Blog Archives - Fantastic Worlds Productions

Jess’ October Movie List 2023

fantasticworldspod — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 22:00:00 +0000

It’s October, the most wonderful time of the year regardless of what that one song might have you believe. For me, this season (I’m sorry, I don’t call it “spooky” season, we need a new name) starts in September – much like how for Christmas fiends, the season starts in November – so I’ve been voraciously consuming horror media since late August. Almost nothing but! And much like I did last year, I want to now share with you some of my findings. Specifically, I’ll post one mini review of a horror film per day for the month of October, and hopefully someone out there will find my input useful, or at least objectionable enough to argue about it. I love a good argument as long as it’s undertaken with the right spirit in mind and no one minds if I say a lot of mean things about movies I didn’t like.

On the topic of saying mean things, I’m going to get serious for a moment because I want to acknowledge something that’s important to me when it comes to the very easy task of judging things and writing down those judgments: making anything is hard. Making my dumb little drawings is hard. Making cocktail recipes is hard. Making our podcasts is really hard. And making movies, in particular, is unbelievably, ridiculously hard. I’m a class A hater and I have fun relishing that role, but on a very earnest note, I hold a lot of respect and admiration for anyone who creates things, especially things as complicated as movies. Of course, there are caveats to that statement that I’m sure I don’t need to really get into (e.g. people who make things for nefarious reasons), but I hope you take my meaning. I am, by no means, doing something that’s even within the same universe of difficulty as creating a movie in spewing out my little thoughts on them. If I bore some technical knowledge or had particularly honed skills in media analysis, sure, really picking apart and judging a film could be considered far more of an investment, but I have neither. I’m just a thing with a lot of opinions who happens to have an abnormally intense interest in film, who once considered studying film and did not do so, and who now has only amateur opinions to level at films because of that choice. Whatever, I love it and I like to talk about it. I even love (most of) the ones I hate, as bullshit as that sounds. So, with all that said and understood, please go into this list knowing that my harshness is hyperbole, and I’m just a passionate freak who loves to overdo it with the flourishes. Hence this entire paragraph. Now please enjoy my list, or don’t and come see me about it. I’m on our Discord a lot. Just be ready, because I’m extremely fucking stubborn.

Note: If the table of contents isn’t showing up, try refreshing

October 1 - Huesera: The Bone Woman

Rating: 4/5

Where to watch: Shudder

An emotional exploration of motherhood, womanhood, and the repressive expectations of gender roles. The horror is in the body, it’s in the human mind, and it’s in the societal pressures that drive women and non-women with wombs to feel isolated and backed into a corner by the idea of what we’re meant to be. Needless to say, I loved it.

October 2 - The Sadness

BIG BIG BIG Trigger warning for sexual violence. Also, there is a lot of gore. I mean, just endless amounts of it. There’s so much fake blood splashing around in this movie, it becomes absurd – cartoonish, even – and that’s very obviously intentional. Same goes for violence of every stripe. Seriously, I cannot stress this enough, if you’re not into crazy, non-stop violence and blood, this isn’t going to be your bag. But if you want to sit on the edge of your seat through an unhinged, fucked up buffet of carnage, chaos, and cannibalism, The Sadness will give you that experience. As the title implies, it’s probably going to bum you out, but it’s also going to keep you thoroughly entertained, I promise.

Rating: 4/5

Where to watch: Shudder

October 3 - Skinamarink

Rating: 2/5

Where to watch: Shudder

I attempted to go into this blind, but people were weirdly vocal about Skinamarink for a hot second when it first came out. I say “weirdly” because like… I don’t know why anyone would get so worked up about this movie one way or the other. It’s a mildly experimental slow-burn and basically, that’s all there is to it. I don’t care for over-reliance on jumpscares so I appreciated that they were few and far-between, but each of them is accompanied by an unnecessary and overly loud noise. You don’t need to destroy my cochlea to get your point across. It would in fact be far more unsettling to simply cut away without any additional sound. Aside from that, there are things I liked about it (particularly, its restraint), but cutting down its runtime to around half an hour would serve this movie well, I think. At least then I could appreciate what it’s trying to do instead of waiting with growing impatience for it to do something else. I dunno, it’s a dud for me, sorry. Maybe I’ve just watched too much analog horror. I do hope that Kyle Ball gets to make another movie because I’d like to see something else from him.

October 4 - Nocebo

Straight off, when I read the summary for this movie, I was worried about how the folk magic aspect would be handled. At this point, I’ve seen so many horror films that pervert and fetishize the spiritual practices of other cultures (see: nearly every depiction of voodoo and hoodoo) that I’ve grown wary of narratives that include these things. Nocebo, however, is not like so many of its predecessors. I am by no means an authority on this, so take my endorsement with a grain of salt, but if you’re looking for better reassurance, look no further than the Filipino actors and writers involved in the project themselves in this article (there are spoilers, so read at your own discretion). What Chai Fonacier and Ara Chawdhury have to say about representation and the importance of folklore and mysticism is fascinating. Anyway, I’m getting off-topic, so let me just say I really liked this movie, and even if you’re sometimes put off by narratives that focus heavily on social issues, it’s just good entertainment. Stories like this can sometimes come off as lackluster when storycraft is eschewed in favor of the message, but Nocebo is (mostly) subtle enough that it does justice to the subject matter.

Rating: 3.5/5

Where to watch: Shudder

October 5 - Resident Evil: Death Island

Y’all, this is an animated Resident Evil movie, so we all know what we’re gonna get with this, right? So here are the strengths and weaknesses, bearing that in mind. The strengths: the action is pretty fun. I love wild, over-the-top stunts, and you’re always gonna get a ton of those in an RE property. Jill gets the best choreography by far since she’s basically the main character, and she whips ass. It’s also nice to see all of our most beloved Resident Evil characters together in one place, though more thoughtful interaction between them would be great. Also, everything looks really good. Aside from a few uncanny facial expressions, the character models are great and the effects are well done. Finally, you gotta love that creature design.

Big, nasty RE flesh monsters should feel a bit played out, at this point, but the villain’s final form in this movie is gnarly and disgusting in a fantastic way. On to the weaknesses: as I said, it’s a Resident Evil movie, it’s going to have some stilted dialogue, that’s just par for the course. Still, it’s pretty egregious here. The villain monologues completely defang our main bad guy because he sounds like a college freshman learning about absurdism for the first time. The voice actor tried his best with the material he was handed but man, you could add a few more belts and zippers to his outfit and drag and drop him into Kingdom Hearts no problem. That’s the level of writing we’re dealing with. The only thing I can say in this character’s favor is that there was an attempt made to give him some genuine justification for his bullshit. Like, he’s definitely not wrong that the heroes of this series never diagnose or treat the real problems that cause repeated bioterrorism attacks around the world and that they’re tied up with organizations that are deeply flawed and protect the status quo. His reaction to all of that is what’s stupid, though. Also the fact that he was like “I’ll make you feel my pain” but then finds out like five minutes later it didn’t pan out and shrugs it off like that part didn’t even matter to him and that he expected it wouldn’t work… ok, so what was the point dude? You knew you had four people who have repeatedly thwarted other bioterrorist masterminds just sitting around, easy pickins, and you were cocky enough to think nothing would come of that? Seems poorly thought out to say the least, and the feeling that nothing he’s doing matters persists throughout the entire movie. There’s simply no suspense, and never any concern that the four most important characters in the RE franchise will fail. That simply would not and cannot happen, so even when they seem like they’re down for the count, you’re just sitting and waiting for the part where they get better. It’s like Chris says near the end “Looks like us suckers win. Again.”

Finally, I know that helicoptering away is the definitive and expected ending to any RE thing now, but I really wish they’d given the final scene some levity. Have the five of them go get a drink and get some nice character interactions in, I dunno. End with some charm! But no, we get a gore-splosion and a sunrise helicopter ride after some terrible quips. How very Resident Evil. Overall, not very good, but fun enough to watch (specifically for the ass kickings Jill dished out) that I didn’t mind it.

Rating: 1.5/5

Where to watch: rentable on many platforms

October 6 - Malum

Within under five minutes of the start of this film, I thought “no, I don’t think so.” Does that mean I stopped right there? Of course not. I watch everything to completion unless it’s the mosts abhorrent dogshit you can conceive of. And even then, well, I watched Halloween Kills all the way through, so you can deduce for yourself how much I value my own time. This movie is a remake of Last Shift, a tight, tense little film that centers around a rookie officer’s night in an abandoned police station. And I have a weird soft spot for Last Shift. I think it’s fun, creepy, and has some neat visual stuff going for it. Is it perfect? Hell no, but it’s miles better than this. For those who have watched Last Shift, here are some weird tidbits of note: the cult has apparently made itself very visible and obvious in this version of events, pulling such stunts as sitting on the new police station steps and singing, throwing piglet heads at police cars, and kidnapping previously saved victims. It’s honestly some Looney Toons shit.

In case I haven’t made this abundantly clear already, this movie has none of the delicacy of its predecessor. It over-tells, over-shows (see: the long, lingering shots on the entrance to the Holding cells – do you think she’s gonna go in there and it’s gonna be bad!?), and worst of all, over-explains everything. The scenes of the cult carrying out its murders, which were previously left to the imagination after pretty well-done descriptions in Last Shift, are shown in awkwardly filtered high-definition. The emotional turmoil of the mother, which we might have inferred from her brief phone conversations with her daughter in Last Shift, is displayed via wholly unnecessary exposition-dump scenes where she stupidly refuses to speak up for herself until the last possible moment. And the prickly and unstable character of Officer Cohen is turned into a cartoonishly awful person. Very subtle, eh? As I said, Last Shift is by no means poetic cinema, but it does have some restraint. Malum has none. That unabashedness would ostensibly make it enjoyable in its absurdity – and I did end up laughing out loud at least 3 times throughout my watching experience – but the problem is that it’s still grasping at the tone set by the original, and that’s far too somber and serious to be fun. The one thing both films have going for them, it must be said, is their leading actresses.

Both Jessicas are phenomenal, and sell the lackluster cult plot far better than one might expect of a film of this caliber. They also both manage to make it seem a lot less stupid than it is that a major feature of the character is reciting some sort of police code anytime they’re upset. Anyway, this one is a safe skip. Just watch Last Shift instead, seriously, it’s on Tubi for free and it’s actually enjoyable.

Rating: 0/5

Where to watch: Tubi

October 7 - Terrifier 2

I hesitated to even include this on my list, let’s start there. The main reason for that is that Terrifier didn’t really scratch any itch for me with the first film. Sure, it made me laugh at least twice that I can remember, and some of the kills were a good time. And sure, I do remember it, but that’s mostly as the basement trash movie that used dog food as doo doo in a scene where the killer wrote his own name on the wall of a restaurant bathroom. It wasn’t good, is what I’m saying. Terrifier 2 had it all to play for, then, as far as I’m concerned. I’m not someone who’s going to hold a bad first take against a series in every case, so I decided hey! Blank slate for you, Terrifier 2. Even with that, um, this shit sucks. Attempts at poking fun at the genre feel half-baked and unoriginal, the special effects range from terrible to mid, and good god, it is fucking long. There will be like four creative flourishes total in one of these things and they expect me to spend two hours slogging through the rest? No thanks.

