Prologue: You're All Sitting in a Tavern
Equestria Girls: Caverns and Critters
Prologue: You’re All Sitting in a Tavern...
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“Alright, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer groaned at the newest addition to their little band of friends, opening her hands and letting them drop to her sides. “There’s got to be something you like to do!”
“I told you already!” Twilight wailed, cringing away from the angry and exasperated expressions all around her. “I just like to read and study… This whole ‘friendship’ thing is really new to me! Like, really really new!”
“Ain’t that much inta music, not the ‘outdoorsy’ type – understandably so –“
“Hey!”
“An’ y’all ain’t really into video games or sports or, shucks, anythin’!”
“Totally un-cool.” Rainbow Dash nodded sagely, crossing her arms. Of all the people in their group of friends, however, the one who seemed to be getting the most upset was Fluttershy. Sunset was just as shocked as everybody else when Fluttershy spoke her mind.
“We’re honestly just trying to help you, Twilight. We know you had a hard time at Crystal Prep, but here at Canterlot High, we do things a little differently. Believe me, I know what it’s like to be ostracized; I’m pretty much only interested in animals – or I was before I met the others – yet I managed to branch out and enjoy music, hiking with Applejack, and even playing an occasional sport with Rainbow Dash.” She stepped forward, gingerly laying a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “If I can branch out and try new things, then so can you.”
“Yeah, but-“
“She’s already been doing other things, darling.” Rarity groaned, rolling her eyes. “I mean, even embroidery failed to keep her interested, and let’s face it, what’s more fun than that?”
“Ah huh.” Applejack deadpanned, turning her attention back to Twilight. “An you ain’t no farmhand, that much is fer sure. Don’t worry, I talked to granny about it, and we have enough spare wood to repair the barn door no problem.”
“How was I supposed to know how to drive a tractor? I don’t even have my license yet.” Twilight’s plaintive complaint fell on deaf ears, as Sunset began rubbing the bridge of her nose.
“I’m just surprised that reading and studying are your only passions. There has to be something communal for us to do together.” She lifted a hand, cutting Twilight off before she could open her mouth. “That isn’t a book club.”
“I thought it was a good idea.” Twilight puffed her cheeks out, though she seemed to shy more and more away from the others.
“Anything? Something?” Rainbow Dash asked, mirroring Sunset as she lifted her hands and let them fall. “I mean, even a book we could like, read together, or-“
“Well, there is one thing.” Twilight intoned. It was the first glimmer of hope Sunset had seen from the poor girl since the whole fiasco with Crystal Prep. “But honestly, I don’t know if you guys would be into it…”
“Just spit it out, girl. Ain’t nothin’ ah won’t try at least once.”
Twilight took a deep breath, seeming to mentally prepare herself for the revelation that had been a few weeks in coming.
“Have you ever heard of the pen-and-paper game, ‘Caverns and Critters?’”
There was a short pause as everyone in the group shared looks, ranging from concern to interest and everywhere in between. Sunset could honestly say she had heard of the game, but aside from whatever she’d seen on the news about demonic cults and overblown parental reactions to the occult content of the game, she knew nothing. Skepticism was high on her list of things, but the prolonged silence seemed to be making Twilight the most uncomfortable among them all. Sunset spoke first.
“I don’t think we really have, but if you think it’s something we could all do together, then far be it from us to say no.”
“I only know that my dad used to play it way back in college. He still has some of the old dice and stuff. I tried to use them for yahtzee a few years back, but they were all funny-shaped. Oh, but he plays all those fantasy games, and those are pretty cool. Will it have like, dragons and stuff?” Rainbow Dash seemed most interested of the others, which helped Twilight come out of her shell a little more.
“Yeah, there are dragons, and other creatures too. It’s kind of halfway between writing a book and playing a video game without a TV or anything. A lot of it is story-telling.”
“That actually sounds really cool!” Rainbow Dash grinned all around at them, helping spread the excitement.
“Ah think Big Mac played with it for a few years. Ah cin ask him about it.”
