in their rundown of the Best iPad 3 Cases and Covers for similar reasons. In any case, as MacLife calls attention to, there are different cases that are harder and more ergonomic. It likewise has no attractive cover, which is a noteworthy disadvantage for us. $40Griffin Survivor: If I were purchasing for assurance (like work on a vocation site), I'd get this case. It meets military gauges for field utilize, and ZDNet's assessment of extreme iPad 2 cases observed Griffin's model to be more defensive and subtle than the Gumdrop Cases Drop Series and the OtterBox Defender. $80

Backs (That Work With Apple's Smart Cover):

Incipio Smart Feather Ultralight Hard Shell Case: A hard plastic back with a space for Apple's brilliant cover that—get this—shields it from floundering off! It prevents the magnets from freely joining to the back when you crease the brilliant cover back, however that is a little cost to pay for a shabby case that works impeccably with the shrewd cover. Attempted it. Preferred it. OMG take a gander at this cost >>> $20

(There's a NGP back cover made of a gummier material (NGP remains for Next Gen Polymer) that Incipio offers which does not have space for a keen cover. I don't care for it.)

Skins:

DODOcase BOOKback cover: This is an artificial cowhide skin that sits on the back of your iPad, shielding it just from the scratches that happen when the iPad is set against a table canvassed in salt, tidy, and so on. It likewise holds. Brian attempted it and cherishes it. $25

GelaSkins: For a skin, this is an OK alternative, with awesome outlines accessible and strong attachment. Be cautioned that there's insufficient assurance to survive a drop or scratch, however in the event that you need to save the iPad's lines, this is a strong decision. $30

Console Cases: We don't care for these, and lean toward a committed console outside of a case. Yet, we'll prescribe some in the coming week.

The Rest We Looked At:

These different models are good, however we prescribe them just for particular utilize and incline toward the models above. In any case, we incorporate them here to give you a more extensive assortment to look over.

Targus Slim: We practically settled on this our top decision, yet then iLounge gave it a C. The outside material's unpleasant fabric surface feels extraordinary, and it scarcely includes any weight, in any case, as iLounge calls attention to, the cover slides and wakes the iPad effectively. $50

Grovemade Basic iPad Case: This case is my pick for most delightful outline, and the intro page is nearly as strong as Apple's model. In any case, at $140, the bamboo won't survive a spill from the work area onto the floor, and putting a split in the wood grain is appalling. $140

DODOcase: This book-like case has turned into a work of art, despite everything it hits some incredible focuses. It has lovely development with a strong versatile strap. Still, at $60, different cases are more defensive for less batter. On the off chance that you, similar to I, prize feel over usefulness, this is an incredible decision—even President Obama concurs.

SwitchEasy Canvas: Though this earned a pined for "A" rating on iLounge, proofreader Nick Guy says that clients have been having issues with the case breaking. I don't care for the Velcro on the underside, yet it gives strong assurance at each corner. $50

Targus Vuscape: It has an indistinguishable qualities from the Slim, yet the cover just closes with a securing cut that requires weight. $45

Bit PixelSkin HD: The PixelSkin fits the iPad well, and the surface on the front and back looks and feels cool. We didn't care for that the cover is excessively unbending, making it impossible to prop it up effortlessly, and that the adaptable packaging is free around the iPad. $50

Bit FitFolio: The FitFolio holds the iPad well, and has guards all around that keep the iPad from damage, as noted in the iLounge audit. We didn't care for that cover has, similar to the PixelSkin, a plastic clasp that must be constrained into place to close and rest. $40

Kensington BlackBelt: It's a straightforward, unpretentious expansion to the iPad, however the band fits the new iPad freely. It shields from knocks and drops, however very little more—further clarified here. $40

ZeroChroma Vario-SC: Joe Brown, from Gizmodo, adores this case and he's not wrong to respect it. The main issue for us is that it has no front security and the back arms that give the numerous survey points makes the iPad feel cockeyed.

[asundizzay]

DRAFT BOX: FOTO FAIL FRIDAY: FROMANCE.

I wanted to take the non-traditional route in approaching this belated Valentine’s Day post by ignoring the standard conglomeration of hearts & love, and photographing nouns that relate to some of my favorite rom-coms/rom-drams/rom-com-drams, because i’m a low-key sucker for sappy things (cheesy). I was out all day hoping to photo some movie thangs and nerds fighting the storm with their umbrellas, but nope, just got wind-slapped all around (stray branches included )–the rain didn’t start pouring until I got home because of course. 

* UPDATE (02/21): THIS IS NOW  A TBT OF A FOTOFAIL OF A COMMERCIAL HOLIDAY THAT HAPPENED ONE WEEK AGO LOL HOW. *

**UPDATE (02/22): LOL it’s Wednesday. But this is finally complete. #WhyNotWednesday **

500 Days of Summer ( 2009 )

Rachel Hansen: Just because she likes the same bizzaro crap you do doesn’t mean she’s your soul mate.