Here’s a short list of the things I liked about it: Terrifier Junior (pictured above). Vicky giving birth to Art’s head. The Clown Cafe sequence. The performances of Art and Sienna. Here’s a selection of what I disliked about it: most of the kills are boring and drawn out. Every attempt at cleverness comes off as cringe. The plot is only funny-bad on paper; in practice, it’s grating and exhausting. And I think that point is indicative of what is largely wrong with these movies: they’re too self-aware, and everything comes off as calculated and trite as a result. To be truly good-bad, to schlock with the best of them, you need at least some degree of sincerity. You’re simply not going to get that from these films, from what I can tell. And hey, I could be totally wrong about the director’s intent here, but that’s the reading I got. Sorry. Tl;dr, there are some nuggets and gems to be found in this film, but overall, it fails at nearly everything it seems to be aiming for.

Rating: 1.5/5

Where to watch: Prime Video

October 8 - Perpetrator

Rating: 2/5

Where to watch: Shudder

The first two words that came to mind within 20 minutes of this film’s start were “tonally confused.” Then I had the thought “feels like a higher budget, slightly toned down CW show.” But I was still having fun at that point so I shrugged and waited the feeling out. Well, it only got more tonally confused and more CW from there, so… my mistake. I’m not going to say that made it entirely insufferable, but it did give it a certain degree of suck that was hard to overlook. At the same time, I didn’t totally hate it. If you let it, it will carry you away into the surreal little world in which the events of the movie unfold, and as long as you keep your thinking cap off, you’ll have a good enough time in that world. If I had to pick one thing I liked about it most, it was how gross it was 🙂 In a fun way!

October 9 - Under the Shadow

As you might expect considering that this is set during the Iran–Iraq War, Under the Shadow is heavy. It’s a painful watch, brimming with emotion and tension and a great deal of subtext to chew on. It takes some time to get to the scares, but they’re effective once they hit. There are only a few near the end that start to veer more towards goofy rather than scary, and that’s mostly because of the effects. Overall, a really affecting, well-paced, well-executed film.

Rating: 4/5

Where to watch: Netflix

October 10 - Bedevilled

Rating: 0.5/5

Where to watch: Hi-Yah TV/Rent on Amazon

The tone of the early scenes of this film is fucked. Some of the acting is truly godawful, that’s the main problem, but there’s something else that just feels weird and dry and wrong about the whole thing. Still, I was at least holding out for some kind of satisfaction because the description told me this was a revenge film, and dang did I want to see that revenge once I got to know all the awful people in Bok-nam’s life. It also felt like it was leading up to some unhinged, fun kills, which I’m always up for. However, I had to wait more than an hour for anything even remotely good to happen, and that span of time left a truly rancid taste in my mouth. The director had little to no delicacy in depicting the grooming of Bok-nam’s child, and the actor portraying the little girl did not need to be exposed to the lines and scenes laying out the abuse for us to get it. I know this film was never going for subtlety, but damn, could at least one part not be told with all the finesse of a sledgehammer? At some point I started to think the whole thing was intended as a black comedy, as distasteful and stupid as that would be. Everyone is just so cartoonishly, one-dimensionally evil, and the acting verged on campy. The only positive thing I can say about this piece of shit is that the revenge is well-earned and a relief to witness.

October 11 - Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel and Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire

I watched these so you don’t have to, and yeah, I decided to make this review a two-fer. In fact, we might call it a three-fer because I’m going to talk about the first movie now. Hell House LLC (which has been massively overhyped) is one of those films that starts off really promising and then quickly becomes intolerable. It’s the typical “none of these characters are compelling” problem that many such horror films tend to have, and it’s not made any better by the slow, mostly uninteresting haunting that happens around those characters. The ending twist would almost be good if it weren’t executed so poorly and stalled by an over-long slog of a film. So do the sequels fare any better? Short answer: no. Longer answer: anything redeeming found in the second movie is completely overridden by the goofy fake news segments and things of that ilk, and anything redeeming found in the third is completely washed away by the baffling absurdity and clumsiness of the climax. In both, the scares are repetitive and boring, but I found at least a few of them fun enough that I wasn’t rolling my eyes constantly. Still, these are bad movies and I wouldn’t recommend watching them to just about anyone. It’s just ideas ideas ideas with no execution. The end.

Rating: 1/5

Where to watch: Shudder

October 12 - Bones and All

My aunt – who does not love horror and is known to check out during long films – came downstairs from bed, saw one very early scene in the film, and sat down to watch this with me late at night when she was tired. I think that’s a pretty strong testament to its quality. That’s not to say it’s without its flaws, however. I found the first major climax to be kind of lacking, and I’m sorry to miss Sevigny, but I think it was partially her performance that turned it into a whiff. I also thought some of the book logic needed retooling for the big screen, and that was the other contributing factor. I mean, obviously a lot of that was done already, but there were still some bits left behind that just felt awkward and ill-fitting. Now, all that said, my score should tell you that I still liked this movie a lot and definitely recommend it.

Rating: 3.8/5

Where to watch: Prime Video

October 13 - The Hallow

Things I liked: the atmosphere, creature design, finale, and performances. Things I was less thrilled about: the overall lack of tension. Most of the scares are just not effective. Other than that, it was a fun time. There are a good handful of films with a similar premise/in a similar vein, but this one stands out from the others I’ve seen of that group. It was in its favor that they didn’t spend too much time focusing on researching and explaining the creatures, which is often a weak part of films like this. We learn just enough about the titular hallow to maintain a degree of mystery and interest.

Rating: 3/5

Where to watch: Shudder

October 14 - The Nun 2

Man… whatever. Nothing ever feels like it matters in these movies. They’re dumb, and they know they’re dumb, and sometimes that makes magic. Other times, it makes whatever this is. I tried to turn my brain off and just enjoy the goofy parts, and I was able to produce a chuckle approximately 3 times, but damn I am so sick of the Conjure-verse. This was my last time giving any property related to it a shot. The only positive thing I have to say is that it’s at least marginally better than the first one, but frankly, that means next to nothing considering the films we’re talking about here. It’s just different degrees of shit.

Rating: 1/5

Where to watch: Theaters, rent, or buy

October 15 - The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Do yourself a favor and do not look up anything about this movie before you watch it. I think part of its ability to induce anxiety and distress is dependent on not knowing what’s going on until you’re in the thick of the film. In fact, what lowers its score for me is that without the tension of the unknown, its slowness becomes sort of grating. Like, seriously, some of the scenes way overstay their welcome. All that said, it’s good. It’s upsetting in a way I can appreciate, and the experience of watching it – perhaps even if you do know what to expect – is well worth it.

Rating: 3.8/5

Where to watch: Netflix

October 16 - Satan's Slaves: Communion

I preferred the first one (you should check it out). That’s primarily because Bahri’s trajectory in this bummed me out, though. Secondarily, it’s because there’s a really annoying camera flash sequence at the end that went on way too long and was initially accompanied by a noise that made me want to jam a pencil in my ear. And finally, it’s because there were a few too many sub-plots. Disregarding those things though, this was a lot of fun. The main strength of these films is the characters and the family dynamic – and that was just as good this time as it was in Satan’s Slaves – but almost as important is the atmosphere. The director always gets it juuuuust right as far as I’m concerned. To put all this another way, there was some setup for a sequel, and I am happily anticipating it after Communion.

Rating: 3.5/5

Where to watch: Shudder

October 17 - Warning: Do Not Play

This started off really promising, tiptoed through the second act with little to latch onto, and ended with a string of cliches. I think trying to sell a meta-narrative is just a bad idea unless you can really nail it. This does not nail it. We needed a foil for the main character- a woman obsessed with creating a horror film who then becomes obsessed with a ghost snuff film – and that was not provided. I know some would claim that’s what the director of the ghost snuff film is for, but he’s far less a foil than he is a glimpse into Mi-jung’s future if she keeps pursuing her obsession. Maybe I missed something about her younger friend and he’s meant to be the foil, but he’s practically a blank slate and doesn’t express the love for horror that Mi-jung and Jae-hyun do, so I really don’t think so. I dunno, it wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t all that good either.

Rating: 2/5

Where to watch: Shudder

October 18 - Super Dark Times

A horror drama about annoying teenage boys. As you can imagine from that description, there is a lot of insufferable dialogue to sit through. There’s also some good nuggets, but a ton of the experience of watching this is putting up with how grating most of the characters are. It’s also slow, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s something to consider if you’re interested in checking it out. Still, I liked this film quite a bit. The thick unease that settles in as events unfold is cut well with some supernatural-feeling dream sequences, and the whole thing stays grounded in a way that twisted my stomach. More drama than horror, I’d say.

Rating: 3.5/5

Where to watch: Shudder

October 19 - The Heretics

The opening scene – an artlessly shot cult sacrifice – told me this was going to be shit. It has no tension, it goes on too long, and the cultist costumes are barely passable on the creepiness meter. Then the tone gets all serious and dramatic, but the problem is that Gloria, the main character, and her girlfriend Joan have hair and makeup styling that is so drastically different from the rest of the cast, it immediately ruins the atmosphere. And that’s something that will persist. No matter what our main character goes through, her eye makeup and falsies always stay perfect. She may get gunked up in other ways, but you know, gotta stay pretty through it all. Anyway, this then becomes a captivity movie, and man, it’s a fucking boring one. The only interesting thing that happens for quite awhile is that Gloria’s girlfriend goes apeshit while looking for her. Anyway, the weird thing about this movie is that it kind of verges on being interesting here and there, and it’s not even terribly made nor poorly acted. It’s bad in an unexpected way, is what I’m saying. Which is a shame, because I love me a monster transformation movie. If you want to see what little good there is to be found here, just watch the last 20 minutes and you’ll get the gist.

Rating: 1/5

Where to watch: Tubi

October 20 - Head Count

I can’t pinpoint just one thing that was responsible for this film not working, it simply didn’t. There are all these shots of people lurking around that are intended to create tension, but the anxiety never comes through. The intervening scenes are either pleasantly banal or slightly awkward; my discomfort came from secondhand embarrassment more than anything else. About 50 minutes in, stuff starts to veer in a more interesting direction, but then there’s some computer nonsense that turns it goofy. If I had to name a few nice things about the film, I’d say it looks good, the final 20 minutes are kinda fun, and it’s not too long. Aside from that, there’s not much to see here.

Rating: 2.5/5

Where to watch: For rent on many platforms

October 21 - Lucky

An interesting premise well-told. It’s not immediately evident what Lucky is really about at the start, but as our main character May goes through the same experience night after night with the same reactions from the people around her, it becomes unsettlingly clear what the message is. In fact, it gets a bit too heavy-handed for my taste towards the end, but up until the parking garage, I was loving this. Even after the parking garage, I really enjoyed Lucky. It certainly helps that May’s feelings are all too familiar.

Rating: 3/5

Where to watch: For rent on many platforms

October 22 - La Llorona

Gripping and impeccably made. So many movies have trampled this folk tale that I was kind of expecting schlock in spite of the beautiful cover and promotional image. Instead I was met with a thoughtful, quiet, and engaging tale centered around revenge and justice. My one criticism is not that it’s too long as I might normally say, but that because it’s quite clear what our destination is, the journey sometimes crawls where it should run. Maybe I’m just impatient, but I don’t think I’m alone in that sentiment. Regardless, a lovely watch, though not the kind of horror you’ll want to seek out if you prefer lots of scares.