“Ooh, ooh, I know my sisters really liked that game! They played with their friends all through high school!” Pinkie Pie chimed in at last, having been uncharacteristically quiet up until then. Fluttershy had moved from a concerned frown to a supportive smile. Sunset thought it was good that they were beginning to show interest in something.
“Well, it’s a game you play using mostly your imagination, but you can draw maps and castles with rooms on paper… Look, it’s really complicated and would take ages to bring you all up to speed, but if we really want something we can do together, I…” She sighed, rubbing one arm with the opposite hand. “I always wanted to try playing a campaign that I read on a whim a few years ago. Nobody at Crystal Prep really played, or if they did they weren’t really the nicest of people. So I guess we could give it a shot.”
“And I have the PERFECT place for it!” Pinkie Pie gasped. She began flapping her hands, as she often did when excited about something. “My sisters used to play in our basement all the time, but once they went to college they took most of their stuff with them. They left the tables and chairs and even a few smaller things behind. We could play at my house!”
“I have all the other materials we’d need, which if I’m being honest isn’t much.” Twilight smiled, a genuine, honest smile; one of the first Sunset had seen her give since joining their group. “It’s gonna take some research and more than a few explanations, but I think you’d all enjoy it. I have digital copies of the books we’ll need, so when I get home tonight, I’ll e-mail them all to you. You’ve got my number, so just message me if you have any questions about the material. If you think you can wrap your mind around it, print off the character sheet in the back and draw one up. I’d even be willing to come over to help you out.”
“It’s settled, then.” Sunset sealed the deal, tapping her fist in the palm of her opposite hand. “We’ll take a week to get used the material, and meet at Pinkie’s next Friday.”
“I smell a sleepover!” Pinkie bubbled, dashing off to undoubtedly go prepare.
“How long do these ‘campaigns’ take?” Rarity asked the question that had been bugging at the back of Sunset’s own mind. “We all have our own summer projects to do, mind you…”
“They’re kinda long, I’m not gonna lie.” Twilight grimaced. “I’ve heard stories of games taking years to complete sometimes. Usually they take a few months, but that’s with people meeting only once a week. Since it’s summer and we don’t have class or anything aside from our projects, we can probably play through it in a month if we play three times a week.”
“Hmm. Alright, that sounds fair.” Rarity beamed at Twilight, wrapping her in a quick hug. “I need to get home and finish an arrangement, but do send me those digital copies!”
“Start with the player’s handbook, it’s got all of the important information in it. I can help coordinate the party via text or email, so you all don’t roll six fighters.”
“Fighters? Is there violence?” Fluttershy’s eyes were wide enough to be seen behind the ever-present veil of hair she hid behind. Twilight grimaced, but shook her head.
“There is, but I promise, Fluttershy, I won’t make any of you hurt any animals – real or otherwise. If there are any, they’ll be evil, or at least dangerous towards others. You can play any sort of campaign with this game – the possibilities are basically endless. Some people play evil campaigns where they try to take over the land or something like that, but the majority of them are just groups of adventurers trying to do the right thing. Save a village, stop a tyrant, kill an evil dragon… That sort of thing.”
“Oh. Okay. As long as no innocent animals are hurt.” Fluttershy smiled, fidgeting a little. “I’m actually getting kind of excited. You all seem to be looking forward to this.”
“It sure sounds like fun.” Sunset beamed at Twilight. “And we have pretty open schedules this summer, so we might be able to finish this campaign before we go back to school.”
“And it’s not like we can’t keep playing once school starts, either. I’m sure even Canterlot High encourages extra-curricular activities. Games like this involve a lot of integral concepts, like simple math, teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, and even diplomacy.”
“Huh.” Sunset failed to see how the things she’d heard about the game could possibly translate into anything Twilight would be interested in. If the game truly was demonic or evil like those news stories said it was, Twilight wouldn’t be so excited for it. “Well, it sounds like I’ve got some reading to do, then. Next Friday at Pinkie’s it is.”
With that, they went their separate ways, though Sunset wasn’t entirely sure it was with any small amount of excitement or anticipation.
