It's All Connected

A joined up MCU

[sonofcoulson]

It's All Connected

Index below the cut.

The motivation behind It's All Connected lies in Avengers: Endgame.

I was so annoyed with the way events on Vormir turned out I started to rethink the scene. Then I started to rethink other scenes. Then I started to think about how they originally said the whole MCU would be connected, even the TV shows. And then about how that proved to be untrue. But what if...it was all connected? All of it...what changes would you need to make?

It became too much to hold in my head so I decided to type it out. Then I started thinking about missed opportunities like integrating the earlier X-Men movies and having Cap team up with the Invaders. Now I have (somewhat) refined all my ramblings and present them to you. The MCU IAC (rolls easily off the tongue, no?).

Some general notes:

Probably for MCU geeks only.

This is total fantasy, so there is no limit on time, budget or casting. CGI will always look great (monsters, deaging etc).

I genuinely enjoyed all the movies, even the ones people generally don't like. So most of the things that I've changed are for connectedness, missed opportunities or fairly minor gripes. For the most part.

Where I have consciously taken inspiration from outside the MCU I have tried to label or link to that.

Happy to add links to anything I might have missed. Suggestions welcome for blank spaces in casting, continuity errors etc.

And obviously...MASSIVE SPOILERS...right the way through.

I hope you enjoy.

INDEX:

Phase I: Gods and Monsters

(Pre/during/post Viking times) Tales of Asgard

Casting

Season 1 Episode 1 "Ginnungagap"

Season 1 Episode 2 "Glorious Purpose"

Season 1 Episode 3 "Sigrun"

Season 1 Episode 4 "Warriors Three"

Season 1 Episode 5 "Sword of Surtur"

Season 1 Episode 6 "If He Be Worthy"

Season 2 Episode 1 "Langobards"

Season 2 Episode 2 "Utgardaloki"

Season 2 Episode 3 "The World Serpent"

Season 2 Episode 4 "Balder the Brave part I"

Season 2 Episode 5 "Balder the Brave part II"

Season 2 Episode 6 "The Death of Balder"

(1571) Talokan series?

(1845) Wolverine vol I

Phase II: The War Journals

(1914) Freedom's Five (Limited series)

(1918) Wolverine vol II

(1920) Atlantis?

(1930) Namor: The Submariner?

(1941) The Human Torch

(1941) Namor the Submariner vs The Human Torch

(1942) Captain America: The First Avenger

(1944) Captain America: The Invaders

(1945) Captain America: Super-Axis

(1945) Wolverine vol III

(1945) Agent Carter and the Howling Commandos

(1946) Agent Carter series 1

(1947) Agent Carter series 2

(1948) Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series 1

Phase III: The Rise of the Mutants

(1955) Namor: The Battle of Wakanda & Namor: The Battle for Talokan

(1957) The Blue Marvel

(1959) Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series 2

(1962) X-Men: First Class

(1969) The Blue Marvel II

(1970) The Blue Marvel III

(1970) Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series 3

Episode 1 Mystique

Episode 2 Destiny

Episode 3 Banshee

TIME SKIP (will go back and fill this gap)

Phase IV: The Age of the Mutants

(1998) Black Widow: Operation Budapest

[tzikeh]

More examples of the WORST mansplaining here.

[useyourblinker]

This might be my favorite

[lotsofcatsandcheapwine]

This is mine

[stockyardsyndrome]

[hjarta-deactivated20260124]

just learned that magnolias are so old that they’re pollinated by beetles because they existed before bees

[scienceoftheidiot]

They existed *before beetles*

[somethingaboutsomethingelse]

[spacedandelions]

Why is this sad? Why am I sad?

[ignescent]

https://xkcd.com/1259/

Bee Orchid

[sepdet]

This is how I feel about Joshua Trees. They and avocado trees produce fruit meant to be eaten and dispersed by giant ground sloths. Without them, the Joshua Trees' range has shrunk by 90%.

(my own photos)

Not only they, but the entire Mojave ecosystem is still struggling to adapt since the loss of ground sloth dung. their chief fertilizer.

Many, many trees and plants in the Americas have widely-spaced, extremely long thorns that do nothing to discourage deer eating their leaves, but would've penetrated the fur of ground sloths and mammoths. Likewise, if you've observed a tree that drops baseball or softball-sized fruit which lies on the ground and rots, like Osage Oranges, which were great for playing catch at my school, chances are they were ground sloth or mammoth chow.

You can read about various orphaned plants and trees missing their megafauna in this poignant post:

The Trees That Miss The Mammoths - American Forests

Trees that once depended on animals like the wooly mammoth for survival have managed to adapt and survive in the modern world.



[modernvintage]

First quote from the linked article. Found it poetic.

[transisstor]

Reblog if you think fanfiction is a legitimate form of creative writing.

[sonofcoulson]

Dungeons and Dragons: The Witches Road

Yes, my d&d x marvel obsession continues, even though I have never played the game in my life.

Obviously, massive spoilers for Agatha All Along here so if you haven't seen it (why haven't you seen it?), stop reading now...

Incoming premise and character builds.

First off, for a full d&d campaign, we need more. More backstory, more lore, monsters, merchants, taverns etc.

In short, we need the Witches Road to be real.

Agatha's repeated ritual and probably thousands of other Witches learning of the song and attempting to perform the ritual made it real, just like the song became a warding spell for Alice. She is completely unaware because only a true coven can enter, as Agatha set out in her sham ceremonies.