Rating: 4/5

Where to watch: For rent on many platforms

October 23 - The Power

This film starts off with a tried and true setting for horror (a hospital at night) throws in a meek protagonist with a troubled past (Val) and then attempts to delve into issues it’s not entirely capable of grappling with. The first complication is that some of the characters – fellow nurse and mean girl Babs, in particular – lean more caricature than genuine portrayal, which is a shame because there is tension and atmosphere to be found when those characters aren’t throwing scenes off-kilter. In that vein, the second problem is that when you’re dealing with such topics as sexual assault, misogyny, class dynamics, and abuse of power, subtlety is key. For want of that, you need a telling that’s less bleak and somber than this, or at least one with a unique artistic direction (à la our 10/21 entry, Lucky). Instead, what we get in The Power are many moments of clunky, on-the-nose dialogue and action that do a disservice to the narrative. From our main character Val’s ridiculous contorting and jerking around, to Babs’ schoolyard mockery, so many scenes come off as silly rather than striking. The ending most of all. Again, a shame, because I appreciated the parallel narratives of the ghost and Val herself, and the sometimes-successful attempt at telling a story about the intersection of classism and sexism. Anyway, this movie is very nearly good, and that means I can’t put it in the dud category, but if you’re not a pretty diehard horror fan, you’re probably not going to find much to latch onto here.

Rating: 2.5/5

Where to watch: Shudder

October 24 - Evil Dead Rise

I thought the bloodiest movie on this list was going to be The Sadness, but Evil Dead Rise has it beat by approximately one elevator’s worth. Anyway, this was nasty and crazy and fun in nearly all the right ways. The fact that they keep making Evil Dead stuff and it keeps being pretty good is a welcome surprise. It does suffer from some weird writing choices and you will likely reach the gore desensitization threshold pretty quickly, but it was still a good time. A great one to watch with friends.

Rating: 3/5

Where to watch: (HBO) Max

October 25 - School's Out

The main issue with this film is one of pacing. The odd happenings witnessed by our protagonist Pierre become repetitive without breaking new ground, leaving us mired in the same sensation for long enough that it loses its edge. At least one of the samey scenes of the students being weird could have been cut without losing anything and every scene of the children performing needed to be trimmed by half. The content of the film, otherwise, is fine. It’s a generational divide movie with a bit more substance to it than the usual “evil children” type of story, but it’s still nothing groundbreaking, which isn’t a bad thing. I quite liked it, and along with the strong performances, it made for something mostly engaging if sometimes, as I mentioned, a bit slow.

Rating: 3/5

Where to watch: Shudder

October 26 - The Crescent

Rating: 2.2/5

Where to watch: Shudder

I’ll be honest, you can kind of win me over with cool visuals as long as the rest of the project isn’t completely awful, and this movie does have some really cool visuals. Some of the editing choices almost veer into student project territory, but I think they toe the line well enough that it doesn’t hurt my impression of the film as a whole. The performances, on the other hand, are where things get a bit rocky. They range from decent to shaky, with no one doing an outright terrible job. The mother’s understated, extremely depressed demeanor works at first, but during the last 15 minutes of the film, you can tell she’s not necessarily ready to play out more emotion-intensive scenes. There’s a neat reveal during this section that makes up for that, so I won’t harp on it. There are parts – and the end sequence is one of them – where the low budget really shows, but taken as a whole, I was willing to overlook those parts. And really, now that I’ve written all that out, I’ve basically stated that I’m breezing past some mediocre performances, low-budget struggles, and weird edits because I dug the visuals and the vibe. And I stand by that. I kind of liked this movie. It did the whole sad, meandering slow-burn thing but I felt the tension they were aiming for right in the gut, probably because there was a very small child involved. I don’t know if that’s cheating or what, but it worked about as well as Skinamarink and I enjoyed this marginally more than that so… oh well.

October 27 - Hellraiser (2022)

Being better than 70% of all Hellraiser movies isn’t the highest of praise, but it’s what I can offer to this film. It’s very, uhhhh, competent. It’s also missing some things. The watching experience is frustrating that way. This film often brings you just to the edge of something good, then reels it in faster than you can blink. It was honestly tiring. That being said, I mostly loved the look and lore of the updated cenobites, and I found the third act pretty fun. I think I would have really liked this film if the non-fantastical plotline had been handled better. The drug addiction story didn’t fall flat on its face, but it didn’t compel or interest me much, and it barely even served its main intended purpose.

Rating: 3/5

Where to watch: Hulu

October 28 - Cobweb

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A genuine Halloween movie, and yes, there is a difference between Halloween movies and horror movies. It’s not just that it’s set around and on Halloween day, it’s the tone, the slight silliness, the fairytale dreaminess of it all. Anyway, this film is not incredible, but if you let it carry you away, it’s a super good time. Conceptually, it’s goofy, but the execution is so good that it works. You could kind of see the point where they ran out of money, but it didn’t take enough away from the rest of the film that I care. I’m sad to see that this film seems to have flopped because I think it deserves more love.

Rating: 3.5/5

Where to watch: Hulu

October 29 - Candyman (2021)

I don’t know why it took me so long to getting around to this. The original Candyman is one of my favorite horror films, and this is a more than worthy sequel. There are a few moments where it over-explains itself, and the first act is wobbly, but by the end, I found myself fully engrossed and chilled.

Rating: 3.5/5

Where to watch: Prime Video

October 30 - Martin

I wanted to include at least one old film on here since I’ve been revisiting classics and filling in holes in my watch history. I thought Martin would make a good candidate since I don’t think I’ve talked to a single other person who’s seen it, and that’s a real shame because it’s genuinely affecting. It’s not a light-hearted watch, so don’t put it on if you’re already in a dark place, but if you’re in the mood for a compelling – if dreary – film, Martin is quite good.

Rating: 3.5/5

Where to watch: Internet Archive

October 31 - Talk to Me

My expectations were high and I was not disappointed. This film is quite good. I hope we get an extended cut at some point because I would love to see more of Mia’s development, honestly. There are a few moments that don’t quite work perfectly, but overall, this was so fresh and creepy and disturbing I couldn’t find much that really let me down about it.

Rating: 3.8/5

Where to watch: for rent on various platforms

The post Jess’ October Movie List 2023 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Getting Started with Pathfinder

fantasticworldspod — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 01:22:37 +0000

Welcome to the world of Pathfinder, a popular fantasy role-playing game with a dedicated community of players and fans. With the recent surge of interest in the game, we wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the resources available to those new to the system.

The Beginner’s Box is a great place to start for those new to Pathfinder. This box contains everything you need to get started, including a rulebook, pre-made characters, and a simple adventure. You can find the Beginner’s Box for free on Paizo’s website at https://paizo.com/pathfinder/beginnerbox.

For those looking for a space adventure, we recommend checking out Paizo’s Starfinder rules-set. With the ability to play as a space orc or pilot giant mechs on far-flung planets, Starfinder offers a unique and exciting gaming experience. The Starfinder Beginner Box might also be a good starting point for you.

If you’re coming from 5e, we suggest taking a look at Pathfinder 2e. The fully free rules for this edition of the game can be found at https://2e.aonprd.com/. The website “Archives of Nethys” also has an excellent guide for players new to the system, which can be found at https://2e.aonprd.com/PlayersGuide.aspx.

Finally, for those looking for a convenient and easy-to-use character builder, we recommend checking out the free online builders at https://pathbuilder2e.com/ or https://wanderersguide.app/. These online tools will make it easy to create and manage your characters.

Additionally, we welcome you to check out our podcast Far Beyond the Stars which features the Starfinder Rules System and Fantastic Worlds Podcast which features the Pathfinder Rules System.

We hope you enjoy your time with Pathfinder and have many fantastic adventures. The community is friendly and supportive and you will find a lot of resources and people to help you on your way.

The post Getting Started with Pathfinder appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Jess’ October Movie List

Jessica Negin — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 07:00:00 +0000

What you will find below is a list of films I watched for each day of the month of October 2022, along with my rating and short review of each. Below that, a partial list I cobbled together in 2021 when I tried to do the same thing, and some other horror film recommendations and reviews. Enjoy!

October 1 - Umma

Film: Umma

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 1.5/5

I regret that I have to say this, but the month’s offerings started off with a whimper. I really wanted to like Umma. It has some good elements, it just doesn’t really deliver on what it’s promising. Especially when what it’s promising is such an important and difficult story to tell. Sandra Oh is always great – that goes without saying – but she can’t act away a flawed script and jumpscares that don’t even elicit a jump. Certain moments were very affecting, but ultimately, I came away from this film underwhelmed and sad for the wrong reasons.

October 2 - You Won't Be Alone

Film: You Won’t Be Alone

Where to watch: Peacock

Rating: 4/5

Even before watching the rest, I know for certain that this film is unlike any other on this list. And unless you’re looking for a gentle folktale with a smattering of dark elements and gore, I wouldn’t really offer it as a horror movie recommendation. That being said, I would certainly recommend watching it when you have the time. It’s breathtaking, it’s aching, it’s novel.

My one criticism is that it could be edited down just a touch, but that’s something you will hear me say often. I’ll probably start to sound like I hate long movies, but that’s not true. As long as the time is used effectively, I don’t mind, I just found that You Won’t Be Alone became repetetitive at times.

October 3 - Fresh

Film: Fresh

Where to watch: Hulu

Rating: 3.5/5

Fun! I don’t even know what else needs to be said. This one was really fun. It struck a great balance between nauseating and charming, and everyone in it was fantastic. I could write some rambly shit about the feminist messaging and the parts that were lacking and so on and so forth, but I think this movie is quite simply a great time and worth a watch.

October 4 - X

Film: X

Where to watch: Currently only available to rent

Rating: 3.5/5

This film is one of the only (if not the only) Texas Chainsaw inspired films to actually get me on board. It pays homage to 70s horror and exploitation films without limiting itself to the constraints of those genres. This film has a good deal more humanity than your typical slasher, for one. But it’s still grounded and gritty and smutty and gory. I think there are one or two scenes I found myself checking out from, but otherwise, it made me feel shock, unease, and amusement in spades.

October 5 - The Long Night

Film: The Long Night

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 1/5

This movie takes itself very seriously. This movie is also very dumb. The main characters are unlikable New York yuppies, the plot is dull and plodding, and there is not a lick of tension or fear to be found anywhere over the course of its 90 minute runtime. I got a good laugh out of the first murder scene because the music they played over it was kind of bonkers, but aside from that, I was bored out of my mind. I’m giving it a point for having some cool visuals, good performances, and at least not making me angry.

October 6 - So Cold the River

Film: So Cold the River

Where to watch: Currently only available to rent

Rating: 2/5

I dunno. That sums up how I feel about this movie. It has some spooky parts that I very much enjoyed. Then again, there are lots of other parts I could take or leave (leaning towards leave). I think this movie might be up someone else’s alley, but for me it didn’t really hit.

October 7 - The Other Lamb

Film: The Other Lamb

Where to watch: Hulu

Rating: 4/5

Disturbing, gripping, and intense. This is not a standard horror story, and one I wouldn’t look to if you want typical thrills and chills. It is a fantastic movie, however, and one I highly recommend. Trigger Warning for rape.

October 8 - Bliss

Film: Bliss

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 3/5

I hate these people. And the movie wants me to hate them, I’m pretty sure of that. Watching this made me wonder, momentarily, was I this obnoxious during my partying days? But upon reflection, even though I definitely was obnoxious, I don’t think I was nearly as unbearable as the characters in this film. However, I will give it points for being a vampire movie that actually gets gory and horrifying with it, and also for having cool visuals and music that’s right up my alley. So like… I kind of liked it? The 3 I’m giving it is a very personal 3. And if you, like me, sometimes enjoy style over substance, you can skip the first 30 minutes or so of this film and get right into the parts that make it fun. That’s the only watching experience I can really encourage for most people.