Tom and Summer were two separately flawed characters whose bittersweet union was doomed from the start. For the longest time, I saw Summer as the b-word who carelessly wrecked Tom’s heart, when in reality, Tom’s insufferable sense of entitlement and manipulative nice guy complex subtly revealed that he’s actually kind of a jerk. Except for that whole dance number to Hall & Oates You Make My Dreams and showing Summer his favorite spot and drawing painstakingly detailed buildings on her arm. That was cute. Another thing that saved this film for me was presenting the nonlinear “boy meets girl” narrative in the dude’s perspective, forewarning the audience that this is not a love story, and allowing these two imperfect humans to individually see a happy ending: Summer marries someone she truly wants, with whom she shares a genuine connection,  and Tom is refreshingly presented another “season” to start anew, with someone potentially better suited for him. Additionally, a mind-blowing color theory visually demonstrates how these two were simply not made for each other, which can be found here.

cute score: 6 ( eh cute, JGL A 10 tho )

photo: Water Court at California Plaza on the upper level of  Tom’s favorite spot in Angels Knoll, Los Angeles, 2009. 

13 Going On 30 ( 2004 )

Matt: You can’t just turn back time.

Jenna: Why not?

In this essentially female version of Big, Jenna Rink’s 13 year-old self wishes to be thirty, flirty and thriving after some dudes and mean girls (which premiered the same year!) ruined her birthday party. On cue, magic dust spins her into an It’s A Wonderful Life-type alternate reality where she is living the dream as a rich, successful editor for her favorite fashion magazine. She reconnects with her childhood BFF, Matt, and they ultimately catch feelings faster than a winter cold. But aw dip, chocolate chip, Matt is hella engaged and about to be married, and now conflicted because Jenna has finally reciprocated his feels, but you know, commitment and whatever. A string of miscommunication and conflict occurs, then Jenna shows up to Matt’s wedding where he’s like, LOL, look  I’ve always loved you but the past can’t come back yo. Upon hearing this, she cries with intense regret, wishing she could just be 13 again for a do-over. The same magic dust gradually falls (for effect), and the scene reverts to her birthday party where she enthusiastically chooses Matt ( who grows up looking like Mark Ruffalo ) over the 80s cool kids, and their story ends all sweetly with the pair eating their favorite childhood candy on the lawn of a pink house, interestingly designed like her dream house, figuratively implying that her deepest wish has come true (or not). 

cute score: 8 ( hecka cute  the Thriller moment is still awkward for me tho and omg look Mark Ruffalo didn’t even want to do it lol click here )

photo: New York Public Library, setting for magazine’s ‘Class of 2004′ photoshoot, NYC, 2012

10 Things I Hate About You ( 1999 )

Patrick: Yeah, and is she worth all this trouble?

Cameron: Well, I thought she was, but you know, I…

Patrick: Well, she is or she isn’t. See first of all, Joey is not half the man you are. Secondly, don’t let anyone ever make you feel like you don’t deserve what you want. Go for it.

A modern take on Shakespeare’s  The Taming of the Shrew ( the numerous Shakespeare references / allusions make sense now )  introduces us to the Stratford sisters, their strict father with the winning punchlines, awkward Cameron with the sidekick BFF,  the “obligatory cool kid slash model” Joey, and resident bad ( bad bad bad ) boy, Patrick Verona doing bad boy things with a bunsen burner. So here’s the thing: Bianca really wants to date Joey but she can’t date anyone until her shrewd AF sister dates, which prompts her to set up the whole “this bet gets outta hand” premise that heavily spawned in 1999. Obvious villain Joey pays Patrick to win Kat’s heart and sing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”  on the bleachers to win my heart, then he inevitably falls for her. In a callback to She’s All That, Kat eventually finds out about everything leading to the tearful read  of the eponymous (these are clearly over 10 things ) poem in class, as Patrick looks on like man I done fcuked up yo. But wait, he gets Kat the guitar she’s been wanting, insists that his feels for her are hella real and all is forgiven. Also, Cameron finally gets Bianca, and she punches Joey (whose nose spray ad is now ruined) thrice for herself, her sister and Yung Cameron. Oh yeah, and Cameron’s BFF ends up finding a Shakespeare lover just like him, lol, nerds. 

cute score: 9 ( super cute, everyone gets who they want and the real bad boy gets what he deserves! They had a band on the freakin’ roof dude )

photo: Fremont Troll, where Cameron and Bianca talk and stuff, Seattle, 2009

A Case of You / Comet ( 2013 / 2014 )

Birdie: Success is a myth. Love’s the only true currency. After all this is done, all that really matters is how and who you loved.

———–

Dell: Why does it feel so impossible to let you go?

Dell: It’s an addiction, you know. That’s all it is.

Dell: It’s a biochemical addiction. It’s so stupid.

Dell: If you think about it relationships are all totally narcissistic.

Dell: Basically, you’re just looking for someone who’ll love you as much as you love yourself. That’s all it is.

———–

Two Justin Long movies for the price of fun. 