Follow me my friend...

And once you get on the road, you can't leave unless you succeed.

...to glory at the end

So most have either died or got stuck on the road, leading to whole communities and economies within this liminal dimension, especially near the start of the road.

Billy is responsible for opening the door, as the coven is not true, not at the beginning.

They could have several encounters with the Salem Seven, managing to drive them off each time. They would also have encounters with legendary beasts on fetch quests and such, Salem Seven secretly setting up false clues to send them dangerous monsters so it's not just the trials.

It starts the same, Agatha under an illusion, investigating Wanda's death. Rio and Billy pull her out of it. Rio gives her a reprieve, Billy wants to go to the road, they make up the coven, start the ritual, Salem Seven show up and the door opens just in time.

Characters:

There is, unbelievably, no official Witch class in the game. I found a few homebrewed ones and quite liked this one, but there is no guarantee it would be allowed. So I have chosen from official classes and subclasses as much as possible. Also, having never played the game, this may be more about character than game balance.

I used this article about different types of witchcraft as inspiration.

Agatha Harkness -

Class:Warlock

Subclass:Undead

I figured Agatha should mostly use spells to harm people so I wanted her to have access to lots of necromancy spells. I would ask the DM if you could change your title to Spirit Witch or something similar (Death Witch?).

At over 300 years as a practicing Witch, Agatha knows a thing or two about magic (Arcana skill). And she likes to bully people (Intimidation skill).

She has an Eldritch blast which can be upgraded to Agonising Blast with the Warlock's Eldritch Invocations at level 2. The 5th level spell, Enervation, works a a drain spell.

I've made her a Variant Human as she is enhanced with magic even when not casting. She gets Insight as her skill as she understands people pretty well, even though she doesn't seem to like them. And her bonus feat is ritual caster which allows her to cast Find Familiar (they largely ignored familiar by thy side didn't they?). There are other good options like War Caster, so she can cast spells under pressure, but I want Señor Scratchy.

Background:Charlatan

Scam:I insinuate myself into people's lives to prey on their weakness and secure their fortunes

False Identity:Agnes of Westview

Skill:Deception

Personality:I lie about almost everything, even when there's no good reason to

Ideal:Independence. I am a free spirit – no one tells me what to do. (Chaotic)

Bond:I crossed the wrong person and must work to ensure that this individual never crosses paths with me or those I care about

Flaw:Don't expect me to save those who can't save themselves. It is nature's way that the strong thrive and the weak perish (Couldn't find a flaw that fit under Charlatan, so I swiped one from Outlander)

I based this off Agatha's repeating scam/mass murder shtick. Also very good at carrying off different personas. She gets the Deception skill with this background and a disguise kit.

Agatha saw what was happening to Witches in Salem and gave herself the tools to survive. She then survived the incident with her coven and has been surviving ever since. This powerful massacre attracted Rio and they made a partnership. Agatha gets power, Rio gets her bodies.

But Nicky complicated things...

William Kaplan/Billy Maximoff -

Class:Sorcerer

Subclass:Wild Magic

I like wild magic for Billy as it sounds like chaos magic, just like his mum. Ask the DM if you can rename as a Chaos Witch.

He seems to mostly understand his coven, he has Agatha's number and he is charming and polite so I have given him the Insight and Persuasion skills.

He gets suitable cantrips and spells like Chaos Bolt, Mass Suggestion and Wish. The description for Wish says 'you can alter the very foundations of reality in accord with your desires'. Very apt.

He is a Variant Human as he was an embodiment of a sliver of the mind stone wished into reality by a mutant witch, with an imaginary android father, who escaped the dispersement of the hex that gave him life and found a dying boy to impart himself into. Very variant.

I gave him Animal Handling as his extra skill as he loves Sparky and Señor Scratchy. And he has Ritual Caster as his feat so he can summon his little dog to his side. Dogs are not official familiars but I can't imagine too many objections from DMs.

Background:Haunted One

Harrowing Event:Your family has a history of practicing the dark arts. You dabbled once and felt something horrible clutch at your soul, whereupon you fled in terror

Personality:I like to read and memorize poetry. It keeps me calm and brings me fleeting moments of happiness

Ideal:I try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost

Bond:I keep my thoughts and discoveries in a journal. My journal is my legacy

Flaw:I talk to spirits that no one else can see

Horror Trinket:The memory of a sibling who died on the day you were born

His background Skills are Arcana and Religion as I think he is so studious as to have researched and remembered many, many things about magic and witchcraft. He seems like he would journal and read poetry too.

Also he can talk to spirits that no one else can see. That may come in handy after the end of the campaign...

Though he didn't create The Road™, he did unconsciously choose the coven members from moments in his life. The witch trials are drawn from his expectations on what they should look like and he often says things and then they happen (ie "I wish Lilia was here"). This is not Divination, this is reality altering Chaos Magic...

Just like the show he is hoping to get his brother back as his reward.

Jennifer Kale -

Class:5 Artificer, 15 Cleric

Subclass:Alchemist, Life

I'm not that keen on the Artificer class for Jen, but it's the best way I could see to work her potion magic into her build.