October 9 - The Black Phone

Film: The Black Phone

Where to watch: Peacock

Rating: 3/5

I was pleasantly surprised by The Black Phone. It delivers on an interesting concept, the pacing is pretty good, and the performances are, on the whole, decent. The one thing I have to note is that the film teeters on the edge of corniness basically the entire time, and often falls right into it. A little cheese is expected for a film like this, but some scenes are full-on cringey.

October 10 - Barbarian

Film: Barbarian

Where to watch: In theaters/HBO Max on Oct.25

Rating: 3.5/5

Trigger warning: references to rape, use of the f-slur. This movie threw me for a loop repeatedly, and I don’t want to give away much more than that because I think you should see what I mean for yourself. I was entertained, surprised, and jarred. Suffice it to say, I recommend Barbarian.

October 11 - The Cursed (2021)

Film: The Cursed (2021)

Where to watch: Hulu

Rating: 2/5

I docked this movie several points because I truly cannot believe that the crux of a movie made in the year 2021 is a Romani curse. How have we not moved past this? There was potential for this film to turn out much more interesting if the rest of it weren’t so messy in regards to its handling of the Romani victims.

The entire time, it’s like you can hear the creators going “aww, well, listen, we know it was real bad what the rich guy did to those folks, but you know, it’s also real bad that they cursed the entire village, innit? They’re definitely worse, right? You agree.” I instantly got a bad taste in my mouth during the inciting incident and it would not go away long enough for me to truly enjoy the redeemable parts of this movie. It’s visually lovely, unique, and has several very effective scenes, but all of that is entirely overshadowed by racism. Racism that they try and fail to grapple with in the plot, funnily enough.

October 12 - As Boas Maneiras (Good Manners)

Film: As Boas Maneiras (Good Manners)

Where to watch: Amazon Prime/Shudder

Rating: 3.5/5

I had absolutely no idea what was in store for me when I ran across this movie on Shudder. Part love story, part family drama, part… musical? Sort of? But it doesn’t even become a musical until like an hour in. This movie is weird, touching, a little silly, and entertaining all around. My nitpicks are that it is very long (at least for my taste) and the CGI is uhhhh not effective, but I’ll give it a pass on both counts because I truly don’t think I’ve ever seen anything else like Good Manners, and I don’t know that I ever will again.

October 13 - The Endless

Film: The Endless

Where to watch: Tubi

Rating: 3.5/5

All horror is very difficult to get right, but cosmic horror in particular is so rarely tackled ably that it’s a real treat when it is. The Endless is by no means perfect, but it’s one of the better cosmic horror films I’ve seen. It’s well acted, well shot, and well written. The filter over the whole movie is not my favorite thing in the world, and they lost me a bit during the last few minutes, but those flaws don’t diminish what this film accomplishes otherwise.

October 14 - The Last Thing Mary Saw

Film: The Last Thing Mary Saw

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 1.5/5

A droning and emotionless affair. The relationship that so much of the plot hinges on is poorly established and given almost no life. To put it bluntly, there’s a lot of tell and very little show. By the time anything interesting happens, you’ll have already sat through a punishing, bleak 45 minutes of quiet 19th century meandering. And that’s a shame, because I like the story being told and many of the techincal aspects of this film, it’s just that the execution is lacking in pathos. I’m not saying this was the worst thing I’ve ever watched, but it’s certainly not worth your time, and at a relatively short runtime of 89 minutes, that’s saying something.

October 15 - Hellbender

Film: Hellbender

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 2.5/5

This movie is kind of goofy but also kind of great. If you can look past questionable CGI and some scenes that are a bit cringey and indulgent, Hellbender will give you a good time. One of the things to its credit is that it didn’t go in the well-trod direction I was initially expecting. I think if it had, it would have been out of its depth considering the catalogue of existing movies telling that story. But because it veered into different territory and added some unique flavor to its witch mythology, it managed to stand out enough to keep me interested.

October 16 - Tigers Are Not Afraid

Film: Tigers Are Not Afraid

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 4/5

The children are precious, the visuals are charming, and the story is dark but intriguing. This movie is both fantastical and bleak, and it struck me more than almost anything else I watched for this list. It’s a project that wears its influences on its sleeve, but I don’t think that’s to its detriment at all. It takes those influences and molds them in a novel and wonderful way.

October 17 - All the Moons

Film: All the Moons

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 3/5

I would describe All the Moons as a dark fairytale drama, and a pretty successful one at that. It was occasionally a bit slow for my taste, and my suspension of disbelief was tested a few times, but I came away happy that I watched this film. It didn’t blow my socks off, but it certainly left an impression and even got me crying. That being said, it is very long, so if you don’t enjoy a slow burn, you’ll want to skip this one.

October 18 - The Dark and the Wicked

Film: The Dark and the Wicked

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 2/5

There’s nothing particularly fresh or new in this film, and unfortunately, it’s also pretty sparse in the scare department. There are some effects that were enjoyable and well-executed, but that’s about all it has going for it. It’s a slow burn, and a dour one at that, so as you might expect, I found it much too long.

One of the other things I really disliked about it is the fact that it’s religious horror, and specifically, US American religious horror, which I find tiresome and grating. Also, in typical horror movie fashion, the stubbornness of some of the characters just got annoying by the end. Anyways, you can safely skip this one.

October 19 - The Wailing

Film: The Wailing

Where to watch: Tubi

Rating: 4/5

I’ve had this on my list for years, but never got around to tackling it because, well, with a runtime of over 2.5 hours, it kind of sounded like homework. However, once you take the time to watch it, this movie is as fantastic as rumored. Filled with dark humor and horror in equal measure, The Wailing does not waste the time it asks of you. It’s entertaining and eerie from start to finish.

October 20 - Halloween Ends

Film: Halloween Ends

Where to watch: Peacock

Rating: 3/5

For those interested in a spoiler-filled review, you can find it at the very bottom of this page. Let me say right off the bat that I wasn’t even planning on watching this movie let alone reviewing it. What turned me around after the boring, trite, and eye-rollingly bad second entry to this trilogy was a thought that occurred to me after mishearing that the film would partially involve the Covid-19 pandemic. That thought was: what if Michael dies from covid?

That would be so fucking funny, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to find out for myself if that’s how things would play out. As I said, sadly this was misheard information, but the way this film unfolded was actually better, though less funny. Thus, I came away from Halloween Ends surprised, satisfied, and entertained. Is this movie perfect? No. But is it a pretty good watch? I really do think so, and that’s a rare sentiment for me when it comes to the Halloween series. Especially after Halloween Kills. You can find my thoughts on that pile of dogshit somewhere down below. Thankfully, you don’t have to watch it to enjoy Halloween Ends.

October 21 - The Night House

Film: The Night House

Where to watch: HBO Max

Rating: 3/5

Has some pretty neat, spooky stuff going on. I think I would rate it a bit higher if it didn’t show its hand so much near the end, but that’s a common horror problem, so I’m not docking it too many points. The scares are fairly effective, there’s some great imagery, and the lead actress gives a fantastic performance. There are some holes here and there, but overall, a solid film.

October 22 - V/H/S/94

Film: V/H/S/94

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 3/5

You can always count on a V/H/S anthology to be gory, shocking, disgusting, fun, and, most of all, stupid. V/H/S/94 delivers on what the rest of the series has promised, and it’s probably my favorite entry in the franchise so far, though I’m going to dock it some points for having an extremely cringey ending. If you sit down to give this one a go, make sure you’re approaching it knowing that you’re in for a lot of nonsense.

October 23 - Crimes of the Future

Film: Crimes of the Future

Where to watch: Currently only available to rent

Rating: 4/5

A good Cronenberg is like nothing else. His films are always full of fantastic spectacle, but they also leave you with something to chew on for the days, weeks, months to follow. Crimes of the Future has given me a lot to digest, but as with any film this unique, I can only give a qualified recommendation. If you’re a Cronenberg fan, you should certainly watch it. If you’re not, but you still enjoy thought-provoking, artful cinema, you should certainly watch it. If you want something light or escapist or brainless (which is sometimes what I’m looking for myself), try a different movie. There are some good popcorn movies in this very list 😉

October 24 - Kuwaresma

Film: Kuwaresma

Where to watch: Currently only available to rent

Rating: 1.5/5

I almost didn’t include this film on this list. The reason I decided to, in the end, is so I can maybe warn a few other trans people away from it. Or, at least prepare you for what you’re going to get if you choose to watch Kuwaresma. The main character, Luis, is trans. And as is so often the case in cis-created cinema, this is treated insultingly and with casual transphobia. The framing of Luis’ transness is that he “convinced” himself he was a boy to avoid his father’s abuse, and to gain some degree of control in his life.

This is not only a transphobic narrative, but an actively dangerous message to send. I don’t even really want to talk about this movie much more because I’m so disappointed by that aspect of it, but if I had to give it some praise, I’d say the acting, set design, and cinematography were all great. The story is a muddled, half-baked mess and it’s full of hackneyed jumpscares, so on the whole, a mediocre movie at best with a dash of transphobia to really round it out. Oh, and the cherry on top: it’s too fucking long.

October 25 - Howling Village

Film: Howling Village

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Rating: 2/5

Kind of a dud. It’s fine enough for a half-hearted watch, but not really bringing anything special to the table. The atmosphere is completely unscary, and the effects are lame as hell, probably because they’re trying to be realistic instead of showing me something interesting. I was interested in the story, but the delivery did nothing for me.

October 26 - Knife + Heart

Film: Knife + Heart

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 5/5

After reading the synopsis for Knife+Heart, my first thought was “this movie was made specifically for me,” and I was so incredibly correct. Giallo-inspired! Soundtrack by M83! Explicitly homosexual! What more could I ask for? I won’t say it was a perfect film, but it was perfect for me. I’m trying to exercise some restraint and not drone on and on about this one, so I’ll sum it up by saying it’s simply fantastic entertainment and I’m in love with it. TW for sexual assault.

October 27 - Still/Born

Film: Still/Born

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 2/5

I was going to write about Bodies Bodies Bodies here, but I never got around to seeing it. So instead of something reportedly sort of goofy but good, and full of insufferable characters, I watched something rather bleak with mostly okay characters. This whole movie was pretty much just that: mostly okay. It lost me a bit during the obligatory “meet a previous victim” sequence, and any of the other times they had the antagonistic entity speak. Its voice made me giggle. Other than that, though, I kind of liked it. Well-trod territory aside, it had a decent spookiness factor, wasn’t over-long, and didn’t always play its typical horror movie beats in a completely typical way.

October 28 - The Medium

Film: The Medium

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 3.5/5

I have a lot of mixed feelings about The Medium. On the one hand, I think it’s a good horror movie. It’s scary, it’s disturbing, it’s gory. I actually felt a little bit freaked out after I watched it, and that’s no mean feat considering that I’ve been voraciously consuming horror content since I was a small child. However, with a runtime of over 2 hours, I think we all know what I’m going to say here. It’s too fucking long. It simply is.

