Fabletop: Most Valuable Player Characters

At the time of this writing, the Covid-19 lockdown is still going on and my references to it are still current. Once this all blows over, this context and intro will be OUTDATED.

…Nevertheless! Why not read something I wrote to help you pass the time?

I know your choices are limited at this time of quarantine. But you know where your choices are limitless? The world of imaaaaaagination, where your characters can do anything you can think for them to do!

Within the mechanics of the game/universe.

And the norms of the narrative.

Alright, so what you can do within a game or story DOES depend on what makes sense as well. But hey, at least you can do it virtually without having to go out!

Time Skips: The Future Is Now

And I’m back from my holidays! And as tends to happen, I could use a holiday from the holidays. Good thing my day to day life is already fairly restful, barring work popping up.

Now to get back to creating content for my adoring public!

…Alright, so maybe I don’t have an adoring public per se. EVEN SO! I thought it’d be good to commemorate my return from my month-long hiatus with a post about TIME SKIPS.

Fabletop Classes: Ranger Danger

I’ve finally done it. With this, I shall cover all the main character classes of D&D, staples of fantasy fiction and gaming. The champions and their abilities.

Today, I will end this series with the Ranger. And I will know that it is finished.

…At least until I decide to cover any extra ones that got added later. Because you see, nothing ever really ends.

Minions: Every Bum, He Was Kung Fu Fighting

Cool headquarters, check. Diabolical plan, check. Doomsday weapon, check. Elaborate death traps, check.

Now all I need are a legion of disposable goons to do my bidding for me! It’s not going to do itself, after all!

…You don’t expect me to do my OWN bidding, do you? Now go see what that weird noise in the vents was, henchman. I have to explain the reason for your meaningless existence to the internet.

Structure 101: The Beginning Of The End

There are many ways to look at stories: Stories are about conflict, stories are about themes and messages, stories are just for entertainment, stories are a bright spot in a dark universe, stories are how we face our inner demons, stories are a series of words arranged in a certain way in order to describe a series of events.

But beneath all that quotable fluff that’s fodder for inspiration porn, beyond the genres and motives, stories share something under the hood: A beginning, middle, and end.

And now, the end is here. The final part of this small series.

I hope I’ve brought you cheer, and not the pain of courtroom juries.

I’ve talked from start to mid,  with nothing hid, wrote in a wry way.

And more, no more than this, I blogged it my way.

Structure 101: Middling In The Middle

There are many ways to look at stories: Stories are about conflict, stories are about themes and messages, stories are just for entertainment, stories are a bright spot in a dark universe, stories are how we face our inner demons, stories are a series of words arranged in a certain way in order to describe a series of events.

But beneath all that quotable fluff that’s fodder for inspiration porn, beyond the genres and motives, stories share something under the hood: A beginning, middle, and end.

…What do you mean I’m reusing last week’s intro? That’s an introduction designed to maintain continuity within a shared topic!

Structure 101: Beginning With Beginnings

There are many ways to look at stories: Stories are about conflict, stories are about themes and messages, stories are just for entertainment, stories are a bright spot in a dark universe, stories are how we face our inner demons, stories are a series of words arranged in a certain way in order to describe a series of events.

But beneath all that quotable fluff that’s fodder for inspiration porn, beyond the genres and motives, stories share something under the hood: A beginning, middle, and end.

And over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a closer look at the skeleton of stories, starting with…the middle, clearly.

Mentors: Meet De Mentors

Very few characters actually make it on their own. Even as loners, they had to learn from somewhere. They had to have a teacher, someone to actually teach them to acquire the skills and traits the author arbitrarily assigned to them.

Someone like a magical talking animal. Or a grizzled washed out wizard. Or the city streets themselves.

Or some weirdo on the internet giving introductions and tips to writing.

Comic Book Deaths And You

Ah yes, death. The final answer. The culmination of a gripping battle or a long march. A powerful tool in the writer’s arsenal, meant to create SHOCK and DRAMA. For surely all will be touched by the loss of their loved one, the legacy and memories they leave behind, and all the emotions that come with it.

And then there’s comic book deaths.

Don’t be so shocked. Isn’t religious Sonic fanart a thing?

As part of my usual target audience, you’re more than likely familiar with the concept. A character ‘dies’ only to come back to life later, sometimes to joyful celebration and other times to rolled eyes. And of course, you know the various ways this happens: clones, robot doubles, magic, time travel, bad/mad science, fight with Death itself, it was a dream, reality gets mixed up, the works. And of course, the classic “The fans/profits demanded it.”

There are plenty of articles to discuss this particular trope’s merits and faults, both from a literary and in-universe perspective, but I won’t be going into those. Instead, I’ll do my best to present the usual ways this plays out, and hopefully give you some fun and some tips about writing along the way. Because really, discipline aside, it IS important to have fun with writing.