----------
For as large as the books were, they were surprisingly intuitive, if a little dry on the ‘interesting reading’ part. Much of it was statistics, numbers, and charts, but Sunset could see a massively complex and in-depth system for a tabletop game. With just a few questions directed her way from Twilight, she’d managed to print out and create a character she felt comfortable with. Come Friday, she took the sheet with her penciled-in scribbles, a few extra pencils, and everything she’d need for a sleepover to Pinkie’s house.
“Sunset! We’re almost all here already, come join us down here!” Pinkie stood at the head of a flight of stairs leading into what Sunset could only assume was the basement of her home. Following the exuberant girl down the creaky steps, Sunset was stricken with how open and well-furnished the place was. A thick carpet cushioned her feet, and what she had thought would be cold concrete walls and dimly-lit storage space was actually a tastefully-decorated basement den. If she had to guess, it was almost the size of the floor above it, the open floor-plan broken only by sturdy wooden beams; the support for the house.
“Woah. Nice place, Pinkie.”
“Is that Sunset?” Rainbow Dash’s voice came from behind her, and underneath the staircase, Sunset could see another portion of the basement devoted to a well-appointed den. A large TV was fixed to the wall, and currently showing some sporting event or another. Football, it looked like. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were watching aptly from the comfortable couch opposite the TV, while Fluttershy stroked Angel contentedly on a nearby recliner. Rarity was nowhere to be seen, and Twilight hadn’t arrived just yet.
“We’re gonna be playing over here.” Pinkie drew her attention to the last portion of the basement, a large wooden dining table that would normally seat anywhere from eight to ten people. A small collection of materials sat on the table top, the logos and scribbles looking familiar from her own books.
“This is awesome.” Sunset grinned. “It’s like something out of a college movie.”
“You should have seen my dad’s face when I told him I’d be playing Caverns and Critters.” Rainbow Dash slid up to the table, a folder in her hands. “He freaked out, taught me everything he knew, and even let me look at his old characters. Sunset, this game is awesome.”
“Is it?” Sunset had to admit to herself that put a lot of her fears to rest. If Rainbow Dash was this amped up, her energy would transmit to the rest of them.
“He told me so many stories about his glory days playing this game. If half the stuff he says is true, then we’re in for a wild ride.”
“When is Twilight gonna get here, then?” Applejack had turned the TV off and joined them, followed by Rarity descending from upstairs; presumably coming from the upstairs bathroom.
“That should be her now.” Rainbow Dash pulled her phone out as it chirped, grinning excitedly. “She just got off the bus, says she’ll be here any minute.”
“Speak of the devil.” Pinkie Pie grinned as the front door opened and closed. “We’re down here, Twilight!” Just a few short moments later and the mousy girl descended into the basement, her eyes gone wide in wonderment.
“Oh wow. This makes the two-hour bus ride worth it.” She had on a heavy backpack and conservative clothes. “Do we want to get right into it, or…?”
“Let’s go!” Rainbow Dash sat down near the head of the table, bouncing in her seat excitedly. “My character is so awesome, I can’t wait for you all to see what she can do!”
“Right into it, then.” Twilight took the head of the table, pulling several books, folders, and her laptop out. Nearby outlets provided power, and she set everything up behind a large screen, hiding her accessories from everyone else’s view. Even then, she hardly took up any space on the table. As she went around setting up and distributing pre-packaged sets of polyhedron dice to each of them, she invited them to introduce themselves.
“Go ahead and tell the others about your character, and let them know a little bit about what they do. Keep some things secret, though, since it’ll make the inter-party roleplay a little more interesting.”
“Me first!” Dash butted in, practically ripping her character sheet from its folder. “Alright, prepare to be blown away. I’m playing a human fighter.”
Silence again. Even Twilight paused in her distribution efforts, blinking at Rainbow Dash.
“A… A fighter?” Applejack broke the quiet, fighting a snicker. “The most basic and uninteresting class in the whole game?”
“Laugh all you want now, AJ!” Rainbow Dash cackled triumphantly. “I have it on good authority that fighters are the most versatile and awesome classes in the whole game! I mean come on, a bonus feat every level?! I’ll be cleaving through mobs by level four!”
“Wait, seriously?!” Applejack pulled a beaten copy of her own player’s handbook out, flipping through pages. “Aww what the heck! They DO get bonus feats every level!”