See if the DM will let you have a Herbalism kit and proficiency (as an 11th generation rootworker) instead of thieves tools so she can make things straight away, she can also get Cook's Utensils too. Then when the Alchemist Subclass kicks in at level 3 she gets an easy way to make potions (Experimental Elixirs) which levels up with her. You could, theoretically stay on that path till the end. You could even pretend that all the Magical Tinkering objects and Artificer Infusions all use magical potions to make them work. You may have to just pretend that in your head though as the DM might ask you where all these potions are coming from...

But I like the idea that she was born into a Hearth Witch family, and then joined a Wiccan coven, covered here by multiclassing into Life Cleric (Hathor might be a good fit as a Patron). When she was bound she lost her Wiccan magic and went back to hearth magic; she used it to build her beauty business from scratch. She has lotions, potions, creams, soaps etc. But as she identifes as more than 'just a witch' she wants to go back to being a High Priestess too, hence The Road™.

She will need to discover earlier that Agatha was actually the one that bound her and make her set her free, so she can begin to regain her power and explain the switch into Cleric/Wiccan Priestess. Again, check with the DM if they mind the renaming to Hearth Witch (Alchemist Artificer) and Wiccan Priestess (Life Cleric).

I chose the Medicine and Nature skills as these complement gathering ingredients and administering healing elixirs.

Her race is Variant Human as she is a magic user and 100+ years old.

I chose Ritual Caster, again, as her feat and a Poisonous snake as her Familiar. The Rod of Asclepius is closely associated with medicine and features a snake entwined round a staff. Also, she could probably milk it for anti venom potions.

I chose Survival as the bonus skill because it complements her knowing so much about nature, herbs, cooking and medicine. She knows where to find ingredients, what's safe to eat and how to cook it.

I chose Sage as a background and Alchemist as her Specialty within that. She studied hard in both her disciplines and is very proud and knowledgeable about both.

Personality:I'm used to helping out those who aren't as smart as I am, and I patiently explain anything and everything to others

Ideal:Beauty. What is beautiful points us beyond itself toward what is true

Bond:I've been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question

(eg Who bound me? Or, How do I get my power back?)

Flaw:I'm quick to assume that someone is trying to cheat me (from Guild Artisan background, couldn't find one in Sage that really fit)

I figured after the experience of being bound, seemingly by a muggle, and consequently leaving her coven, I thought she might be slow to trust. And actually, that attitude will serve her well against Agatha.

The man that bound her was a doctor, a man of science, a student of 'modern medicine'. He couldn’t stand that a woman practicing witchcraft was more popular and successful then he was. The TV show obviously cast Sasheer Zamata in the role which adds another, significant, layer. This binding was religiously intolerant, misogynistic and racist. Agatha is complicit in this, despite her excuses. There is an interesting take on this, and other themes in the show in this article. I love her unbinding herself as well ("You hold nothing!"), very powerful moment.

Jen stays with the party after releasing her bond as every living coven member must complete their trial first.

Lilia Calderu -

Class:Wizard

Subclass:School of Divination

Lilia is clearly a Divination Witch so this Class/Subclass is a great fit. The rename to Divination Witch is also not too big of a change.

Like Agatha, Lilia has lived a long life in the craft and would therefore know a great deal about magic (Arcana) and gets a sense of people and places from her passive Divination skills (Insight).

She gets an object as an Arcane Focus. There is an Orb on the official list which could work as a crystal ball, but you could also ask the DM if she is allowed a pack of Tarot Cards as her focus instead.

I would give her the Scholar's Pack as it seems more useful for Divination than an Explorer's Pack.

She gets features like Portent, Third Eye, and Expert Divination as part of her Subclass. She also has access to spells like True Seeing and Foresight.

Variant Human again (magic user, long life etc). Perception skill as her bonus, as in extra sensory. She can have Lucky as her bonus feat because it apparently goes well with Divination. She gets Find Familiar from 1st level Wizard spells and I have gone for cat as that seems appropriate.

She has Hermit for her Background as it can refer to a group and I thought that her original coven had isolated themselves, nun style, to prevent personal attachments affecting their visions (a little Star Warsy, I know). The Hermit gets a herbalism kit; I thought Lilia could make teas to read the leaves with. Also if Jen isn't allowed one then Lilia can assist her sister in the craft with her potion ingredients.

Life of Seclusion:I was partaking of communal living in accordance with the dictates of a religious order

Personality:I often get lost in my own thoughts and contemplation, becoming oblivious to my surroundings

Ideal:Greater Good. My gifts are meant to be shared with all, not used for my own benefit. (Good)

Bond:Nothing is more important than the other members of my coven

Flaw:I have trouble staying in the present, which confuses others (custom)

I think Lilia might need a custom Flaw as the options available don't really seem to suit. Neither the Hermit Flaws nor anything from the other Backgrounds.

Lilia has not lost her magic, she has lost her joy, her community, her focus. That's what she wants back. She couldn’t save her first coven, her mother from death and it has gnawed away at her for centuries.

She could potentially survive the confrontation with the Salem Seven and the reversed Tower if someone casts Feather Fall on her and then they patch her up before moving to the last trial.

Alice Wu Gulliver-

Class:Paladin

Subclass:Heroism

Alice is a Protection Witch (or something similar, check with DM), and as a police officer and security guard she's probably had a few tangles. So a Paladin with a Sacred Oath of Heroism seemed to be the way to go. I went for the Athletics and Insight skills, would have been handy for her previous jobs. Her Fighting Style is obviously Protection.