It stood out to me even more when I realized that this is a sibling film, in essence, to The Wailing, an even longer film which I felt wasted far less of my time. I’m not saying what I was served over the course of this film was pointless or worthless, I’m just saying some additional editing could have gone a long way. Cut down the number of B-roll shots of (beautiful) scenery, maybe. Or include fewer frames of interstitial action. Remove, perhaps, one or two of the many nightcam sequences wherein samey possession-related things happen. Something! Do SOMETHING about it. Frustration over that aside, my second gripe with this film is that it doesn’t maintain its documentary feel well. In fact, it seems like the fact that it’s supposed to be a mockumentary is thrown away entirely on numerous occasions, the most egregious instances occurring during the climactic events of the story which I won’t spoil. Let me just say that I sighed the loudest as a camera was pointed directly into the face of something antagonistic as someone was being mauled. It jolted me directly out of my suspension of disbelief, and after that, I no longer felt the cold, coiled dread that had been building in the pit of my stomach anymore. I just sat back and thought “ok, so now we’re doing this I guess.” And it felt like a different movie had started. I’m not saying all of this is necessarily a terrible thing, or that it completely ruins the movie. I mean, I gave it the score I did for a reason, and what I said in the first few sentences stands. It’s just annoying that I think an even better movie is lurking inside of this one and some adjustment could really make it shine. Still, if you’re up for the 2 hour and 10 minute endeavor of soaking this in, it hits a lot of horror buttons and it hits ’em right.

October 29 - The Wretched

Film: The Wretched

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 3/5

I liked it! It didn’t blow me away, but it has decent entertainment value, and I think that’s just fine. It gave me what I wanted but also contained a lot of cool, unexpected bits. This is a rarity for me, but I actually wish this film was a bit longer to allow for some additional fleshing out.

October 30 - Blood Red Sky

Film: Blood Red Sky

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 1/5

Not really sure where some of the good ratings I’ve seen for this are coming from. What I will give it is that it goes for a real nasty, old-school kind of vampirism that I like quite a lot. On the other hand, there’s the rest of the movie which is plainly bad. The hijackers are irritating and unconvincing rather than intimidating. The passengers are even more annoying. And the son of our protagonist is one of the most frustrating characters I’ve seen put to film in some time. I would have at least been somewhat on board with certain parts if they weren’t so completely ridiculous yet lacking in joy. If you’re going to throw so much unhinged nonsense into your film, please at least make it fun.

October 31 - V/H/S/99

Film: V/H/S/99

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 2.5/5

After watching V/H/S/94 for this list, I was pretty excited and surprised to see 99 pop up on Shudder so soon. It’s only been a year since 94 released. Sadly, that was the better entry to the series, and I have to wonder if the lack of time between releases has anything to do with the drop in quality. Still, I can’t say this was terrible, as far as V/H/S films go.

It had some segments I really enjoyed, and it pleased me to see that they opted not to hang the anthology on a framework story this time around, since that’s often the weakest part of these films. They instead went for something that was a little goofy, but certainly in line with the V/H/S brand. Anyways, on to the short films. I won’t go too into detail on what I thought of each. Suffice it to say, 2 and 4 were the weakest of the bunch, with creatures that often looked like Spirit Halloween decorations and storylines and characters that were actively grating and devoid of the fun I want from a V/H/S film. The fifth story, To Hell and Back, isn’t particularly great either, but features some cool makeup and a somewhat interesting setup, at least. My second favorite, Shredding, was mostly bolstered by its stylistic elements rather than plot, but it’s always fun seeing someone get their just desserts. Speaking of which, the standout, by far, was Ozzy’s Dungeon. This was the segment I was most excited for, and the one that left me the most entertained. After watching (most of) Kuso, I was interested to see more work from Flying Lotus in the film world. Because even though Kuso wasn’t really my thing – and I wouldn’t recommend it to almost anyone – I appreciated the intent and parts of what was presented in it. I was glad to see some of what intrigued me in Kuso in Ozzy’s Dungeon, and the visuals, music, and effects were fantastic. All-in-all, even though 94 had set the bar slightly higher than normal, I went into this knowing what I was likely to get from V/H/S. It was still mostly the goofy, weird, fun experience I’ve come to expect, it just didn’t hit as hard as its prequel, and it dragged a bit too much during certain segments.

Last Year's List

I attempted to do all of this last year and failed to follow through since I went for it last-minute, so instead of just scrapping what I DID get done, here’s some more movie reviews!

Possessor

Film: Possessor

Where to watch: Hulu

Rating: 3/5

If you watch this film, do yourself a favor and seek out the version that is NOT the director’s cut. Normally, I would never make that recommendation, but for this movie, I absolutely insist. I say this because personally I think the director’s cut undermines the movie’s message. Setting that point aside, this movie is a thrilling, twisted, and gut-wrenching experience.

The Vast of Night

Film: The Vast of Night

Where to watch: Prime Video

Rating: 3.5/5

The Vast of Night is a weird little movie. It’s tense, sad, and strange. Its pacing is frenetic and panicked at first, and then suddenly it stops and goes quiet. And overall, I found it really affecting. That said, I don’t know if I can recommend it because I’m fairly certain next to no one I talk to would enjoy it.

Apostle

Film: Apostle

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 3/5

Apostle has some of my favorite things in it: old god culty stuff, a witch-like creature, revenge, jarring violence. I will say, it’s not scary, nor does it seem like it’s really trying to be, but it is a decent film.

Proxy

Film: Proxy

Where to watch: Prime Video

Rating: 2/5

Proxy is an absolutely wild ride. At no point during this movie did I know what was going to happen next, literally right up until the end. It has its issues – some questionable acting, an obviously low budget, a second half that drags so much I ended up on my phone more than once – but overall, it’s a surprising, sort of interesting film. If you like to watch basically anything you can get your hands on like me, you’ll probably find something to enjoy in this one.

Excision

Film: Excision

Where to watch: Tubi

Rating: 2.5/5

This movie is fucked up and kind of ridiculous, but also pretty entertaining. At the same time, I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re looking for something scary. If you’re like me, the hardest part of watching this movie will be all the second-hand embarrassment, not fear or tension. It seems to be intent on disturbing and upsetting the viewer rather than frightening us. I will say it’s quite gory throughout, but mostly in a kind of goofy way. At least up until a certain point when the creeping horror of what’s happening sets in.

Maniac

Film: Maniac

Where to watch: Tubi

Rating: 1.5/5

Here’s the thing about this movie, I can’t say it’s bad, it just wasn’t for me. I don’t know what it was about it that I disliked so much, but I did not enjoy watching it at all. I think that may be the point, so perhaps it achieved its intended effect on me, but I’ve left other movies not necessarily having enjoyed them while still taking something away from the experience. That wasn’t the case here. It’s a disturbing, quick movie, and it’s interesting in that it follows the first-person perspective of the killer, but it left me a bit underwhelmed.

Halloween Kills

Film: Halloween Kills

Where to watch: Peacock

Rating: 0/5

This movie, much like the old Halloween sequels, moved quickly from fun to cringey while also committing the sin of taking itself way too seriously. It’s also chock full of so many stupid, unfun, dry death scenes that I zoned out for almost all of them. And let’s not forget the fact that it thinks it’s making some kind of revelatory social commentary. Anyways, did you know that evil dies tonight?

Malignant

Film: Malignant

Where to watch: HBO Max

Rating: 4/5

Let’s just get this out of the way: Malignant will not be for everyone. However, if you love giallos, maybe give it a shot. If you love weird, ridiculous, wild shit, absolutely give it a shot. I’ve been entertained every time I’ve watched it, and if nothing else, it’s a fantastic movie to watch with other people simply to see their reactions.

The Call

Film: The Call

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 4/5

Though it’s considered a thriller and not strictly horror, I think The Call is more than suitable for the Halloween season. I happened across it on Netflix and therefore wasn’t expecting much, but it turned out to be pretty interesting. It has some downfalls, the main one being the CGI, but it wasn’t egregious enough for me not to recommend the film.

The Howling

Film: The Howling

Where to watch: Prime Video

Rating: 3.5/5

This film explores a werewolf dynamic we don’t normally see put to film, contains social commentary that steps outside of the typical werewolf box, and the unsavory elements of the book the film is based on are displayed with great restraint (a credit to Joe Dante). I was also surprised that this movie came out in the 80s because it retains a grit and groundedness that was often scrubbed away as film shifted gears from the 70s to the 80s.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Film: Scary Stories to Tell
in the Dark

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 3/5

I avoided watching this for so long in large part because I have a lot of nostalgia for the books it’s based on and I assumed I would be disappointed. However, this movie did a pretty good job of bringing my favorite parts of the original books to life and threaded those things between a plot I found engaging if a little silly. A lot of films of this type ruin the tension they build near the end when too much starts happening simultaneously and the scenes become action-oriented rather than suspenseful.

I think, unfortunately, this film fell into that trap a bit and the “Me Tie Doughty Walker” section stopped being creepy and tense and became boring. If I didn’t see another “driving around with a monster on top of the car” scene for 50 years, it would be too fucking soon. Still, the movie immediately gained back some points in the next part, which I won’t spoil. All I’ll say is this movie was a much better watch than I’d anticipated, and though I have my issues with it I had a good time, overall.

The Blackcoat's Daughter

Film: The Blackcoat’s Daughter

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 4.5/5

This is one of my favorite horror movies. The performances are incredible across the board, which is very necessary in a slow-burn like The Blackcoat’s Daughter. The tone created by the performance of Kiernan Shipka, in particular, is eerie and tense, and the ending is gut-wrenching. If you can’t handle slower-paced fare, maybe skip this, but otherwise, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Mandy

Film: Mandy

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 4/5

Mandy is pure, unhinged, unabashed, Cage-y goodness. And while I’ve enjoyed his performance more recently in offerings like Pig – a movie that proves that though he is usually typecast, he can still carry a slower, more heartfelt film as well – I was still thrilled to see him return to form after some other somewhat disappointing film appearances. Mandy is a glorious marriage of the raw power and insanity of a committed Nicolas Cage performance, and the psychedelic stylings of Panos Cosmatos. If you like weird, crazy, trippy movies with a lot of creative violence, Mandy is well-worth a watch.

Beyond the Black Rainbow

Film: Beyond the Black Rainbow

Where to watch: Fubo TV

Rating: 3.5/5

Speaking of Panos Cosmatos, Beyond the Black Rainbow is another of his films which I can only hesitantly endorse. Personally, I was a big fan. It’s unsettling, it has a unique tone and feel, and it’s visually delightful. I recommended this to my mom, who’s also a fan of weird shit, and she disliked it a lot, so I can’t say it’s for everyone. I couldn’t even particularly put my finger on who it’s for, exactly, but at least one person on that list is me.

Starry Eyes

Film: Starry Eyes

Where to watch: Tubi

Rating: 2.5/5

Intensely uncomfortable to watch, start-to-finish. I think if you’re a woman, or have been perceived and treated like a woman, it’s a bit harder to stomach. That being said, I quite liked the ending. The middle bits were kind of what I struggled with. It’s not that I didn’t like them at all, it’s just that normally this sort of story – one in which a woman slowly turns to evil – satisfies me more when she’s not subjected to your standard forms of misogynistic abuse and humiliation. Be warned, there’s a fair bit of that in the film. But it’s a fun watch regardless if you can stomach those scenes.

St. Maud

Film: St. Maud

Where to watch: Prime Video

Rating: 4.5/5

First off, I will give the warning that there is a very short rape scene in this film. Even leaving that scene aside, this movie got under my skin and confronted me in exactly the way I appreciate from a good horror film. I will give my little review of a very similar movie below, but what I think separates this one from that is purely the tone. It only gets more and more grim. If that’s not something you enjoy, it won’t be for you, but if you’re someone who likes challenging, psychological horror, you will enjoy St. Maud.

