celestia is such a funny character like she's constantly manipulating twilight and friends to do shit instead of just asking and you could arguably frame that as being bc she's a "god" and pushing fate to her design or whatever, except that she engages with the group like a normal and relatable person, which makes it more like villainous machinations, except 90% of this manipulation goes towards things like "I don't want my party to be boring shit again. put my little country girl blorbos in there with zero prep so they fuck it up bad"
Celestia instantly makes more sense as a character when you ignore the princess stuff and remember that she's a 1000+ years old wizard. Of course she does manipulative trickster stuff to teach moral lessons and/or cause chaos to amuse herself, that's classic wizard behavior. Of course sometimes she's actually socially awkward and bad at personal relationships and has bad ideas that she thought were good that result in her eating shit embarrassing style, that's classic wizard behavior. Of course she lets the aristocrats and nobles run around being assholes she's still running on wizard advisor programming, she's basically trying to merlin the entire upper class of equestria instead of just a king and some knights. "Yeah uuhhh we'll release the incarnation of chaos himself from his ancient prison because we think this shy girl can be friends with him", terrible plan if you're thinking like a ruler, amazing plan if you're thinking like a wizard. Just look at Canterlot 'Castle' for five seconds and ask yourself if that's in any way a castle. No. Wizard tower, yes. Wizard.
Please keep interacting with this post because when I come to tumblr to procrastinate, this shows up again in my notifications and guilts me into writing again
If you follow Selmers to the poetry society meeting in Night In The Woods, this is her poem.
I loved it and the themes of the game, and wanted to use it as practice to see if i can control the way readers ‘hear’ the words through images.
A little comics lesson I drew with a mouse a little over a year ago. Originally intended to just be notes to myself, but I decided to write it so it would help fellow comics makers out.
I had a really weird dream that I was reading an interesting and bizzare Undertale fancomic last night.
The premise, from what I remember, was that some human kid died and ended up haunting a pumpkin or somesuch other similar plant. Maybe a watermelon. We'll just assume it was a pumpkin. Why did this human kid end up turning into a ghost and haunting a pumpkin? I dunno, it's not important. The important bit is this pumpkin ends up getting found by Sans Undertale of all people, who ends up dragging it off somewhere private. I'm pretty sure it looked like waterfall or something, at least in that it was kind of blue and sandy, and I remember myself as an observer thinking "what, is he going to make the quiche with it or something? Is this going to somehow tie into the line about responsibility?"
No, it turns out. I don't remember the exact details at this point, and I think they were kind of nonsense anyways, but Sans is being real passively mean to this kid, because the kid's ghost is completely unable to leave the pumpkin behind and Sans is just kind of watching to see what happens. I'm 99% sure that Sans was entirely aware this was specifically some human kid's ghost. Eventually the kid manages to protest enough for Sans to do something about it, and while I don't remember exactly what happened, like I said, I remember there was some nonsensical chicanery about possessing the closest thing at the time (or something like that) which ultimately leads to him helping the kid possess/actualize into the body of a literal cat. Just, like, a normal real cat. Basically stole the cat's body and everything. Really weird stuff.
(putting in a cut because this post is really long)
So the ghost kid's just permanently a talking cat now, and I think at some point in the dream this swapped to a cat with a hoodie on or something because I distinctly remember the little cat face poking out from a hood pulled tight around it, I don't know. At this point I know with that weird certainty that comes from watching a dream, where you're just aware that something is true even though it was never stated, that this is the kind of anthropomorphized cat who prefers to walk on their hind legs despite having a completely normal real cat body, and also that this kid is almost definitely specifically male. I'm also pretty sure that the kid's soul color was purple, which I might as well mention at this point for completeness even though I don't think it means anything. I think the cat was kind of brownish. He also looked pretty grumpy and upset with the world, which in all fairness I think I would be too if I died and got harassed by a skeleton while being stuck haunting a rotting gourd.
So Sans picks this guy up, because he's just the size of a normal cat, (you know, due to having literally stolen some cat's body for whatever reason) and starts carrying him off to the rest of the Underground, I guess, while talking about how he needs a name. He's going on about some nonsense about how "it should probably be a combination of 'tomcat' and 'cat,'" I guess because he thinks it's funny, which the cat obviously rejects on the face of it. But Sans keeps going on about how Thomas is a good name so maybe it should be "Thomas Cat", and as before I still don't remember the exact dialogue clearly, something about sneaking the joke in with some already-beloved name, but the important bit is for whatever reason Sans ends up shouting the name "Thomas" really quite loudly, and then the cat shouts something more or less to the extent of "stop calling me that," but in words that leave it a little ambiguous as to whether it is or isn't his name, just as loudly. And then the cat pauses, thinks about this for a moment, and promptly withers away from the sudden realization that he technically answered to that name and they were being loud enough the entire Underground probably heard it (??? okay dream) so now he's stuck with being called Thomas. I don't know what the kid's name was previously, it never came up.