Tenets of Heroism:Embrace Destiny You didn't choose this road, but it's yours to walk. And it will carry you into legend.

She gets the Peerless Athlete feature, which gives her advantage on Athletics and Acrobatics rolls. That's dice rolls by the way, she isn't doing roly polys down The Road™. She gets Guiding Bolt (we'll say it's orange) from Oath Spells on lvl 3 and has a range of combat skills and protection spells.

She could be a Human as she's not been alive for that long compared to the others, but she is a born magic user. If you do go for Variant Human the the skill could be Stealth? Survival? idk

The feat would be Ritual Caster and her Familiar would be a Hawk.

She obviously has the Investigator background with Investigation (obvs) and Perception skills. She gets Thieves tools (handy for traps) and a disguise kit.

Case:You survived the destructive use of a curse that killed your mother. Then, the coven found you. You now travel with them, hoping to somehow lift your curse upon the Witches Road

Horror Characteristics:-

Personality:Nothing is more important than life, and I never leave anyone in danger

Ideal:Obsession. I've lived this way for so long that I can't imagine another way

Bond:I lost someone I care about, but I still see them in guilty visions, recurring dreams, or as a spirit

Flaw:I'm especially superstitious and live life seeking to avoid bad luck, wicked spirits, or the Mists

Horror Trinket:An urn with the ashes of a dead relative

Alice wanted to know if the curse was real, if The Road™ was real, even if magic was real. Always wondering when she lost a job or had a break up, was it the curse?

But despite her grief and anger, which drove her to denial, deep down she knew the truth and longed for a way to break the curse.

Alice is definitely weakened by Agatha's attack, but this being Dungeons and Dragons a saving roll or a team mate's spell could save her!

Sharon Davis -

Class:Druid

Subclass:Land Circle

According to the TV show, Sharon never makes it past level 1, but would have been a Land Druid/Green Witch (Though the starting Herbalism Kit does lend itself well to her gardening interest).

I'm imagining that she keeps animals at home (Animal Handling) and, as mentioned above, she likes gardening (Nature)

In her handbag she is carrying a dreamcatcher that she bought for her niece but hasn't passed to her yet. That will serve as her Druidic focus.

She would not be able to speak Druidic, only common. This would make it difficult for her as she would have to learn as she goes.

She does not have weapons, armour or a shield. She only has what she carried in her handbag. And the Herbalism Kit. And some cook's utensils from her background...it's a big handbag okay?

She would know Create Bonfire and Druidcraft Cantrips if she was a real druid, but we'll get on to that in a minute. She does not have a familiar as she doesn't have access to the spell. If she survives, she may be able to transform into an animal herself, but more on that later.

Her race is Human and I chose Guild Artisan for her Background. I thought she would probablybein the Women's Guild. They are chiefly Cooks and Bakers for which she gets Chef's Utensils. There are many other skills within the Guild, such as Sharon's gardening.

If they happen to come across any members of the Women's Guild on the Witches Road then they're laughing, as they may have multiple skills as well as being able to give them shelter or a good meal. There is a possibility for a crossover between Witches and the Women's Guild as many will meet the criteria for joining. This increases the chance of some Women's Guild members being on The Road™.

Personality:I'm full of witty aphorisms and have a proverb for every occasion

Ideal:Community. It is the duty of all civilized people to strengthen the bonds of community and the security of civilization. (Lawful)

Bond:I owe my guild a great debt for forging me into the person I am today

Flaw:I like a glass of wine. Or two. Oh just give me the damn bottle! (I wanted to reference the moment from the potions trial so I made a custom one. Don't judge me)

There are different ways of playing Sharon. One is she has no magical ability at all and is destined to die during the potions trial. Perhaps then the person role playing her can switch to Rio or the DM could have her as an npc.

Equally, you could decide that Agatha chose her because she saw some potential in her and, in the event of her survival, she can develop into a full Druid.

Again, a saving roll or a spell/potion from an ally could mean Sharon's story has many more chapters.

Rio Vidal-

Class:Sorcerer 1/Wizard 2/Cleric 17 (Witch)

Subclass:Shadow Magic 1/School of Necromancy 2/Death Domain 17 (Green)

Rio is a special one 🖤

After reading this thread and doing some research I found a lot of features I wanted to incorporate into her build. Not sure how picking skills works with multiclassing. History would be a good one for such a long lived creature but that doesn't come up until you get to Cleric. Arcana may be the best choice as she is the longest practicing green witch in the world...or universe? Also, she mentions the sacred balance a few times which has a quasi-religious tone to it so Religion could be an option too.

She gets to pick a Quirk from Shadow Sorcerer which plays up her otherworldly, deathly persona.

Shadow Sorcerer Quirk:You have trouble remembering that living creatures and corpses should be treated differently.

From Shadow Sorcerer she gets Eyes of the Dark which is essentially Darkvision (although she will get Darkvision with her race). If you stay in that class she gets to learn and cast the Darkness spell, but retains her ability to see through it.

She also gets Strength of the Grave which makes Rio harder to kill.

1 lvl of Necromancy Wizard gives you Necromancy Savant, which reduced the cost of Necromancy spells and GRIM Harvest, which gives you HP back (or "reap life energy") and has an even greater benefit when a Necromancy spell was used.

