Idea for new Lectern’s installment

This may be a silly question, but . . . what would people think of Sci-Twi roping her friends into a one-shot session of Ogres and Oubliettes in the front parlor?

And if folks do like the notion—which I suspect is a foregone conclusion—I would be very, very interested in suggestions regarding everything about said session. As in, please send suggestions and ideas.

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Oh, absolutely.

• Rarity crafts a grandiose backstory for her character, including a noble lineage spanning six generations, which never comes up during the one-shot. She also chews every available piece of scenery, because roleplay is just acting, drama, darling!
... What do you mean "character sheet"?
• Dash is the opposite, just in it to smash heads... up until she finds herself getting into it in spite of herself. Also, she makes her character as close to Daring Do as possible given the system, because of course she does.
• Applejack tries, bless her, but she just doesn't get the whole "playing pretend, only there are also dice" thing.
• Pinkie is going to play a bard. It doesn't matter if Twilight goes for Call of Cthulhu, Shadowrun, or Cyberpunk, Pinkie is going to play a bard. There will be singing. I don't make the rules, this is just how it works. And she's going to derail and/or save the campaign. Possibly more than once for each.
• Similarly, Fluttershy is almost certainly going to play a druid. She and her animal companion will be utterly terrifying. The girl has far fewer compunctions about destroying imaginary foes, after all.
• Sunset won't play a spellcaster (not an arcane one, anyway) sonce she can't help but be bothered by how magic doesn't work that way. She might give paladin a spin. There may be a case of foot-in-mouth if Twilight brings up tieflings. ("... No offense?")
• And Twilight may know that no campaign survives contact with the PCs (emphasis on "may,") but there's no way she has enough contingencies for this group. She may have to, horror of horrors, improvise.
• Also, Mr. Lectern himself might chime in if he's played a few sessions.

[Spamotron]

When people do these they often have the girls play "appropriate," classes, ie Fluttershy plays a druid. It might be fun to have them play against type for once. For example Rarity plays a savage barbarian or Rainbow Dash plays an intellectual wizard.

[Masterweaver]

Pinkie, despite being as wild as usual, analyzes everyone’s playstyle and offers alternate systems that would fit better afterward.

[Arkonfleight]

Shining Armor and Twilight arguing over system.
AJ and Dash comparing pen-Iiii mean damage outputs.
Fluttershy figuring out the plot thirty seconds in and being talked over the whole time.
Sunset complaining about the magic system and how she'd TOTALLY have done X if magic worked like home.

[Masterweaver]

Through a series of shenanigans, the players end up on the side of some character who was set up to be the bad guy.

Also they adopt a random NPC who shouldn't even have had a plotline.

[SolaceStone]

It'll be great to have Big Mac join in the fun! And who knows? Maybe Discord (Equestria's Discord) would be interested to join in. Cookie Pusher would have a heart attack if he sees him though.

[Venerable Ro]

O&O you say?

Baron Engel has been working his way through a series of character studies on that very topic.

derpicdn.net/img/2019/3/18/1989450/large.jpeg
Applejack, paladin

derpicdn.net/img/2019/4/29/2026899/large.jpeg
Twilight, mage(obviously)

derpicdn.net/img/view/2019/6/6/2059440.jpeg
Rarity,rogue

derpicdn.net/img/2019/3/3/1976744/large.jpeg
Rainbow, barbarian

Sadly, Baron has yet to finish the series, but what we have here is fun, yes?

---

You should absolutely put them up against the countdown puzzle, 'tis a timeless classic. It's a pity Sci-Twi is DMing, because I'd love to see her reaction to it.

(Honestly, all of this guy's videos are great, you should totally check them out.)

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And as a final point, my group has always been of the opinion that it's character flaws that make for an interesting game. Now I don't mean the chaotic stupid rogue that sets the rope bridge on fire as the party is crossing it, but the quirks that make someone more than the sum of their character sheet.

For instance, my cousin played a horrifically effective totem-bear barbarian/battlemaster fighter that was death on anything that he could get into melee with. But, since he loved the fight so much, he'd go straight at the nearest enemy, or the biggest thing in the room if the opportunity presented itself. So before Gruul (wonderful name I know) enraged, he needed steering if he was going to have a useful effect on a fight.

If he'd played it tactical his character would have been rather overpowered, but since Gruul didn't know the meaning of the word "subtlety" every fight was entertaining.

[Dave Bryant]

5085609
I like the suggested player attitudes and the idea that Lectern himself has played!

5085614
I definitely like the idea of the girls playing against type—there is comedy gold in that. After all, we’re looking in from the outside; it might not be so clear-cut from their points of view, or Sci-Twi might make suggestions. So, for everyone: what class might each girl play that’s outside her “stereotypical” class? In that vein, FOME’s suggestion of Sunset playing a paladin comes to mind.

5085654 5085714
I want to limit the play group to just the girls; that’ll be difficult enough to write as it is. The rest of Arkonfleight’s suggestions have potential, especially Fluttershy.

5085691
Hmm . . . possibly, possibly. I’ve seen those very things happen, and they certainly fit with FOME’s suggestion of a harried Sci-Twi being forced to improvise as the players leave the railroad tracks as twisted wreckage far behind.

5085742
Baron is a long-time friend and roommate, so I get to see just about every artwork he produces as he does so. And he always keeps me up to date on his dreamscapes.

I too have enjoyed The Animated Spellbook.

[Venerable Ro]

5086998

Ah, right. I quite forgot who I was talking to. Silly me.

[Spamotron]

5086998
After thinking about it something that might be even more fun is to give them the "appropriate," classes everyone expects but most class based d20 games these days have "sub-classes," or "class paths," that can change them up a lot.

So Fluttershy does play a Druid but it's a "Natures Wrath," Druid who fries foes with lightning or swallows them up in chasms in the earth. Pinkie Pie plays a Bard but is a "Dread Bard," who terrorizes her enemies with haunting tunes rather than inspires her allies. Rainbow Dash is a Fighter but is a "Tactician," who supports and enables allies rather than doing big damage herself. Rarity is a "Brutal Thug," Rogue who excels at intimidation and hitting foes over the head with a big club rather than subtlety.

[Dave Bryant]

5087017
Fifth-edition D&D includes subclasses as well, so I’m familiar with the concept, if not all the ins and outs for every class. My plan is for Sci-Twi to introduce the girls to “the latest edition” of O&O.

[Arkonfleight]

5086998
Figured Shining was in the prep steps, not playing.
For anti-type classes
>Fluttershy picks a wizard to hide in the back and contribute
>channels trixie because that's how you do
>we have created a monster.jpg

After pondering
>Dash chooses rogue
>not (just) because go fast do damage, but also because Daring Do
>Which naturally means one of the int based variants
>Dash attempting to smart her way through things

[Spamotron]

Another idea. Twilight plans the adventure assuming the girls will want to play altruistic heroes. The girls using the logic of "you play rpgs to do something different to what you are in real life," make a band of shady profit obsessed mercenaries instead.