Censor

Film: Censor

Where to watch: Hulu

Rating: 3.5/5

As mentioned in the above review of St. Maud, Censor spins a sort of similar yarn. I won’t go into too much detail about the content of either, but even if I were to spoil them, they’re worth the watch for the performances, the storycraft, and if you’re a fan of such things, some of the more jarring, violent moments. I would say Censor is a little more goofy, almost, compared to St. Maud. It never veers fully into schlock, but it gets very close on several occasions, and the ending also toes the line between silly and unsettling. Still, a fun watch and a creepy movie.

One Cut of the Dead

Film: One Cut of the Dead

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 4/5

I won’t say too much about this movie aside from this: it’s an absolute delight. I can think of very few flaws, and I won’t even name them because who cares? It’s lighthearted, it’s fun, and it’s short. You couldn’t ask for more in a good comedy horror film, in my opinion.

The Invisible Man

Film: The Invisible Man

Where to watch: Freevee

Rating: 4/5

I’m normally not much of a fan of thrillers, nor of reboots of classic horror movies/monsters, but The Invisible Man is really fantastic. The reimagining of the character is novel, the tension the film builds up is genuinely thrilling, and the ending was everything I wanted.

Off-List Recommendations

Even though I relish being a hater, after so many ugly reviews, I thought I’d end with some unabashed positivity and list a small selection of my favorite horror films. Enjoy!

The Taking of Deborah Logan

Film: The Taking of Deborah
Logan

Where to watch: Prime Video

Rating: 4/5

This movie is a banger, and one which I think deserves more recognition.

Lake Mungo

Film: Lake Mungo

Where to watch: Tubi

Rating: 5/5

Deeply unsettling. One of the best horror films and best found footage films ever made, as far as I’m concerned.

Martyrs (2008)

Film: Martyrs

Where to watch: Tubi

Rating: 4/5

Listen, this is going to sound weird, but this movie used to be a comfort film for me. Like I think I’ve watched it a few dozen times at least because I would go to sleep with it on. Definitely mental health related, so I’m not going to delve into why. I’m also not going to lie and say this is for the faint of heart, and I’m also not going to pretend like a movie in which exclusively young women are tortured is beyond criticism, but I will proclaim that this is a fantastic film, and one I recommend if you’re up to it.

Prey

Film: Prey

Where to watch: Hulu

Rating: 5/5

What are you even doing if you haven’t watched this yet? It’s fun, surprisingly emotional, lovely, and so deeply satisfying in a number of ways.

Noroi: The Curse

Film: Noroi: The Curse

Where to watch: Shudder

Rating: 5/5

If you’re a horror fan, odds are you’ve seen this or heard of it. If you haven’t, do yourself a favor and give it a chance. If you aren’t convinced by that simple endorsement, let me also say that though this film is long, it doesn’t waste your time. It’s a wonderfully crafted slow-burn, the kind that reminds me what I love about well executed slow-burns. And if you’ve seen some of the other reviews I’ve written here, I’m sure you know by now that I’m a stickler for movies not overstaying their welcome.

I love a good mockumentary, I love good found-footage horror, and I love cryptic mysteries told with great care. Noroi is all of these things, and that’s what has made it into such an iconic piece of horror cinema.

Creep (and Creep 2)

Film: Creep and Creep 2

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 4/5

I’m always trying to get more people on the Creep train. It’s a very special movie, and one of the few with a sequel that is just as good and possibly even better than the original. This is the kind of horror that will make you uncomfortable more than anything else, but it’s so very good and so very effective.

May

Film: May

Where to watch: Tubi/Shudder

Rating: 4/5

I wanted to throw a little curveball in here because horror comes in a lot of different shapes, flavors, essences… etc. but I often stay in my favored lanes; I love the gory and the supernatural. But I think it’s worth exploring some films in the genre that aren’t precisely what most people think of when they imagine horror. May is one of my favorite movies in that vein. It has such strong intention and characterization, and – without giving much away – the ending does not merely shock or disgust or terrify, it touches your soul. I hope that intrigues you enough to watch this movie, because it’s a truly affecting piece of cinema.

Halloween Ends (SPOILERS AHEAD)

I wanted to give a more thorough review of Halloween Ends because realistically, it’s one of the bigger, more notable releases on this list, and I did have quite a few thoughts on it. Firstly, many reviewers were not, but I was completely on-board with the main plot of this movie. Especially because, going into it, I had steeled myself for yet another endless, boring Michael killing spree. Weirdly, I feel like most reviewers have complained about the same thing in the past, yet when the creators give us something different, it’s also a problem? I don’t know what the fuck those folks want, but personally, I wanted this. I wanted a story that explored a different aspect of the Michael Meyers legacy without following the same structure of every single other Halloween movie. I wanted a story that brought back some of the psychological elements of the original while also adding something fresh to the mix. I wanted the story of Laurie Strode to reach its conclusion, one way or another… Actually, strictly speaking, none of that is 100% true. What I really wanted was this entire series put to bed after the fun little schlock-fest that was Halloween 3, and for Halloween 2 to be burned from our collective memory. And then I wanted it put to bed a second time after Halloween (2018). But if we we had to have a sequel (and we did, because of money), this is what I wanted from it. I liked the concept of someone else taking on the Meyers mantle, un-subtle though its execution may have been. I enjoyed watching this kid enact his gruesome vengeance and slowly become the next personification of evil, and if they had taken that course and run with it, starting a whole new saga, I wouldn’t have been too angry about it even if I’m dying for them to incinerate the rancid corpse that this franchise has become. But of course, we can’t have nice things, and the point where the movie broke down and disappointed me was when they rehashed the Laurie vs. Michael fight AGAIN. How many times must we see this? I enjoyed it more the first time, in Halloween (2018). But ok, fine, we have to do this in every single one of these fucking things so whatever. At the very least, they had the courtesy to make it really funny. Laurie essentially crucifies Michael on her kitchen island, then leans the fridge on his leg. She of course takes her time knifing him properly, so he unskewers one of his hands by just rippin’ right through it (lol), then chokes her out one last time. He almost gets her, too, mostly because she’s finally had enough and starts to give in, but then her granddaughter shows up and snaps his fucking arm like a twig. At which point I was howling with laughter. Finally, Laurie slits his wrist. Fin. Then came an even funnier scene. The cops show up, and they tie Micheal’s body to the top of a car. There’s a moment where you can hear some of the background officers going like “hey, this isn’t how we do things guys, come on.” But the sherriff shows up and says “tonight it is,” or something like that, and I giggled. The cursory attention given to standard procedure was quite funny to me, though I don’t think it’s intended to be as laughable as it is. I like that they give that nod and then go, “yeah, we really mean the Ends part of Halloween Ends. This mf is going in the shredder.” I was grinning throughout the sequence, because they’re finally doing what no horror movie dummies ever get to do: truly destroy the boogeyman. And destroy him they do. The townsfolk of Haddonfield all come out in force to crowd-surf Michael’s body to the industrial grinder and then part like the Red Sea to allow Laurie her final goodbye. We get a blood-explosion shot of Mikey’s body getting ate up, and it’s over, just like that. It had me kicking my feet like a child because man is it trying to be serious, but it’s just entertainingly goofy. That’s why I really can’t be mad at this film even with this tacked on bullshit at the end. I enjoyed the main story, I laughed at the end, and I sighed with relief that I won’t be seeing another one of these goddamn things for at least a few years. So I hope, anyways. I don’t know if I can bring myself to watch another one if they do bring it back. As much as I enjoy that John Carpenter is forever getting run his money off the back of this series, as I mentioned earlier, I would like for it to die. Its ability to induce fear has long since faded due in part to the original run of sequels, whose premises became more and more absurd, consequently making Michael less and less scary. And in part due to the multiple resurrections it has now endured. From Robb Zombie’s films, the first of which was so terrible, they turned the lights on in the theater I was watching it in so we could all laugh and talk more easily since we were already getting rowdy less than an hour in. To this new trilogy, which had some decent entries – this and Halloween – and one of the worst sequels to anything I’ve ever seen – Halloween Kills. I truly hope this property finally gets to rest in tiny, ground up pieces much like Michael’s old, fucked up sewer body. Did I mention he lived in the sewer in this one? Yeah. Maybe they’ll add a nasty sewer mask skin for him in DBD. I’d enjoy that.

The post Jess’ October Movie List appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Hope & Loathing in King’s Landing: House of the Dragon Episode 1 Review

fantasticworldspod — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 20:48:09 +0000

Abbie reviews House of the Dragon: Episode One

Welp, I ended up watching House of the Dragon, as I knew I was going to eventually. I’m not physically able to stop myself from watching a show about dragon riders. I just finished episode one and I can already tell this will be a bit of a hate-watch for me.

Disclaimers: This post is NOT SPOILER FREE for episode one, and also includes vague guesses for the future based on having read the book. If you want to watch House of the Dragon without knowing anything and haven’t watched the pilot – turn back now!

I have read the section of Fire and Blood this show is based on – but it was so long ago I only remember the broadest strokes. Any predictions I make here are based on half-remembered snapshots – so bear that in mind.

The Good

Before I get started, I want to state for the record that there are absolutely enjoyable elements that may make this thing worth the watch in the long run. It’s fun to see the Dragon Royals at the height of their power and with the maximum number of fire-breathing WOMDs/beloved pets they will ever have.

The cast is strong too. The performances are generally good from everyone in it but I want to single out Matt Smith. He is so good at sinking into a role, and manages to bring a level of charisma to Daemon Targaryen that makes him bearable to watch, instead of lazily sinking to Ramsey Bolton levels of villainous caricature.

Rhaenyra is a character I am looking forward to following. An intelligent, funny, bold young woman who begins the show with complex, but ultimately loving relationships with her family and friends that, as this is a tragedy, will ultimately sour. I’m a sucker for stories where people who love each other end up on opposite sides. I especially adore this when it’s part of the relationship between our protagonist and the most likely villain – her uncle Daemon. They seem to have a relatively warm familial relationship to start, and their struggle against each other for the throne will probably end in ruin for them both.

Depending on how bold they want to go, there are possibilities for queer storytelling on this show. Rhaenyra and her girlhood best friend Alicent have a very close bond and I’ll be happy either for a Friends to Lovers to Enemies story for them, or a Best Friends to Enemies story. I also half-remember it being implied in the book that Rhaenyra’s (post-timeskip) husband is gay and she falls in love with his sister while ALSO having an affair with another man on the side – fun!

Those are the high points for me. Now, on to why this is still going to be a hate-watch, in all likelihood.

The Bad

I loathe that this show is focused around the potential for a woman to sit on the throne, when we already know she won’t – because they say on Game of Thrones that no woman has ever done so. So we know Rhaenyra fails already. And we know that even her distant relative, Daenerys, will also fail in about a century and a half. No woman (presumably – I doubt we’ll get any trans monarchs referenced on this show) has ever sat on the Iron Throne and none ever will (with the exception of Cercei, but it’s almost worse that the only woman ever to rule Westeros in her own right was a monster), so the discussions of who Viserys’s successor in this show should be already feel pointless. It might not be Daemon, but it will inevitably be a man.