Death Cleric gives bonus proficiency in martial weapons. This could possibly give you a glaive reskinned as scythe (ask your DM). This Subclass also gets you the REAPER feature allowing you to learn a Necromancy Cantrip from any spell list.

She can have a raven as her Familiar.

I chose Shadar-Kai as her race. The description is pretty close, just needing a few tweaks, which should be fine. It would be nice if you could rename it to something more apt like Shadow Being, ask your DM about this.

It is an Elf Race, which I liked for the not needing to sleep feature. Though you don't have to refer to her as such. Elves do die though...

Blessing of the Raven Queen allows her to teleport and appear where others aren't expecting.

Background:Faceless

This background gives the Deception and Intimidation skills. Intimidation is certainly a good skill for Death.

It also allows her to have Rio Vidal as a Persona that she takes when walking amongst the living but isn't actually her true form.

Personality:I'm earnest and uncommonly direct

Ideal:Anonymity. It's my deeds that should be remembered, not their instrument. (Any)

Bond:What I do, I do for the world. The people don't realize how much they need me

Flaw:I am callous about death. It comes to us all eventually

As mentioned above, Rio could be played by the person who is being Sharon, if she is dying at the Potion Witch trial. Otherwise she will need to wait until she is accidentally summoned to The Road™ and then joins for the ride.

Rio is hurt that Agatha never wanted to see her again and angry that she stopped their little arrangement. She was furious that Agatha used the Darkhold to hide from her for decades. She knew it was because of Nicky but never fully understood why. Never fully understood grief until (I saw this on a post on Tumblr somewhere but I can't find it now...) Agatha died. That's where her story is leading.

In conclusion:

I have spent way too much time on this.

Also, this can be as close or as far away from the TV show as you want it to be. They can all survive, they can all die (save for Rio), or somewhere in between. You can have lots of battles and encounters or just the trials.

Such great characters and such a great jumping off point for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.

This has been my TED talk. Thank you for listening.

[sonofcoulson]

Learned a lot since posting this, but I still enjoy reading it.

[sonofcoulson]

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. DnD part II

Melinda May -

- Agent, Pilot, espionage, exceptional hand to hand, also firearms, simple and martial weapons.

Class (Subclass): Monk (Kensei) 17/Fighter (Battlemaster) 3

- Definitely a martial arts expert so mainly Monk, mastery of Unarmed combat.

- The subclass, the Fighter dip and the Battlemaster Subclass will raise her skill in other forms of combat (ie melee and ranged), getting limited 2nd Wind, a Fighting style (Archery or Dueling?), 1 Action Surge and Battlemaster Subclass for 3 maneuvers.

- Possible Maneuvers; Feinting Attack, Riposte, Sweeping Attack, Trip Attack.

- Acrobatics and Insight from Class, Investigation from background and get Perception from somewhere.

Feats: Alert? Athlete? Observant? Skill Expert for Investigation (expertise in Acrobatics? Or Investigation?)

Items: Wraps of Unarmed Prowess, Adamantine weapons? Bracers of Defense

Race: Human 

Background: Faction Agent 

Nick Fury -

- Leader, spymaster, fighter.

Class (Subclass): Inquisitive Rogue 15/Battlemaster Fighter 5

- Inquisitive Rogue can give you expertise in Deception and a way to counter other people's BS. Rogue generally has a spy sort of feel to it...moving in the shadows etc.

- Insightful Fighting can help you land Sneak Attack, especially if you have good WIS and Insight proficiency/expertise.

- Battlemaster gets you Commander's Strike, Superiority dice and a few other nifty tricks.

- Fighting style could be Archery or Superior Technique.

Feats: Piercer, Alert, Observant

Items: Earring of Message? and...?

Race: Human

Background: Faction Agent

Phil Coulson - 

- Leader, Agent, Gadget user, prosthetic arm, a little hand to hand, firearms.

Class (Subclass): Cleric (Peace) 1, Bard (Valor) 3?, Fighter (Battlemaster) 16 (or 19)

- I see Coulson as a leader who supports, encourages, inspires and brings others together. 

- The Emboldening Bond feature from Peace Cleric has a flavour of that along with Guidance, Resistance cantrips, Bless and Command from class spells and Heroism and Sanctuary from Subclass spells 

- I thought he could also have the Spare the Dying cantrip and imagine he has a defibrillator in his prosthetic arm.

- Valor Bard is very much optional as you're adding a 13 CHA requirement on top of DEX for Fighter and WIS for Cleric.

- But it does give you Bardic Inspiration, Jack of All Trades (Phil does seem to be a little bit good at everything), Magical Inspiration (optional, Tasha's) and some spellcasting.

- Cantrips; Blade Ward (the holographic shield built into Coulson's prosthetic), Friends (charmer), Message (In ear communication), True Strike (S.H.I.E.L.D. targeting)

- 1st level; Charm Person (charmer), Disguise Self (photostatic veil), Identify (Coulson's knowledge or a call to S.H.I.E.L.D.), Sleep (Night Night gun).

- 2nd level; 2 from: Calm Emotions (Phil talks everyone down)?, Enthrall (Phil runs distraction)?, Zone of Truth (interrogation skills)?

- Fighter! Archery fighting style! 2nd Wind! Action Surge! Battlemaster!