“Very smart, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight grinned. “Fighters can take bonus feats to help focus their combat style. If you really wanted to, you probably could start cleaving by level four, or even three.”
“Yeah, but I took Endurance and Quick Draw for my first feats.” Dash shrugged. “I wanted weapon focus, but my dad recommended these.”
“Alright, Applejack, what’d you make?”
“In keeping with ‘honest Apple family tradition,’ or so Big Mac says…” Applejack pulled her own sheet out, laying it on the table. “Ah made a Paladin.”
“Oh, perfect.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Please don’t tell me you’re gonna quote scripture like that one guy in my dad’s group.”
“Aw shucks, y’all already know about that?” Applejack deflated. “Ah guess Big Mac was right, ain’t nobody likes paladins… Still, ah figger we need someone to take the hits and do the damage.” She shrugged nonchalantly.
“Neat, so we have two frontline fighters. Rarity, what about you?”
“Well, I expected no less from Rainbow Dash, ignoring the important things.”
“Hey! Cleaving is important!”
“So I made a rogue.” She smiled demurely, rubbing her sheet flat on the table. “They have the largest skill pool and the most skill points. I’ve focused on diplomacy, mostly.”
“The smooth-talking rogue, eh? That’s good. Though I hope you put some points into spot and disable device.”
“What do you mean by that?” Rarity seemed to pale at the devious look on Twilight’s face.
“You’ll see. Pinkie Pie? What about you?”
“Well, I wanted to make a bard, but-“
“But you got a call from your sister, didn’t you?” Twilight cut her off matter-of-factly. Pinkie sighed, her poofy mane of curls deflating a little.
“Party poopers. The lot of ya. No, I didn’t make a bard because apparently I’m already enough of a pain in the ass.”
Rainbow Dash was the only one who snorted.
“So I made a ranger instead!”
“That’s… better, I guess.”
“My sister said having someone who can track in the wilderness and do damage from a distance is really good to have in the party. I figured I want to help more than I want to hurt, and besides…” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, and Sunset noticed it had returned to its usual fluffy state. “Playing music to control the hearts and minds of thousands only sounds awesome.”
They all shared a look, suddenly much more afraid of the possibility of Pinkie playing a bard than they should have been.
“Right then, Fluttershy?”
“Let me guess, druid?”
“How did you know?!” Fluttershy pouted, clutching her sheet to her chest. “I worked really hard on this!”
“It’s the one that had the most to do with animals.” Rainbow Dash shrugged, leaning back in her chair with a smug grin. “Sometimes you’re too easy to read.”
“Hey, there’s something to be said for picking a class that’s comfortable to you in real-life.” Twilight went to Fluttershy’s defense immediately. “Just because we’re playing in a fantasy world doesn’t mean we aren’t putting a little of ourselves into our own characters. In a way, these people we’re making are extensions of ourselves. That’s half of the fun of this game, is letting their stories take us away to a different world.” Twilight’s eyes suddenly slid to Sunset, a faint smile playing across her lips. “As made evident by our last member…”
Sunset sighed and sat down in the last seat, pulling her own character sheet out. And with it, a spell sheet.
“Sorceress.” She groaned. She hated to admit it, but Twilight had been one hundred percent right. Being a part of the magic of the Elements of Harmony, doing all the things she had been doing the past two years, and knowing that magic still existed, made her long for her old home on Equestria. Playing the magic-casting Sorceress class was just another way for her to feel closer to home.
“It’s nice to have a spellcaster in the party.”
“Hey, I’ve got spells!” Applejack pulled her own spell sheet out, but Sunset couldn’t help but grin. She flipped hers over, revealing compact columns, each one much more thick than her friends’.
“I’ve got more spells.”
“Aww, no fair.” Applejack crossed her arms and pouted, but Sunset was all smiles.
“Twilight’s right, this game is really easy to lose yourself in. I’d hate to admit it, but I kind of wanted a taste of home, and the Sorceress is a really easy way to get that. Even if it’s just make-believe, magic is magic, and I love it.”
