Friendship is Dragons
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Newbiespud
10th Oct 2019, 6:00 AM
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Before I get to Story Time, I have a webcomic to recommend.
Order of the Stick.
Stick figure based comic, who's main comedy is making fun of D&D.
While having 3.5 D&D adventures themselves.
Order of the Stick.
Stick figure based comic, who's main comedy is making fun of D&D.
While having 3.5 D&D adventures themselves.
I'm with Lazerwulf (cool name, btw). Great comic, but it's not really that strong on the overt parody these days.
That said, the complex epic fantasy adventure that it's evolved INTO is still rooted in heightened awareness of genre conventions. And the setting is still very much "what if the entire story world ACTUALLY followed the logic of D&D rules-as-written." Those underpinnings never change.
But while it can still be laugh-out-loud funny at times, the gags are now frequently punctuated by moments of genuine pathos that lend meaning to the comedy. The characters have evolved surprising depth, not beyond their archetypes, but within them; reminding us why these types of heroes became iconic in the first place.
Also, if you take a bird's-eye-view at how the arcs connect to each other, the antagonists are all basically a bunch of rules lawyers operating at vastly different scales: a dungeon, a court of law, warring kingdoms, a clerical democratic convention, the tapestry of reality itself. It's like, what if you applied the logic of gameplay to something vaguely resembling real-world praxis of law, politics, or religion, and then threw a bunch of adventurers into the mix? How would that play out? And that makes it a fascinating text in its own right. The story does NOT rely solely on humor to remain compelling.
Honestly, I think it's a genuine masterpiece of its medium. No question.
That said, the complex epic fantasy adventure that it's evolved INTO is still rooted in heightened awareness of genre conventions. And the setting is still very much "what if the entire story world ACTUALLY followed the logic of D&D rules-as-written." Those underpinnings never change.
But while it can still be laugh-out-loud funny at times, the gags are now frequently punctuated by moments of genuine pathos that lend meaning to the comedy. The characters have evolved surprising depth, not beyond their archetypes, but within them; reminding us why these types of heroes became iconic in the first place.
Also, if you take a bird's-eye-view at how the arcs connect to each other, the antagonists are all basically a bunch of rules lawyers operating at vastly different scales: a dungeon, a court of law, warring kingdoms, a clerical democratic convention, the tapestry of reality itself. It's like, what if you applied the logic of gameplay to something vaguely resembling real-world praxis of law, politics, or religion, and then threw a bunch of adventurers into the mix? How would that play out? And that makes it a fascinating text in its own right. The story does NOT rely solely on humor to remain compelling.
Honestly, I think it's a genuine masterpiece of its medium. No question.
I'll fourth this, but we probably shouldn't be talking about this here. Take it to the OotS forums over at giantitp.com.
If we're recommending other "gaming" comics, The Werefrog recommend Weregeek (no relation).
It's about a group of gamers and it follows their real life as well as in games. Also, when they geek out, they get super powers to help defend them from geek hunters. When their powers awaken, it's called being a weregeek. At one point, they even manage to get a football jock to geek out on football, releasing his inner weregeek.
It's about a group of gamers and it follows their real life as well as in games. Also, when they geek out, they get super powers to help defend them from geek hunters. When their powers awaken, it's called being a weregeek. At one point, they even manage to get a football jock to geek out on football, releasing his inner weregeek.
Because someone already did, dear Cozy. What? You didn't suspect me? Of course not. Muhaaahahaha!
If only Cozy had thought to apprentice herself to Celestia directly. She might even have risen to be an heir, or at least worthy competition for Twilight.
What is the most interesting/unique monster your group has ever tamed?
The first character I ever played was a ranger who managed to tame a vicious, man-eating Utahraptor that had been kept in a cursed circus and only fed human meat.
I made him my animal companion. His name was Randall.
I made him my animal companion. His name was Randall.
"Utahraptor"? I've never heard of such a beast before.
Essentially what the Jurassic Park raptors were. Actual Velociraptors were chicken-sized.
For me, it was my Rule 69 clone. Why the mad scientist changed the gender I'll never know (he died in the lab explosion thanks to us).
For context, my character was a large fire-breathing dragon here. :3
For context, my character was a large fire-breathing dragon here. :3
I once made a Tarn Linnorm into a kitten with baleful polymorph. It got to keep its lava breath.
A couple of rocs. Our party had the levels to start facing them, but not really the manpower to defeat them, especially while on their backs/claws while flying. I was looking at their entry in the MM when I noticed (a) they had animal-level intellect, and (b) not technically magical creatures. This is when I, a ranger, used my Animal Empathy on it.
And that's the story of how our team's animal menagerie began. Still not sure when/how we collected the basilisks.