- I reckon pistol (or crossbow) and a dagger

- Possible Battle Maneuvers for Phil; Commander's Strike, Commanding Presence, Disarming Attack, Distracting Strike, Goading Attack, Maneuvering Attack, Parry, Rally, Tactical Assessment

Feats: Inspiring Leader, Skill Expert (Persuasion? Investigation?), Gunner/Crossbow Expert 

Items: Prosthetic Arm, maybe Arcane Propulsion Arm? 

Background: Faction Agent 

Personality: I love to share trivia about my house's business (from House Agent)

Ideal: Discovery. I want to learn all I can, both for my house and for my own curiosity (from House Agent)

Bond: My team is my family. I would do anything for them (adapted from House Agent)

Flaw: I'm obsessed with conspiracy theories and worried about secret societies and hidden demons

Piper -

- Agent, fighter/Scout Rogue?

Class (Subclass): Rogue (Scout)

Feats: Mobile, Gunner/Crossbow Expert, Fighting Initiate (Archery)

Items: Spies Murmur (in ear communication…for all agents?), Vest of Kev'laar (for all agents?), Mask of the Deceiver (photostatic veil)

Race: Human

Background: Faction Agent

Personality: Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude (from Acolyte)

Ideal: Responsibility. I do what I must and obey just authority (from Soldier)

Bond: Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for (from Soldier)

Flaw: Once someone questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation (from Sailor)

Quake (Daisy Johnson) - 

- Hacker, Agent, Gravity Manipulation.

Class (Subclass): Wizard (Graviturgy) 14, Monk (Astral) 6

OR Wizard (Graviturgy) 17/Monk (Astral) 3

- Mostly Unarmed Strikes with Crossbow as backup.

- Base class Monk gives you your S.H.I.E.L.D. combat training, you also get a 15ft boost to your speed and 1d6 for your unarmed strikes (of which you have many, especially if you use ki), which become magical at level 6 (or with Wraps of Unarmed Power (2024)).

- Double jump distance (1 ki), Deflect Missiles, Slow Fall and Stunning Strike (1 ki) can all be RP'd as Gravity Manipulation.

- Astral gives you force damage for unarmed strikes, as do the Wraps of Unarmed Power (2024) magic item, plus an extra 5ft reach for each attack (there are some unthematic benefits at level 6).

- Wizard and especially the Graviturgy Subclass give you Daisy's Quake powers (all the Graviturgy spells, Force damage seems fair, you could even argue thunder damage from the vibration).

- There are also a bunch of computer/electronic based spells (UA) which could reflect her hacking skills (found here).

- Finally there are spells that could be S.H.I.E.L.D. tech, training or support (e.g. Blindness Deafness as a flashbang).

- Thematic spells include; Booming Blade?, Mage Hand, Message, Mold Earth, On/Off (UA), Swordburst, Thunderclap?, True Strike (cantrips), Comprehend Languages, Identify, Earth Tremor, Feather Fall, Infallible Relay, Jump, Longstrider, Magic Missile, Magnify Gravity, Remote Access, Shield, Thunderwave? (1st), Arcane Hacking (UA), Blindness/Deafness, Borrowed Knowledge, Digital Phantom (UA), Earthbind, Hold Person, Immovable Object, Levitate, Maximillian's Earthen Grasp, Shatter? (2nd), Dispel Magic?, Erupting Earth, Fly, Protection from Ballistics, Psionic Blast (UA), Pulse Wave, Slow?, Tongues, (3rd), Gravity Sinkhole, System Backdoor (UA), (4th), Bigby's Hand, Hold Monster, Shutdown (UA), Steel Wind Strike?, Telekinesis?, Wall of Force? (5th), Disintegrate?, Globe of Invulnerability?, Gravity Fissure,  (6th), Reverse Gravity (7th), Dark Star, Power Word: Stun?, (8th), Ravenous Void (9th) - Though you don't get 8th or 9th level spells at level 14…

- The other option is to reduce Quake's effectiveness in melee but boost magic by doing a 17/3 split.

- Alternatively, especially in a high fantasy setting, she could just go full Graviturgy Wizard.

Feats: Fighting Initiate (for Superior Technique and the Pushing Attack Maneuver to go with your force damage unarmed strikes?)?, Telekinetic (power up your Mage Hand and gain a magical shove)

Items: Wraps of Unarmed Power (2024, allow your unarmed strikes to do force damage which could be RP'd as quake powers)

Race: Variant Human (+2 DEX Telekinetic feat with +1 INT)

Background: Faction Agent 

Personality: The job is important, but the relationships I forge with my coworkers are even more so. (from Rival Intern)

Ideal: Innovation. Abandon old traditions and find better ways to do things (from House Agent)

OR Justice. I can't stand people being treated unjustly. I do whatever it takes to stop injustice and those who flout the law (from Rival Intern)

Bond: I value an oath of loyalty I took to a group of friends over everything else in my life (from Rival Intern)

Flaw: I'm obsessed with conspiracy theories and worried about secret societies and hidden demons (from House Agent)

Tucker Shockley - 

- Explodey man.

Class (Subclass): Sorcerer (Phoenix Soul UA)

- Class gives you good options with Font of Magic and Metamagic.

- Only Subclass I could see that sort of conveys the right flavour, it is UA however and may not be allowed at your table. Ask the DM.

- Could maybe get away with a reflavouring of Draconic Bloodline? 