“So that’s it, then.” Twilight knit her fingers together behind the screen, peering over the top of both it and her glasses at them. “Six adventurers, ready to fight against overwhelming odds and injustices most foul. Are you girls ready?”
“The only question I have left is, how do we start?”
Twilight’s smile grew even wider.
“You’re all sitting in a tavern…”
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Well, this certainly looks interesting...definite fav
going by the manga nana to kaoru ... uhm something you know quite well that has NOTHING to do with pen and paper (maybe with roleplay XD)
How fucking DARE you sir.
Ladies and gentlemen Pinkie the Siren.
6738682
Love NTK. Apparently they did an anime adaptation.
Hmm... Yep, tracking.
I like it so far!
It's kind of nice that Pinkie isn't a bard, actually.
It sounds like they're playing 3rd edition - are they starting at first level?
6738793 hmm i think i've seen a bit of it somewhere, but i just like the manga more.
anyway, about the chapter ... awesome, and so stereotypical for roleplayers hehehe !?
also, can you start the next one with "roll for initiative" pretty please ?
fav'd,track'd,thumb'dup
6739123
1st level, 3.5. It's the one I personally have the most experience with, so it's most comfortable for me.
Twilight staring over the GM screen is giving my Gendo Ikari visions... Looking good and definitely follow worthy. Hoping to see more soon.
Einstein:God does not play dice with the universe.
Hawking:God not only plays dice, theyre often thrown where they cant be seen.
Gygax:Roll for initiative.
I played 3.5 years ago, have Players manual etc, mainly look at Pathfinder and algorithms these days for working out decent combat options etc, used to have a wizard with 18 strength. Could do more damage wwith iron shod staff as a club, than could with Magic Missile.
Just be glad Pinkie didnt go for Bard. In Pathfinder at least, at first level, then moving to another class in multiclassing, she could get Unnatural Lust as a spell. just think of the cafeteria, sorry, tavern scenes.
This was my parents (dad mostly). Freaked out once whe I told him I was playing D&D with some friends.
---
Can't wait for more! Out of curiosity is this gonna be on that over-the-internet campaign you did awhile back?
Oh jeez, the timing. A group of buddies and I just started a D&D campaign (I'm completely new to it) This should be a fun read about the girls misadventures as I have my own. I'm intrested to see Flutters build since I'm running a Druid. Although our hyper-holy cleric (but not the pally) has taken some issue with my "i don't worship your gods" thing.
Anyway,
Have a fav.
Obligatory,
I still say there's something to be said for a walking wall of platemail and swords,
I would laugh but in like half my games I end up doing this and taking a few levels in rogue because no one else wants to,
Truuuuuuuuth...
One word, Sunset: FIREBALL,
This is off to a great start; probably one of the better D&D themed stories I've seen. Looking forward to more!
s6.postimg.org/5pzpmopep/Pirate_Approved2.jpg
Of course Sunset picked a magic user, she IS one.
Let the mayham begin
Gygax rolling in his grave, huh?
Somehow, Applejack playing a Lawful Stupid Paladin makes perfect sense.
Nobody likes Paladins.
Also, not putting points into Perception and Disable Device as a Rogue? Rarity, you wound me. Tell me she at least threw a few into Stealth.
Heh, as I was reading this the score for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey queued up on Pandora ... talk about timing ...
6741020
Now now, AJ could surprise us all and be an actual lawful good paladin instead of the normal pain-in-the-neck knight-templar version we all know and loathe.
6740769
My gaming group has discussed the idea of having a party of pure clerics. Between the armor, buffing and healing options, it has a lot of potential for making the GM pull his hair out
6739389
Pinkie ... Unnatural Lust ... the images in my head ....
every single goddamn game except Vanguard and I can't find a viable crossover plot to do myself *violent sobs but likes anyway*
Oooh~ This should be good! *munches on the popcorn*
6739210 FINALLY A GOOD D&D STORY! TAKE THIS FAVE OF FANDOM...+3
OH MY GOD!
I've wanted to try at getting into the D&D stuff but when I try the only people I know around move/ disappear, quit work, who knows but I'm always left high and dry still wanting to try.