It is at this point I should point out, just for the sake of transparency, that I already have an Undertale OC I've made minor use of before by the name of Thomas Hobbes who is literally just a normal-looking monster cat who can't talk. The idea was to mirror the ordinary spiders living in Hotland by supposing that if they can exist at the same time as Muffet, perhaps an ordinary-looking cat can also exist alongside the convential cat monsters. Point is, while watching this dream play out as an observer I was absolutely convinced that Sans was going to finesse this somehow into getting that exact name to stick. I'm convinced he didn't as a personal favor to me, specifically because it was my dream and I didn't want that to happen, but I'm also convinced that it still ended up being Thomas because I'm personally incapable of coming up with a better "funny" name for a male cat.
Sans carrying the newly christened Tom Cat off was unfortunately the last thing to happen in the dream before I awoke, and despite being aware that this fictional comic was supposedly a whole multi-chapter affair I have absolutely no idea where this story would have gone from there. Now I have this half-baked bizzare story about a sulky-looking cat-ghost-monster trapped in my head, and I'm really quite upset that I don't get to see what the next chapter would have been. This may spiral into an entire bits-and-pieces pseudo-crackfiction purely because I want to see this in reality now, maybe with some of the more nonsensical stuff smoothed over. Imagine Papyrus's reaction to all of this.
“If I don’t play D&D, what TTRPG do I play?” isn’t really an answerable question. It’s like asking “if I don’t play Fortnight, what video game do I play?” “If I don’t watch Paul Blart Mall Cop, what movie do I watch?”
It’s D&D marketing that has convinced you that any one product is the end-all of what you’d ever need or want in a piece of art.
You should really branch out and play multiple games.
“I don’t have time to learn another game.” But you think your GM has time to rewrite the rules of the game every time you want to play want to play 1920s Lovecraftian folk horror in D&D5e instead of high fantasy heroic combat?
Most TTRPGs are easier to learn than D&D5e. Even ones that are just as long or have just as many rules are easier to learn.
"I can't afford to invest in another game." Most TTRPGs are not as expensive as D&D5e even if you pay full price. Many of them you can get for free legitimately, and all of them you can get for free otherwise.
Unlike most people that make similar posts I’m not going to tell you to go play one-page RPGs if you don’t have a lot of TTRPG experience, because contrary to popular believe those can often actually be way harder to run and play than something with a hefty rulebook, because they are reliant on the skills and procedures you pick up from playing games with hefty rulebooks to pick up the slack for their own lack of rules text.
What i will tell you is, the thing is, you have to meet a TTRPG where it’s at. You can’t just bring the exact same character and campaign idea to a bunch of different TTRPGs and expect them to just work there. TTRPGs that have any rules at all are “opinionated” about the kinds of characters, environments, situations, etc. that exist in them.
You won’t get pacifist heartwarming found-family cozy inn keeping in D&D5e. You can try, but this requires overriding and ignoring the rules so much that you really might as well ditch the whole thing and admit you just aren’t playing D&D5e anyway. D&D5e is about “heroic” fantasy mercenaries who get in lots of very violent magical fights. This is the characters and situations that the rules favor.
There probably isn’t a literal perfect TTRPG for the independent idea you came up with in your head. But there are a lot of good TTRPGs that will give you a fun experience if you just follow their rules and go in for the experience they are trying to bring.
I’m gonna list a few that I like (or at least think that others might really like) along with a couple sentences about what kinda characters and situations they involve and maybe they’ll catch your eye too.
Mothership
Everything you need to play in one horrifying box. It's complete with all the 1e (First Edition) core rulebooks, an introductory module, and
Space travelers get into scary space horror situations akin to Aliens, Dead Space, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Event Horizon, etc.. Has a great library of adventure modules. (Adventure modules can be good and are not always just a linear scripted story, but that’s another post.)
Also if you want specifically Aliens, I hear the official Aliens TTRPG is pretty good too.
Space is vast, dark, and not your friend. Gamma rays and neutrino bursts erupt from dying stars to cook you alive, black holes tear you apar
Call of Cthulhu
Everyday people get into scary supernatural situations and usually shoot their way out. The game uses the term “investigators” for the PCs but the actual gameplay is more like a dungeon crawl, which is not a bad thing, just set your expectations accordingly. Has an extensive library of hit&miss adventure modules.