- Phoenix Sorcerer abilities; Ignite (He's almost always ready to explode, so he's hot enough to light a fuse or bonfire), Mantle of Flame (very close to exploding, damaging to those within 5ft), Phoenix Spark (he explodes!), Nourishing Fire (fire spells help build up your power, including your health), Form of the Phoenix (you have mastered your power, you can turn into vapour and fly around, you are hard to damage).

- Fire, Radiance, Force and Bludgeoning all sound like believable damage types from being caught in an explosion, saw thunder damage suggested on reddit too. Maybe take a club and sling for “small explosions” from the start (lets you do Booming Blade too). If the spells don't originate from from him you could RP that he turns to vapour, flies over and explodes and then quickly flies back. Or maybe he doesn't have to explode himself every time, he could just Conjure them…

- Thematic spells include; Booming Blade, Create Bonfire, Firebolt and Thunderclap; Burning Hands, Magic Missile, Thunderwave; Blindness/Deafness, Dragon's Beath (fire)?, Scorching Ray; Fireball, Fly, Gaseous Form, Melf's Minute Meteors, Thunder Step; Fire Shield?, Wall of Fire; Immolation, Summon Draconic Spirit (reflavour, it's all Tucker); Disintegrate? Investiture of Flame, Sunbeam?; Delayed Blast Fireball?, Draconic Transformation (reflavour, no dragons, its all Tucker), Fire Storm, Incendiary Cloud, Sunburst; Meteor Storm.

Feats: Resilient (CON), War Caster, Spell Sniper?

Items: Necklace of Fireballs, Elemental Essence Shard (Fire)

Race: Variant Human

Background: Watchdog (Inquisitor)

Personality: I want to see the wicked burn for the evil they’ve brought on us

Ideal: Punishment. It is better for the innocent to suffer than for the guilty to escape their due

Bond: My town or city is my home, and I'll fight to defend it (from Urchin)

Flaw: I’ll do whatever grim task must be done, for my soul is already lost.

Victoria Hand -

- Leader.

Class (Subclass): Savant HB (Tactician)

- Only Class I could find that really fits.

Feats: Inspiring Leader (requires 13 CHA)

Items: Anything that improves INT would be good

Race: Human

Background: Faction Agent

Personality: I'm always looking to improve efficiency (from House Agent)

Ideal: Legislation. The law embodies excellence in its precision and detail (from Azorius Functionary)

Bond: I hope one day to write the laws, not just enforce them

Flaw: I seem like a harsh judge to others, but I judge myself most harshly of all (from Azorius Functionary)

Yo-yo (Elena Rodriguez)

Speedster, snap back

Class (Subclass): Mystic UA (Immortal) 1/Fighter (Echo Knight? Battlemaster?) 19

1 level of Immortal Mystic gets you…1 Psionic Talent (take Light Step for +10ft speed on bonus action), 3 Psionic Disciplines (Nomadic Step for Focus (+10ft speed after “teleporting”) and There and Back Again (Yo-yo's powers at level 1!), Celerity for Focus (+10ft speed), Rapid Step (+10ft speed per psi point spent), Blur of Motion (too fast to see) and Surge of Speed (no opportunity attacks against you) and Iron Durability for Focus (+1 AC) and Iron Hide (+1 AC per psi point spent)

Fighter gets you extra attacks and Action Surge for more, fighting style (Defense for +1AC cos you're hard to hit)

Echo Knight gets an extra extra attack

RP that striking from your Echo is just Yo-yo attacking and snapping back again, if you're really committed to the RP then hold off on teleporting into your Echo's space until later in the campaign, that's when Elena better understands her powers and no longer snaps back (final season of AoS)

Battlemaster is more for utility with the maneuvers (Bait and Switch, Disarming Attack, Distracting Strike, Evasive Footwork, Feinting Attack, Lunging Attack, Riposte, Sweeping Attack and Trip Attack)

A custom race (based on Tabaxi), Mystic boosts and the Mobile feat will help to bump up your speed to Speedster proportions, Epic Boon of Speed anyone?

- You could RP a sling as there and back again unarmed strikes which lets you focus on DEX, though you still need 13 INT? I think? for Mystic.

OR Mystic UA (Immortal) 1/Monk (Astral) 19

- Lets you use DEX for unarmed strikes, which now have 10ft of reach thanks to Astral Arms and could be RP'd as there and back again strikes.

- Lots of added speed from Monk.

- Still needs 13 DEX, WIS and INT.

OR Monk (Astral) 17/Fighter (Echo Knight) 3

- Mainly DEX, WIS focus.

- No UA so more likely to be allowed.

- Miss out on Mystic but gain features that could be RP'd as there and back again abilities from Fighter and Monk subclasses.

- Only 4 ASIs, could push Fighter to 6 to make up for it but that leaves you with a redundant extra attack and robs you of a level of your martial arts die (you don't get 1d8 to 1d10) and 5ft of speed, and a couple of other features.

Feats: Mobile, Alert?, Charger? 