And that's the story of how our team's animal menagerie began. Still not sure when/how we collected the basilisks.
My group has. Tamed/befriended so many creatures. It’s hard to pick just one......but I think I would go with the time in. A castle rave loft campaign, we managed to tame not one but 2 t-Rex before level ten. (Thanks to several luck crits) nothing quite like the looks of sheer surprise and dawning horror on an enemies face when they see you riding a T. rex into battle .
I have to deal with my party making a clockwork dragon. Does that count?
As a halfling bard, I have hatched 3 red dragons and am raising them as my children, tamed 2 red drakes because I smelled like red dragon ( and I rolled high), and a fae dryad that I learned the true name of.
Uh... I also have a sentient sword with the mannerisms of Pyrrah from RWBY. Does that count?
Uh... I also have a sentient sword with the mannerisms of Pyrrah from RWBY. Does that count?
Yeah, Cozy is pretty interesting that she has that genre-savvy knowledge of weaponizing friendship because it is the most powerful type of magic in Equestria.
I assume that's why outside powers try to invade and take over, but usually they fail to understand how the magic works. Cozy is on a better level, being a pony that got lessons on it.
I assume that's why outside powers try to invade and take over, but usually they fail to understand how the magic works. Cozy is on a better level, being a pony that got lessons on it.
Genre Savvy is one of the most powerful abilities in fiction.
Unless it's Wrong Genre Savvy.
Or the monster take you out first because of being Genre Savvy.
Or the monster take you out first because of being Genre Savvy.
Until I found out she wasn't truly evil, I was planning to have Oleander (yes, from Them's Fighting Herds) have a go at taking over Equestria
I think it's telling that you chose for Cozy to say that "every creature is too nice and gullible to be trusted" with the power of friendship.
I don't think it's a stretch to say that it's usually the case that someone is thought to be untrustworthy with power when they are corrupt, conceited, or cruel.
There is something to be said for her view that being "too nice and gullible" is also not a desirable quality for those who possess power.
Where Cozy shows how she herself has gone wrong is in the final panel: she doesn't want everycreature to be wise and discerning with the power that they are "too nice and gullible to be trusted with" - she wants to take that power for herself.
I don't think it's a stretch to say that it's usually the case that someone is thought to be untrustworthy with power when they are corrupt, conceited, or cruel.
There is something to be said for her view that being "too nice and gullible" is also not a desirable quality for those who possess power.
Where Cozy shows how she herself has gone wrong is in the final panel: she doesn't want everycreature to be wise and discerning with the power that they are "too nice and gullible to be trusted with" - she wants to take that power for herself.
She's so refreshingly HONEST about wanting total power that I can't be mad at her!
Her cutie mark is a rook. I just noticed that. Her cutie mark is a frikken chess piece! A chess piece! How did nopony see this coming! Even if you assumed it just meant she's good at chess, it's red! Which completely clashes with her color scheme!
Or it could just as easily be the fact that most people forget Rook is also a bird (hence why towers became rookeries). Which doesn't mean much, until you realize that they are on par with the Jackdaw and Magpie fame for stealing things.
Which is why Rook is also a verb meaning to defraud, overcharge, swindle, or steal. Which is exactly what she does.
Or, if you're really going for an odd stretch, the piece is known also as a castle. Which is a bastion of power designed to impose law over the land by instilling a fortifed position, while simultaneously throwing up artificial barricades (walls) to prevent outsiders from getting close. Castles are of course, outdated by modern standards, much like the pony herself (we know nothing of what she really feels, just that she has convictions, desires to rule, and has a very backward, almost political aspect towards friendship, or alliances of political convenience).
Which is why Rook is also a verb meaning to defraud, overcharge, swindle, or steal. Which is exactly what she does.
Or, if you're really going for an odd stretch, the piece is known also as a castle. Which is a bastion of power designed to impose law over the land by instilling a fortifed position, while simultaneously throwing up artificial barricades (walls) to prevent outsiders from getting close. Castles are of course, outdated by modern standards, much like the pony herself (we know nothing of what she really feels, just that she has convictions, desires to rule, and has a very backward, almost political aspect towards friendship, or alliances of political convenience).
To take it the extra mile, you could connect it up with The Tower in a Tarot deck- symbolizing hubris and subsequent comeuppance.
And just like that, an entire world of meaning is revealed.
Cozy Glow seems kind of the Pokey Minch of this universe, huh? The kid next door that's unabashedly manipulative and evil.
And that's why they had to take extreme measures with her. If you cannot reform a villain, you need to control them or contain them.
Wasn't starlight a villain though? She's heading the academy, so she's gotta be pretty reformed.