Delta Green
Dive into the world of Delta Green, a role-playing game where horror meets conspiracy. Uncover government secrets, battle cosmic horrors ins
Secret government agents get into scary supernatural situations and usually shoot their way out. Very similar to Call of Cthulhu except it’s more like the PCs work for the GOC of the SCP Foundation universe. Has an extensive library of hit&miss adventure modules.
Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy
A TTRPG for deep character roleplay, realistic combat, player deduction, and secret monster antics!
Regular everyday people, some of which may also be a vampire or something, investigate mysteries that may or may not be supernatural. This one has the best actual investigation gameplay on the market. Also for full disclosure, I’m lead writer on this one, and also it’s in beta technically even though it’s more finishes and polished than most TTRPGs on the market in terms of its actual rules, it just doesn’t look super fancy right now. It does have a small library of great adventure modules though.
Silk & Dagger: A Sensible Drow RPG
Navigate a deadly social gauntlet in this satirical TTRPG about Drow and their underlings.
A sexy, brutal, and probably clueless Drow Mistress and her bumbling, hapless servants try to keep up appearances in a strict caste-based and reputation-based society. It’s also funny. I also am lead writer for this one and it’s in alpha stage. It’s playable, but messy.
GREED
The last dungeoneering TTRPG
Goofy mercenaries team up and often betray each other for scraps in a, like, nightmare capitalist Americana world that’s hard to describe? This is an OSR game that is, like, also a parody of OSR games.
D&D5e
(I don’t actually like this one but it’s such an elephant in the room that it’s worth mentioning just so it can be compared to some of the other games on the list.)
Heroic fantasy heroes fight and kill bad guys magically in a kitchen sink fantasy world.
D&D4e
(I don’t like this one either but it at least an alright game.)
Heroic fantasy heroes fight and kill bad guys in a kitchen sink fantasy world, except with better, more fun rules for that fighting and killing.
Pathfinder 1e
(Don’t like this one either but it’s not terrible)
Heroic fantasy heroes fight and kill bad guys in a kitchen sink fantasy world, a lot like D&D3.5e but better designed.
Pathfinder 2e
(Don’t like it personally, but it’s not terrible)
Heroic fantasy heroes fight and kill bad guys in a kitchen sink fantasy world. Has some stuff in common with D&D4e but a bit more generalized.
AD&D1e&2e
(I actually DO like these.)
Not-so-heroic fantasy mercenaries plunder boobytrapped tombs for loot and often but not always fight bad guys. Much more “grounded” than later editions of D&D and Pathfinder, with more emphasis on situational tactics than character builds. Very wargamey in a good way because it knows it and is honest about it.
Lancer
The core rulebook and setting guide for Lancer, a game centered on pilots and their mechs.
(I also don’t particularly like this one personally but I respect it for its gameplay. Just don’t take its lore too seriously.)
Sci-fi mech pilots fight mech bad guys in mechs.
Monster of the Week
SKU: EHP0060Most people don’t believe in monsters, but you know the truth. They’re real, and it’s your task to bring them down. Monster of t
(Also don’t like personally but think it’s worth mentioning.)
This RPG creates episodes of, like, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Very strict archetypical character creation which I hate personally but is great for people who want that.
Monster Hearts
A roleplaying game about the messy lives of teenage monsters. Create stories about sexy monsters, teenage angst, personal horror, and secret
(Don’t like personally but worth mentioning, I’m really trying to diversify the list for the benefit of more people who don’t have my exact taste in RPGs.)
Messy teen monsters get into messy teen drama while also being monsters. Very strict archetypical character creation like most PbtA games but I think this serves it well because it doesn’t really use an ‘adventure’ format it’s about each of the PCs clashing dramatically.
FIST
(I had to stop putting the full fancy links because it kept crashing tumblr, just click the title from now on.)
Heroic paranormal mercenaries go on covert missions against villainous paranormal mercenaries in a sci-fi Cold War. Very reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid.
Edge Hedge Arena
This isn’t really a conventional TTRPG, more like a short party game, but people keep calling those TTRPGs anyway so what the hell. Also I wrote it. You pick a Sonic OC from Google images that shares the same name as you and everyone semi-collaboratively rates/stats them based on several attributes. Then they battle for supremacy.
TOON
Cartoon characters do looney toons type shit to each other. There’s not really any more of an objective than that it’s just recreating that kind of comedy scene by scene.
Maid RPG
I haven’t played or read this one but I hear it’s kind of like the Japanese anime equivalent to TOON. Anime maids (which could mean anything) get into wacky comedy anime situations.
Blades in the Dark
Gangs of fantasy thieves plan and execute heists. Has a cool “flashback” mechanic that emulates the “flashback to how the gang planned this out” trope of heist movies.
dededos
annaxmalina
areudirty
origamiaround
discoholicmusic
janainaart