Items: Boots of Speed (rare) or Wayfarer's Boots (rare), Bracers of Celerity, Prosthetic Arm (later in the campaign)

Race: Custom Tabaxi (looks Human, mostly here for Feline Agility, could ask to change Cat's Claws to 1d6 + DEX modifier bludgeoning damage)

Background: Faction Agent 

Personality: Making the right choices in life is important to me. The choices I make might save not just my life, but the lives of others as well (from Phlan Insurgent)

Ideal: Unpredictability. Keeping the enemy guessing and off-balance is my tactical strength (from Phlan Insurgent)

Bond: An item I hold close is my last remaining connection to the family I lost during the fall (from Phlan Insurgent)

Flaw: I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden. My sharp tongue lands me in trouble (from Entertainer)

[odyver]

alright I've got to do some quick math to explain attitudes towards AI to my boss.

we're looking to create an AI policy, and when we were talking about this, my boss (older millennial) was genuinely shocked to hear that younger people do not (seem) to view AI positively (a la the recent commencement speakers being booed)

please rb for larger sample size!

Question 1/3

What is your age, and do you feel AI is a net positive or net negative in our lives today?

under 18, AI is a net positive

under 18, AI is a net negative

18-29, AI is a net positive

18-29, AI is a net negative

30-45, AI is a net positive

30-45, AI is a net negative

46-60, AI is a net positive

46-60, AI is a net negative

over 60, AI is a net postive

over 60, AI is a net negative

Remaining time: 4 days 19 hours

[odyver]

Question 2/3

How often do you visit or interact with museums/archives (whether in person or online)?

Frequently (multiple times per month)

Often (multiple times per year)

Occasionally (a couple times per year)

Rarely (once every couple of years)

Never :(

Remaining time: 4 days 19 hours

[odyver]

Question 3/3

If you saw a museum was using AI in exhibits, marketing, research, etc., would you be more or less inclined to visit that museum?

under 18, more inclined

under 18, less inclined

18-29, more inclined

18-29, less inclined

30-45, more inclined

30-45, less inclined

46-60, more inclined

46-60, less inclined

over 60, more inclined

over 60, less inclined

Remaining time: 4 days 19 hours

Thank you for helping with this data collection. Please rb for as big a sample as possible!

🫶

[luna-azzurra]

Amnesia Prompts!!

☆ "You keep looking at me like I should remember you. I'm sorry. I'm trying."

☆ "They told me who I was. I don't recognize that person at all."

☆ "You loved someone who wore my face. I don't know if I can be them again."

☆ "Don't tell me everything at once. Let me find some of it myself."

☆ "I know I'm supposed to feel something when I look at you. I'm waiting for it."

☆ "You're a stranger to me. The saddest part is I can tell I wasn't to you."

☆ "My hands remember things my mind doesn't. That terrifies me."

☆ "Everyone keeps telling me who I was. Nobody is asking who I want to be."

☆ "I fell in love with you twice. Once before and once just now."

☆ "You kept everything. Every photo every letter. What do I do with that kind of love?"

☆ "I don't remember our history but I remember how you make me feel. Is that enough?"

☆ "Don't grieve me while I'm still standing here. I can't bear that."

☆ "I lost my past but I still have a future. I'm trying to focus on that."

☆ "You're the only thing that feels familiar and I can't explain why."

☆ "I know I loved you. I can feel the shape of it even if I've lost the details."

[fucking-relax]

comfort check

lounging in an ouch position?

haven't taken a deep breath lately?

hungry? thirsty?

need to use the toilet?

too much sensory input?

this is your reminder to get comfortable! go do what you need to do!

[theartofbeingblack]

Marjane Satrapi, cartoonist and film director, best known for Persepolis

22 November 1969 - 4 June 2026

[susansontag]

Marjane Satrapi, creator of Persepolis and acclaimed French-Iranian artist, dies aged 56

Family members said the author of the landmark comic book memoir ‘died of sadness’ after the death of her husband last year

rest in peace marjane satrapi ♥️

[charlesoberonn]

I appreciate The Empire Strikes Back for being the only time I can think of when a character just shot their enemy as soon as they saw them without pausing or having a dramatic moment beforehand.

[charlesoberonn]

[charlesoberonn]

[zinesbycee]

(nods sagely) (nods basily) (nods rosemarily) (nods saltly) (nods star anisely)

[cutecipher]

whether or not men benefit from feminism has no bearing on whether feminism is worthwhile

[cutecipher]

put another way. i dont care about how men are impacted by feminism

[cutecipher]

already have people mad about this. okay here's another take. men should be feminists for no benefit.

[mantis-lizbian]

just as white people should be anti-racism for no benefit, and cis people should be pro-trans for no benefit. the only "benefit" that should be required is the creation of a more just world, not because you, personally, actually do get something out of it.

[bucketofdeltav]

This is all true. People should, and many people do, do work that benefits others for no benefit to themselves, because this is the right thing to do.

However, in practical terms, this is another example of People Will Not Just. If your movement relies on large groups of people Just Doing [thing that does not directly benefit them], your movement is fucked.

Your options, if you want real change and not just moral purity, are to show people how it does in fact benefit them, or be so loud, and so annoying, and so inconvenient, that supporting you in order to make you Stop That Already will register as a tangible benefit to the people who Will Not Just.

[suncaptor]

linked tree (includes options to donate to Ghanaian projects)

petition to show support

[lestatfag]

STAY SAFE!! [ID: the Gilbert Baker pride flag with the words “Happy pride to all those who are unable to celebrate openly and safely. You are loved and seen!” in all-caps black text over it. /end ID]

[sxendrall]

For you, I keep on moving, I take it all, and every time I see you, I fall in love with you again... Layla ⤿ cairokee - layla

Layla El-Faouly and Marc Spector ⤿ Moon Knight