#dust aspect

[sburbian-sage]

howdy, i just got into my third session, and its kinda setting in that I'm stuck in this forever now? fuck. gotta look on the bright side and all that, godly powers are cool. the trauma, not so much.

currently i am a ward of dust, and I haven't been able to find much clear information about what that means so any help would be appreciated. i am a native heir of rage so I shouldn't struggle too much with being a ward right?

~chronicMalady

THIS ISN'T A CLASSPECT POST

You're right on the money with regards to the Ward. As an Heir, you likely went through something of an archetypal "hero's journey", getting schooled by various mentors and your Whispers, learning a lot about what being an Heir of Rage means until it was time for you to step up and assume your rightful place as "big dick MVP hero of the session", right? Being a Ward is a lot like that, except you're not getting schooled all the time now. It's your job to step up, all of your ambition behind you, and seize as much as you can. Straightforward progression, cocksure that everything will go your way, as it will, never settling for the easy road ahead. The upside is that your endeavors will frequently plan out. The downside is that you will still get schooled now and then. And when you do, you'll need to learn to rely on others, as opposed to doing things on behalf of them. Always try to exceed your limits, but be aware of them when you hit them.

As for Dust, it's about investing in things that don't seem impressive now, but could become something in the future. It's the opposite of Coins, which is about assessing the value of things and what they can do for you now. Imagine you want a fast bike. Rage Players will ride any old bike and simply scream at it to go faster. Coin Players will go to the store and discern which bike is the fastest, and how they can acquire it. Dust Players know that their bike might not be the fastest, but it just takes some TLC, maintenance, and modification, and soon enough it'll be faster than both of them. It's about commitment and trying to unlock the true potential in things, while avoiding lost causes. This should be fairly understandable, these are like koans, but your Aspect will guide you a lot more directly as a Ward than it did as an Heir.

The more important advice I think you need is about acclimating to the whole "you play the game forever now" thing. This tends to be harder to cope with than the game itself.

If you meet someone you're genuinely friends with (or want to know after the Session ends), make sure you exchange contact information. Value your comrades, but make sure that it doesn't turn into one or two people stressdumping on the other, otherwise your friendships will become chores.

Find a hobby. Something you can retreat to in order to clear your mind. Running this blog is my version of touching grass. Have some "devoted" hobbies you can reflexively engage with when it's time to decompress, but ensure you have a rotating set so you don't associate (e.g.) watching movies with feeling miserable.

Maintaining a blog is like having a hobby, a journal (diary), and a "centerpoint" for your friend group, all at once.

Internalize a reason to keep going, even if it's petty. "I'll hold out in case I escape" is a bad one that will lead to inevitable disappointment. "I'll be there to hang out with my friends" is a classic, but watch out and make sure you don't lose the will to live if one of them ends up going silent forever one day. For me, I always end a day by checking the archive of pre-SBURBAN media. I personally think there's something significant about booting up a never-before-seen video game or cartoon, even if I know it's ultimately a relic of a bygone era. It kind of reminds me of the Replayernet as a whole. A group of people who should by all means be dying alone and afraid, contributing to a greater continuity of culture that will outlast all of them one day, but be there for the next generations. Even if I'm not so idealistic as to believe that it'll be our foundation for rebuilding those cultures when (if) the door starts working.

[sburbian-sage]

howdy! its me again, that anonymous ward of dust from however long ago. finally managed to get stuff set up properly on my end.

dust is an interesting aspect. its a new way of looking at the world, seeing the value in the broken and simple things in life. I found a very heavily corroded battle axe that's been serving me quite well if I charge it with some dusty energy. I think its going to be important for the quest? I have the land of forests and garbage. everything is pointing to me needing to rebuild something with all the garbage, and my axe is going to be a key part of it. in the meantime though, I'm using it for wood carving as a hobby while I figure out some other stuff.

as for a reason to keep going? well if I cant escape, then I'm going to learn. I'm going to experience everything this hellscape has to offer.

That's the spirit! It looks like you're already getting a hang of Dust, and of replaying. If you're eternally thirsty for knowledge, everyone and their mom has written a guide or FAQ about some aspect of the game. There are also dedicated forums and groupchats concerning dedicated to research, experimentation, or other data compilation. And Ivory Tower, if you don't have any taste or judgement. But I feel like you're the type who wants to experience the majority of this firsthand. In which case, keep these tools (and me) in your back pocket in case they're needed.

My only parting piece of advice is that Dust infusion will only take you so far when it comes to value in the underappreciated. It's good, mind you, but if you want to excel, you'll need to put in some elbow grease. Try to repair that axe if at all possible. Scrubbing the rust off, maybe doing some amateur blacksmithery if the corrosion has eaten holes into the thing. If you can attach a leather handle to it, or personalize it, that'll do wonders. Of course, Alchemy and upgrading to something better is a natural part of SBURB's equipment progression, and the roleplaying bonuses will eventually reach a soft cap. But alchemizing a spiffy refurbished axe will get better results than alchemizing a nearly broken one. And then you can work on maintaining the product of such a union. Nobody said it would be easy, but enough work and diligence can turn specks of sand into diamonds.

[sburbian-sage]

Heir of Dust

Inheritor of Desperation and Improvisation

"My favorite three questions are, 'What do I want?', 'What do I have?', and 'How can I best use the latter to get the former?'"

anon requests a shrubbery

Heirs are a passive Inheritor class. They get things handed to them. This of course also means accepting responsibilities too. But it’s a lot loftier than having to earn them like a Ward does.

Dust is an interesting class that not many people bother to educate themselves on, which is a shame. Dust deals with Making Do With What You Have. They don’t have a lot, but they do just as well. They just need to be smart with what they have. This is the inverse of Coins, which is about assessing value you get better.

So an Heir of Dust not get much, but they’ll learn to master that which they do. This means a lot of invention, or thinking outside the box.And when they do think, it’ll be a novel idea.

HOW TO PLAY AN HEIR OF DUST

Have few things on you.

Deal with what you’re dealt with.

Be the Guile Hero.

HOW TO DIE AN HEIR OF DUST

Complain that you don’t have what you need.

Look for actual, physical Dust. IT’S NEVER LITERAL, PEOPLE.

Look at your pitiful inventory and think “i need more/better/something else”. You are McGuyver. Work with it.

HEIR OF DUST ABILITIES

[Minor Action]: An innocuous action that will yield major consequences, maybe now, maybe later. This could be destroying a pillar, busting a lock, or anything like that. You have a natural inclination to do it, and it has a natural inclination to be significant.

[Implausible Solution]: Even if it’s a stick of gum, a salt-shaker, and a match, you can do something with it. You have slight reality warping tendencies when making do with something that sometimes defies logic. This tends to piss off Mind players. Tell them to deal with it. I learned to, so can they.

[Rabbunctious]: A fun cute ability. Somewhere low on the Echeladder, you will be hit with the compulsion to build a small robot. The first model will often be small and unassuming, and almost always a Rabbit. I also lied, because this first model is the only model. He’s a dumb shitty Dust Bunny, but he will be your friend. He will take orders, solve puzzles, scout out parts, and provide comfort. Feel free to upgrade him with stuff from the floor, until he’s a shiny good boy.