One guy I knew, his favorite character was banned from further games. It was a half demon soul mage, he watched to much Yu-Yu Hokisho far to hard a hitter and to wide a skill/ability list and then there was the clothing and armor the character had. Apparently one of his favorite things to do was a 75 foot jump straight up with the landing basically being the Hammer of God type thing, walked away without a scratch thanks to skills and armors
Putting this in my read later category, should I be able to fit it in. Oh, speaking of, the comics revealed that ponies have their own version of such: Ogres & Obliettes.
[youtube=WIDhRU1iyu4] I'm not sorry.
Do you really want an answer to that?
So... Does Dash's father dislike her or is he pushing her for some of the weirder minmaxed builds?
6741566
She's a new player. He recommended those so she didn't take penalties for sleeping in armor.
6740769
Lina Inverse ?!
I know involvement from Newbiespud's comic "Friendship is Dragons" when I see it. Seriously, you people should read that comic. It's flipping amazing.
Here's the link to the first comic page.
Three strikers, no controller, and only one leader? The minute swarms of things start to show up they're boned.
6741766
Not necessarily. The campaign I'm in right now has 4 strikers and a leader and the DM can't stop us with anything he's thrown at us (including a dragon. This fight consisted of one of the strikers using a knockout poison [save ends] and then wailing on the dragon while the DM complained and failed said saving throws). One of the fighters has optimized himself enough that he deals 200+ damage on a critical hit at level 16.
6741766 Actually, this sounds more like 3.5 than 4... if so, they got the perfect team: the Sorcerer goes AoE on everything that moves, the Druid heals and buffs, the Ranger snipes whoever escapes the Sorcerer's wrath while her and the Druid's pets maul whoever draws too close, the Rogue backstabs anyone who is stupid enough to get flanked or not notice her, the Fighter tanks and either plays the Iron Wall (sword-and-board style) or the Swinging Reaper (two-hander style) and the Paladin plays secondary tank and heals when needed (the paladin's anti-evil aura is just frosting on the righteous cake). Classic party.
Pity for Applejack that this isn't a faux-Pathfinder... in Pathfinder everyone loves the Paladin! I mean, Smite Evil is pretty much murder-in-a-can, Lay On Hands is thrice as powerful (and can be turned into the Healing Wave that clerics have), and if she doesn't want the holy mount (horses don't fit easily in a dungeon) she can choose a Holy Blade literally possessed by an Angel... all that and more.
6741866
This is indeed 3.5, as I said in a previous comment. I'm more comfortable and familiar with it than Pathfinder.
Caverns and Critters is a far out game.
6741620 That's generally only relevant if the GM in question is being rather spiteful, or at least following the "Gigaxian" "screw your players whatever way you can" style of GMing. Well, I suppose Twi might be that kind of GM I guess, but if so is the case I absolutely pity poor Applejack, who's going to be completely screwed by having chosen to play a Paladin.
6741904
Hey, 3.5 paladins had some of the best prestige classes. Paladin of Tyranny? Can cast 'Command Other' as a free action 1xlevel/2 a day?
I may be mis-remembering, but paladins could prestige into some awesome stuff, man.
6741914
Paladin of Tyranny is the
Chaotic-Evil, sorry, Lawful-Evil paladin variant, but yes; 3.5 has a great deal of flexibility for play style. More so if you start adding home-brew to it. (C/E is Slaughter.)6741866
So long as they're not playing the paladin as "Lawful-Stupid", most people tend to be okay with them.
6741940 I found out that most people who play "lawful stupid" are literally game table trolls. Heck, even the freakin' RULEBOOK says that "when having to choose between lawful and good, the paladin usually chooses good". The one who is classified as "lawful stupid by definition" is the Samurai (there IS a reason why no self-respecting 3.5 player plays a samurai in an oriental campaign, Katanas be damned... they're weak, they have a code of honor that is harsher than a kick in the privates and they have sub-optimal equipment).
6741882
6741866
Ah, ok. I think it would be funny if Pinkie was a cleric of the party god though.
6741990
Call her Pope H.R. Pufnstuf?