I’ve probably checked off so much of this dude’s filmography that I can easily tell you that one of his many underrated roles would be a cameo as George Harrison in the equally underappreciated Walk Hard: A Dewey Cox Story. I know… comedy is understandably the toughest genre to press onto humans, so to each his own. These two films fall in that hit or miss category–on one end, you have Sam, an author who meets a barista and quickly becomes infatuated with her, even more so after creeping reading her Facebook profile and mimicking those interests in order to attract her attention, eventually using her as a muse for his story ( A Case Of You ),  and on the other, you have Dell and Kim caught in a classic case of star-crossed lovers whose rocky relationship is dreamily depicted through a non-linear narrative of parallel universes, reminiscent of Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind  ( Comet ). Despite his ridiculous Facebook faux pas, Birdie admits that she was adding  random items to her profile to see if Sam would change, and to no one’s surprise, she still liked him anyway because if a connection is real then it’s real, and it’s extremely important, to like, just be yourself because there’s more to a person than what they choose to display on the Interwebz. And Dell and Kim continue to sail through different universes, with Dell wishing to live in a permanent world where they end up together 💔. 

cute score: 3  ( So much fighting–whether with oneself, another person, or the world, das not dat cute. ). 

photo: Light trails, space, and time to represent chaotic nature of the parallel universes in Comet, NYC, 2015 

Begin Again  ( 2013 )

Dan: You can tell a lot about a person by what’s on their playlist.

Greta: I know you can. That’s what’s worrying me.

I’ll throw in Before We Go, Friends With Benefits, or even Lost In Translation into this mix of getting to know a person as you explore a new city together–whether platonically or romantically, it’s still awesome. This particular love story focuses on the protagonists’ mutual love for music rather than feelings towards each other–though their respectable relationships with his estranged wife and her ex-boyfriend still romanticize the plot. Dan Mulligan, a formerly successful record executive drunkenly discovers Gretta James, a newly independent songwriter reluctantly singing in a low-key bar thanks to pre-late late show James Corden. He sees great potential, she doesn’t believe in herself, I mean how could she, her ex-boyfriend slash songwriting partner is none other than recent singing sensation, AdamN Levine Dave Kohl. After Dan’s business partner Yasiin Bae/Yasiin Bey/Mos Def   Saul initially rejects Gretta from their record label, the pair take matters into their own hands and decide to produce their own album together, using local talented musicians backed by the sights and sounds of New York City and the result is pure magic like fireworks in your ears, the visual “wow that’s so glorious” part not the actual “boom boom” noise part, because you would totally go deaf. This is a story about how music can bring people together (production, collaboration, Dan reconciling with his wife ) or tear them apart ( Dave cheating on Greta ), seek forgiveness ( Dave singing Lost Stars, Don Henley singing The Heart of The Matter [not in this movie, that song just popped up in my head as I wrote that lol] ), or drive passion ( Violet dreams of becoming a guitarist/ Gretta’s career kicking off ). Music is love, music is life, and Gretta’s album sells hella copies from its online release, and things are looking up for Dan and his life. Dan in real life. After encountering a series of failures/contemplating suicide, discovering Gretta, producing this album, and making amends with Saul, his wife and daughter, I guess you can say that Dan (as well as Gretta? ) was given another chance to fairly begin…again. 

cute score: 7 (  Dan drunkenly composing a song in his head, The headphone splitter scene tho, das kinda cute )

photo: Times Square, the scene stealer of the headphone splitter scene tho, NYC, 2012

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( 2004 )

Clementine: Meet me in Montauk. 

It’s 3:41 AM and my body hates me. Especially my eyes.  Okay, so two contrasting personalities, Joel and Clementine, meet on a train and immediately connect like 4, only to learn that they are former lovers and Clementine had erased her memories of Joel after some petty argument, and Joel’s like ‘wtf bro’ and decides to erase his memories of her. The familiar surrealistic non-linear narrative that I heart so hard navigates through Joel’s head space, intercut between scenes of sadness and anger,  to happier times until the final memory where everything crumbles to the ground like dust in the wind, as he tries to hold onto his last moment with Clementine, after realizing that he still loves her. Other story lines, connect, Kirsten Dunst finds out she had her memory of the doctor erased and she gets mad upset, like ‘i’m gonna show everyone (who has undergone this procedure) their memory erasure records’ upset.  Elijah Wood is just super devious. COTDAMN MARK RUFFALO IS ALSO IN THIS MOVIE LOL WTF YO. The scene restarts and Joel and Clementine, meet on a train and immediately connect like 4, only to learn that they are former lovers and they’re like “oh whaa” and think that maybe starting over would be a good idea or it might be the same but they go for it anyway and who knows what those two are up to now probably making sure that they don’t forget about each other amirite lol omg it’s already 4. 

cute score: 2 ( Comet before comet was comet, not dat cute, but like Comet, beautiful cinematography is a 10)

photo: Imagine this human’s hair is orange, you know, like Clementine, ArtWalk, San Diego, 2014

——–

honorable mentions: Garden State. Ryan Gosling & Ryan Reynolds’ things. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. High Fidelity. Say Anything. John Hughes’ things.