But first, let’s torture some women! The showrunners have proudly stated that a major theme will be the struggles of women living in a patriarchal, medieval style society that would rather burn the country to the ground than be ruled by a woman. This bums me out for two major reasons.

The first one is: we again know from seeing women characters in Game of Thrones struggle with a lot of the same issues that NOTHING is going to change. The women of House of the Dragon will suffer and struggle and strive to make a change and…fail.

The second is: this show is already an example of why stories focused on a particular type of oppression or social struggle aren’t best told by people who aren’t members of the group they’re writing about. There are so many elements of this show that already irritate me knowing that the showrunners, cisgender men Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal, wrote at least the first two episodes (Condal), directed the pilot (Sapochnik), and are in charge of where this story will go in general.

For example: this first episode features a pregnant person being forcibly given a C-section without anesthesia while she cries “no, no, stop” and then just screams in agony until she dies from blood loss. They made a big deal of Aemma saying that childbirth is a woman’s battlefield, and tried to juxtapose it with a jousting tournament to drive that point home, but the part of her labor they used was the part she did not consent to. That wasn’t her battlefield or her tournament or her shot at glory – that was her being murdered by her husband as he lovingly strokes her hair and tells her not to be afraid while his servants cut her open to yank out the baby, who dies a couple minutes after his birth anyway.

You can just tell that Sapochnik and Condal thought they were real geniuses here, and I hate it. The battlefield metaphor might have worked, if Aemma had been given the opportunity to choose this procedure. But instead no one asks her what she wants to do or even tells her what’s about to happen to her because how would we have a ReaLisTIC stORy about doing a sexism if we gave the women in it any agency!? A classic conundrum.

I find all of this deeply frustrating, and I wish that HBO had greenlit a different GoT tie-in project, or hired at least (1) one person to run it who isn’t a cis man and has any idea of what living under the yoke of misogyny is like if they were so excited to produce a show where that’s a central theme. I hope I’m wrong about where I think this is going, but franchise prequels usually have to stick to the previously established history of the story we’ve seen before, so I doubt it.

The Upshot

They may find surprising moments to prove me wrong in smaller ways – and in the meantime there are plenty of dragons to keep me happy. I will continue to walk this tightrope of hope and loathing for another episode.

Moments I loved: Dragons, dragons everywhere! With promises of more! That opening scene where Rhaenyra soars high above King’s Landing on her dragon Syrax brought a couple tears to my eye – that was literally my fondest adolescent daydream. Loved Daemon introducing his girlfriend to his dragon as well before flying away, that was fun.

Princess Rhaenys, the Queen that Never Was, and her husband Lord Corlys are a hot couple. Looking forward to learning more about them.

Rhaenyra’s tense, bitter conversation with Daemon at the funeral. I can’t really explain what I liked about it – it was just a moment I enjoyed.

Moments that made me roll my eyes: Daemon sending in his Goldcloaks to randomly grab people out of a crowd and maim them lmao what the actual fuck is happening? I get it, he’s a violent, chaotic man but they give us no real context for what he or his men even thought they were doing there.

Alicent being sent by her father to comfort a bereaved Viserys. Why? Are they implying she sleeps with him? Or is she just going to sit there with her book and say “I’m sorry?” It has not been established that King V. has a taste for teen girls, or that he has any affection or regard for Alicent in particular so this was confusing. If she’s supposed to sleep with him why is Hightower sending Viserys his VIRGIN NOBLE DAUGHTER, instead of hiring a sex worker?! He doesn’t appear to have Tywin Lannisterish scruples about brothels, and neither does the king! Makes no sense.

Viserys telling Rhaenyra about “The Song of Ice and Fire”. Such unnecessary and very silly foreshadowing for a story we’ve already been told on a show that won’t include any of the White Walker stuff, unless they drastically alter the history of this world.

On to episode two! Might make this a series.

About The Author

Abbie is full to bursting with half-formed opinions and loves the sound of her own voice. Catch any of her podcasts if you love that for her: Fairy Tale Fix, Fantastic Worlds, Far Beyond the Stars, and The Greatest Show on Earth.

The post Hope & Loathing in King’s Landing: House of the Dragon Episode 1 Review appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 9

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 22:37:00 +0000

Abraxas Hillrunner

Much of his childhood was spent in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Therefore, he was more than thrilled when he heard and answered the call to serve the natural world. Since then he has traveled far from his homeland and his beloved family.

Abraxas revels in travel and exploration. Because of his upbringing, he is most at home in the hills and mountainous terrain. He is also comfortable with the cold. He spends much of his time in the wilderness, and that is the way he likes it. He is easy going and inquisitive; useful traits for a traveler. His calling keeps him primarily in the wilds. He can be quite the fish out of water on the rare visit to “civilization.”

Artwork by the amazing Ara (arabird_art on Instagram)

Player: Angel Espinoza
Actor: Karl Urban
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Character Class: Artic Druid
Current Level: 7
Deity: The Green Faith
Homeland: Ulfen
Race: Natural Werewolf

Size: Medium
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Birthday: Desnus 12 4684 AR
Height:5’8″
Weight: 173 lb
Hair: Dark brown, sun damaged
Skin: Tan

Character Sheet:

Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 1
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 2
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 3
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 4
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 5
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 6
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 7
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 8
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 9

Alignment Statement:

“When nature calls, I reply. When nature speaks, I listen. And when nature angers, I destroy.” (Paizo Publishing, Call of the Wild)

Values:

Duty
His sacred duty is to serve nature. He has been called by the natural forces of Golarion. They are worthy of attention and respect. His oath to it must come first. When not in conflict with his sacred duty, he holds the wisdom of the law of the pack.

Adventure
His ancestors traveled the entire span of the Kodar mountain. Travel is in his blood. He delights in discovery and adventure.

Life
All things exist in balance. As the sun rises, so too it must set. He eats the flesh of his prey as he in turn will be devoured. Magic is the gift of his devotion; he will use it to harm or heal. The undead are an affront to nature and must be destroyed or laid to rest.

Bonds:

Guile, Innovation, and Intrigue. Pippa can enchant without the virtue of magic. How wonderful would it be to gracefully dance around the truth and fiction?
Getting to know you. Pippa is in my heart. In battle, we are in sync. When I move, she moves, we move. Out of combat, we laugh, cry, and endure. I have walked within her inner sanctum. But, I did spend our early travels thinking she was a princess. I speak the language of the fey and the air itself. Buwan spoke in her native tongue. Why the twinge of jealousy? There is much about my life I have not shared, by now I know revealing her true self is not part of her natural rhythm. I want to know and accept her true form as she has seen mine.
Andromeda is a child of balance. She drinks deeply from a wellspring of mysterious power. Its waters, alight with life on the surface and a strange hollowness at its deepest depths. Her footsteps are timid as a doe, her fangs know the endless hunger of a wolf. Andromeda is a child of imbalance. A light sip of the wellspring sends her to the bottomless depths, gasping for air. I will stand by her side whether she wanes or waxes.
The moon is a mixed blessing to my people. It provides light for the hunt, it grants us power in all our forms. It also empowers the bitter sting of silver and drives those we bite into madness. This Herald seems different from the Irresseni I have encountered. Will they prove a mixed blessing?
Hypocrisy. I have become the angry intolerant horde. The Herald has done nothing to earn my animosity. When we are threatened, he fights and bleeds with us. When we are confused, he offers insight and guidance. I must make more of an effort to keep my prejudices in check.
Legacy of the Moon. I learned much from The Herald in the brief time they chose to walk alongside this dangerous path. The first of which is to trust. I became the angry intolerant horde that I feared as a pup. I will endeavor to reach out to potential allies with hand outstretched not claws.
Legacy of the Void. Andromeda was an unexpected balm for my weary soul, heavy with grief. It fills me with peace that she is able to rest, if even for a moment. I have been a student for many years, Andromeda taught me I can be a teacher as well.
She has Risen. It seems like a lifetime ago since I stared at that empty room. I still see it from time to time when I close my eyes. Now they stand before me once more. My friend, my mentor. Do we pick up where we left off? What has changed? What remains the same. I am both thrilled and terrified.
Byani. Wow.? Period.

Personal Bond:

“Is Abraxas a man that turns into a wolf or a wolf that turns into a man? Is he man or beast? His experience with his new pack has made him realize that he is both man and beast. He will continue to learn how to talk and fight like a human. He will continue to howl at the moon and chase rabbits. He will revel in the power of his hybrid form.”

The weapons of man are versatile and ingenious. My hammer can break the jaws of my foes and my shield moves on it’s own to intercept any arrow or bolt heading my way. My pelt can soften the blows of most enemies, but dragonscale takes the bite out of even the axes of frost giants. But I am also a wolf. I cannot be the lone wall against our numerous aggressors. I am a pack hunter, I will stand alongside my pack in victory and defeat.

Retired Bonds:

I came into this world possessing destructive powers. One bite could transform a pacifist into a bloodthirsty creature. The strength I draw from the natural world can create a mist or unleash a maelstrom. Pippa’s enchanting and destructive powers are growing. She did not have the mentors I now see I was fortunate to have, she cannot hear the encouraging whispers of the frost, the wisdom of the mountains. I hope I can provide her the confidence and courage to dance in the tempest and embrace her own claws and fangs.
The moon is a mixed blessing to my people. It provides light for the hunt, it grants us power in all our forms. It also empowers the bitter sting of silver and drives those we bite into madness. This Herald seems different from the Irresseni I have encountered. Will they prove a mixed blessing?
~~Is Andromeda a witch in sheep’s clothing or yet another victim of Irrisen’s wickedness. Best keep her close and find out. One way or another my curiosity or hunger will be sated.~~
~~Fang, fur, and the elements have served me on my travels. I may have to adapt to ensure Pippa and I can weather any menace.~~
~~Pippa can harness powerful arcane forces. My hope is she balances its protective and destructive potential.~~
~~Some darkness or sorrow wounded Odessa early in life; I will make sure she knows she is safe in the pack.~~
~~Since Menet joins me in the den (i.e., embraces my natural spirit), I will endevour to join her in the temple (i.e., embrace her spiritual nature).~~
Odessa saved my life at the lighthouse; I will preserve her life. – Resolved
Odessa’s eyes can find both beauty and the perfect spot to aim for; she may become a trusted ally – Resolved
~~Odessa can talk to anyone; I have much to learn from her.~~
Pippa can talk to anyone; I have much to learn from her. – Resolved
Pippa knows that you don’t need a title or badge to dispense frontier justice; she may become a trusted ally. – Resolved
Pippa could have met a watery end; I will help her survive the dangers of wilds. – Resolved

Artwork by the talented Jjo (p4ndster on Instagram)

The post Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 9 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Gay at the Table

fantasticworldspod — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Diversity of race, culture, gender, sexual expression, neurochemistry, and others leads to better gaming experiences and more specific, exciting stories.

As we celebrate Pride, we want to reflect a little on what having this avenue for expressing our queerness (and allyship) has meant to all of us in our tabletop gaming experiences. It’s been fun, it’s been transformative, it’s been a refuge, and it’s important to us to be able to share this space we’ve created for ourselves with all of you.

Host reflections

LOGAN:

Before it was put on hold by the pandemic, I was the Dungeon Master for an in-person group of teenagers who had mixed levels of experience in tabletop gaming. The group included diverse ethnicities: Hmong, Latinx, Mixed-Race. It included a variety of genders and social-economic backgrounds. But what stood out to me was one player in particular.