Ok... You can definitely tell these girls are /tg/ Virgins... Not a single mention of a bag of crisps or box of Soda... Like, at all... They're going to be very irritable by the time they realize they need to break for takeout...
You know... I actually see this working out rather well for the group. Some may cast RD as a rogue type, but her tendency to charge in head first would screw with that dynamic royally. On the other hand, I could definitely see her doing Very well as a Dex build at the later levels depending on which feats she takes and how she focuses her weapon skills.
You know, I know there's a lotta hate out there for the Pally... I understand why and that much of it is well deserved thanks to the "Palladunces" (as I call them) out there, but I also know that when they're played well they can be some of the most valuable members of any party. Rolling Paladin is more my brother's thing (I like Rangers for their range and versatility), but I know enough to know what to look for. A "Good" paladin remembers that they aren't Just their "Moral Alignment". That being a "Righteous Fighter" doesn't mean you have to abandon all pretense of subtlety or that you need to snipe out every little infraction to the kleptomaniac Chaotic Neutral rogue. Usually an eye-roll will suffice.
I honestly think AJ has it in her to pull it off once they get into the game.
It definitely suits her, and being able to talk your way out of various situations has its uses... I was once in a group with a Sorceress with a 20 score in persuade with high Cha. Never failed a persuade/bluff check... The running joke was that she used her boobs to distract everyone.
Pinkie... as a bard... Hirk!
Thank Luna her sisters talked her out of it! This being Twilight's first time running a game means the campaign likely could not Handle the abuse that would put it through.
So instead she rolls a Ranger. Good versatility. Focus on ranged attacks with a side of wilderness survival, tracking etc... It's also fortunate because Rangers also can have ranks in Spot plus all of their knowledge checks. If she rolled a "Balanced" skill set she can pick up some of the slack left by Rarity focusing so much on Cha during the early levels. Not a perfect solution, but it's better than the alternative.
With Dash on this one: Saw it coming a mile off. That said, it's not necessarily a bad thing. They don't have a cleric between the six of them but with 'Shy as a Druid and AJ rolling Pally the healing front isn't as much of an issue and it's always nice to have someone running support Melee to keep minions away from the squishier players while the Tanks take on the boss.
And we have our arcane support, though depending on how she levels "Glass Canon" may or may not necessarily apply. Greater variety of castable spells plus more spells per day compared to the Wizard but at the cost of being less versatile outside of their immediate arcane abilities. Now that I think of it I guess that Sunset would be the Sorcerer to Twilight's Wizard...
Calling Future roles/behaviors now:
Rainbow Dash is This Guy
Apple Jack is "The Role Player"
Pinkie Pie is "The Munchkin" (but not necessarily the bad kind)
Rarity is the "Robin hood"
Fluttershy is the Team Mom
And Finally, Sunset is eventually going to be "The Meta Gamer"
It's fortunate that none of them have the personality to completely be "That Guy", but I could still see a few "Moments" occurring here and there as everyone has the potential...
I could also see them branching out into different games once this campaign is over such as this worlds equivalent of Shadowrun, Deadlands, Call/Trial of Cthulhu or even Warhammer Fantasy/40K.
Not gonna lie, I'm already hoping you go serial with this, eventually have them roll alts and stuff.
6742198
We may or may not see the bard come out from Pinkie in the future...
And she may or may not be a bear.
Am I in the room yet? Does anyone want some chips? Where's the Mountain Dew?
Caverns & Critters? Cool. I know they go with Ogres & Oubliettes in the comics, but it's nice to see the EG ver- wait...
Wait.
Dungeons & Dragons, Ogres & Oubliettes, Caverns & Critters... D&D, O&O, C&C... just, mix it up a bit and....
OCD&OCD!?
THE END IS NEIGH! THE END IS NEIGH!'
*This message brought to you by the number 1! When you have to fumble, roll a 1 on a d20! The Dungeon Master will thank you for it!*
6742278 It's CDO. Get it right please.
As a fan of the D&D games and novels I can say this: OH HECK YEAH! LET THERE BE ADVENTURE AND FRIENDS!
6742306
For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? No, I think the abbreviation for that is OCD. I cannot, off the top of my brain-box, think of a medical term derived from CDO.