As the group began to create their characters as we prepared for the upcoming campaign, one player excitedly told me all about the character they were creating. It focused at first on the standard tidbits: class, background, what cool abilities they wanted their arrakocra to be able to do.

But then they asked me this: “Is it ok for my character to be gay?”.

Being a happily married gay man, I enthusiastically told them yes. A few minutes later, they said to me that all of the characters they’ve played before had been gay. I responded that all of mine have been queer in some way. A few minutes later, they came out to me, and I proudly smiled at them. At that moment, the shell they had constructed dissolved. I recognized it because it was the same shell I used to wear when I was their age.

I can’t imagine how scared they may have been to even ask that first question. They weren’t even my student at the time, so they didn’t know me very well. They didn’t know how open I would be to their question. They didn’t know how I am dedicated to diversity and safe spaces and that I would welcome them with open arms. So they took a chance, and it paid off beautifully. They went on to hit on every male we encountered in the campaign, and their fellow players assisted in being wingmen and wingwomen when they could.

If they were rejected by a different Dungeon Master or by their fellow players, I wonder if they would’ve wanted to continue gaming. All I know is that their story as part of the TTRPG community would have been gone and unable to be experienced and enjoyed by others. And that would’ve been a shame. By embracing diversity, we uplift all. We grow. We thrive.

I want to get this clear. Framing the tabletop gaming experience in terms of how inclusive it can be regarding the diversity of its players and the stories that they tell and allowing these experiences to be played in a safe space is not pandering. If you feel the need to restrict diverse gaming, be it consciously or unconsciously, you are gatekeeping, and you are a part of the problem.

TTRPGs are inherently collaborative. I have found so much queer joy in these games. I, my friends, and my students have all found a queer haven in these experiences. I’m proud to be gay and to be a part of the queer community. Why wouldn’t I roleplay that?

Jess

Positive representation matters. Seeing positive representation of the trans experience in college literally saved my life. Until I met the trans professor for my freshman year seminar, who showed me that being trans could be freeing and beautiful, I was lost, terrified, and filled with self-hatred.

So many moments in media and in life instilled these feelings in me. Seeing Jim Carrey showering while sobbing and brushing his teeth with an entire tube of toothpaste after kissing a trans woman in an Ace Ventura movie. When the villain in Dude, Where’s My Car? (whose name I sadly can’t remember) reveals a bulge in her underwear, and one of the main characters visibly retches. Not to mention the slew of transphobic jokes slung around in The 40-Year-Old Virgin after a transgender sex worker is hired for the titular virgin. Or, in the more current and supposedly more “progressive” film, Deadpool, when Wade off-handedly jokes that a very buff, very strong woman must have a penis due to those other aforementioned traits. These depictions of transness and gender essentialist ideas terrified me, made me swallow down any sense of kinship I had with trans characters so that I could hide from the ridicule and hatred I knew would come with it. And those are just moments I can remember off the top of my head – there have been so many more.

What gave me the freedom to see and understand who I was was a single person representing the experience in a positive light. And that’s why diversity in gaming – and every other format, really – is so important. I want depictions of transness and queerness (along with other marginalized identities) that give people hope. We’ve had enough of the grimdark, “realistic” portrayals – we’ve lived the experiences those portrayals broadcast. It’s time for gaming, movies, television, books, and everything else to paint another picture. My picture happens to be of tons of queer folks doing cool magic shit and destroying evil. What will yours be?

ABBIE

Gaming is often about more than telling a great story – it’s about getting to live out a power fantasy and an experimental version of yourself. This can be really vulnerable and exciting, getting to try on and try out different aspects of our potential identities in low-stakes, low-commitment environments.

It’s hard to know what to portray, though, or what the possibilities for yourself and others might be without multiple examples laid out for you in the media you consume. Representation in film, books, tv, video games, podcasts, and your buddies you sit down to play tabletop games with is crucial to discovering different potential identities. How can you fully know who you are without being aware of all the possibilities?

Speaking from my own experience, I never considered the possibility that I was bi or ace-spec until I encountered more nuanced versions of these concepts in my gaming content and podcasts I was listening to. You have to love compulsive heterosexuality – because since I liked men, I thought I couldn’t possibly be queer. Even though I have also wanted to make out with girls my whole life, I thought they were pretty and wrote some pretty dramatic sapphic fiction as a teenager – I thought every straight girl also did that. I also thought every AFAB person just took a while to “warm-up” to a sexual partner. It took reading a few books, getting bisexual and ace representation in shows I liked and just meeting other queer people to make me reconsider my own experience with attraction. My life and understanding of myself have become vastly richer with that exposure, and I’m so grateful for it.

Something else I’ve been musing on with regards to my own experience is that as a bisexual woman who was only able to fully recognize and embrace that aspect of my identity as an adult in my late twenties who had only ever dated men, met one she liked, and entered a monogamous partnership with him – I’ve never really gotten the opportunity to date girls, or to be bisexual in a way that is immediately apparent. I’m so grateful to have found the FWP crew to play with because I feel like I finally have the space to explore that part of myself and a community that not only embraces that part of me but centers it.

Embracing diversity in tabletop games allows us to explore different aspects of ourselves. That might manifest as our desire to explore what being an ancient elven mage might be like – but I’m also talking about if you want to explore what being a non-binary ancient elven mage might be like, or a pansexual barbarian, or even just a new name for yourself – you need a table full of people who understand and embrace your characters, and more importantly you, in all your infinite variety. If those people aren’t available to you (for whatever reason), you need representation in the games you listen to. It’s something we try to incorporate into the universes we create with each other, and it’s imperative to all of us and, we hope, to you.

ANGEL

I recently purchased My Time at Portia. As usual, I spent a good portion of time in the character creation area. I was selecting the exact shade of green I wanted for the hair when my boyfriend commented, “you making another dark character?” He didn’t say it in a snarky way. We play a lot of video games together. Over the years, he noticed I would create my characters, if the game allows customization, with super golden brown skin or the equivalent.

As he commented, I smiled and thought back to a recent conversation with the FWP crew. I shared how each of my TTRP characters contained an element of me. Part of it is to live vicariously through their adventures. The other part is growing up I felt there weren’t enough shows and games made just for me. As a gaymer and co-host with some awesomesauce queer folk and allies, I proudly get to nerd out with a diverse group who brings their amazing personalities and backgrounds to create a truly fantastic experience.

It tickles me pink to think that our stories and experiences, joined with other incredible queer podcasts, games, books, and movies, encourage others to embrace themselves. I know my younger self definitely would have benefited from the diverse and supporting gaming voices. I sincerely appreciate all of you who wave your respective flags and create safe places for gamers of all ages and backgrounds to play and tell their stories. Besitos!

DUSTIN

Diversity is a part of what I think makes Fantastic Worlds unique; we might not be the most famous actual play podcast out there, but we believe that it is helping to put good into the world.

Last year when we received our licensing partnership with Paizo, it was a big deal for us and representative of a lot of hard work. However, when the press release went out, most of these sites chose to cut out the part about our group diversity. Representation matters; It is not something that should be just cut on a whim to save space, or in some cases, because you are afraid of making waves with someone intolerant.

Our contribution to equality is small, but much like Mariposa, we are fierce. It is also that quality that we will always choose to represent who we are rather than hide in the shadows. It just drives us to work harder.

Diversity makes the world fantastic, don’t ever let anyone convince you otherwise. To me, worlds can be an infinite number of sizes. It can be your world of friendships, the world of your career, the world of your community, and it especially means the fantastic worlds we explore in tabletop gaming.

I encourage anyone who reads this, look at the groups you play with and ask this question. Is there someone with a different background than my own that I can invite to my group? Have I created a space that works towards making everyone feel welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated? Am I celebrating differences in flavor and playstyle and encouraging it?

Be prepared to listen, be ready to have your thoughts and ideas changed, and, most of all, be ready to grow. Nothing wrong with learning and understanding.

HEIDI

“Are you a boy or a girl?” This innocuous phrase asked by Professor Rowan at the beginning of Pokemon Diamond rankled me in high school because I couldn’t answer it. Not honestly at least. But that’s been so much of my life. Being dishonest with myself and with others, lying about who I was, pretending to be my parents’ perfect son. I didn’t feel like a son, and I didn’t feel like a daughter because of my upbringing. So, “Are you a boy or a girl?” I always wanted to choose a girl, so I gave it a shot, and I named her Lily. Ultimately this didn’t change how I related to the world, but it opened up an opportunity to start exploring my gender with a very simple question.

Since then, any chance I’ve had to choose or create a character, the first character I create is always a woman. It was a way for me to explore my identity, pretend to be someone I wanted to be, but I felt like I was out of my reach. Playing a girl in MMOs gave me a chance to interact without wearing the mask of masculinity I had been wearing my whole life. Then coming across more and more beautiful transgender characters in games made me wonder: ‘Is this something I could do for myself?’

For me, diversity in gaming has been about normalizing differences and offering underrepresented people the opportunity to feel like the hero or the story. It’s about having those people tell their stories that white, cisgender, straight people lack the experience because of being part of the majority group. It’s about being willing to ask questions and listen to the answers. So tell me, “Are you a boy, a girl, or other?

KELSEY

I remember my best friend going away for summer vacation when I was 13 or so. I missed her a ton, so I bought her a card to give to her when she got back, and my sister saw this and decided to tease me and tell me that I was a lesbian and had a crush on my best friend. I was mortified and honestly a little confused. I DID love her. A lot! Was I a lesbian?

It being the early 2000s (and me being a very insecure teenager), I freaked out, ripped up the card, and decided to never tell my friend. Which is so funny because just four years later, we would openly sing songs about being lesbians. While we never ended up together as a couple, we were damn cute and didn’t care what anyone else thought, because first off–there’s nothing wrong with being lesbians! Secondly, for me anyway, love and attraction are really fluid.

Time can quickly change how we perceive cultural norms. It has been exhilarating growing up and experiencing this shift in queer acceptance and positivity. When someone uses the word “gay” as a descriptor nowadays, I automatically assume the best because fuck yeah! That’s gay as hell, and we are HERE. FOR. IT! That wasn’t always the case.

This outward acceptance–Pride flags, events, rainbow paraphernalia–is relatively new and isn’t common. It’s a very Western concept, and not everyone has the privilege of coming out and having a safe space to do so. The first “Pride parades” were riots (as recent as 1969, mind you) because of a horribly anti-gay legal system, and people couldn’t be open without being arrested, or fuck–even killed. It’s always an important reminder that we have black trans women to thank for SO MUCH.

Pride month absolutely makes my heart soar with happiness that so many people feel liberated to be their most genuine, authentic selves. Love is powerful and vast and complicated, and no one should be shamed for it. Life is way too short to suppress your beautiful self to make others around you comfortable (and if they need that, how boring and sad for them). Diversity is so important, and I’m lucky to be a part of a podcasting community that values it.

The post Gay at the Table appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Pippa Locksley – Level 9

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 09:47:00 +0000

Art by: corpsecutie on instagram, erikathegoober on instagram, arabird_art on instagram

Pippa Locksley

Pippa Locksley was born the youngest daughter of two innkeepers in Northern Taldor. She’s 35 years old and the “mom” friend. She isn’t overly fond of camping, but loves to travel. She’s a bit vain, very prideful and curious to a fault. She’s more of a con artist than a traditional thief – she swindles the hell out of most nobles and rich folks she encounters. If there’s something she really wants though, she’ll find a way to get it!

More importantly, Pippa’s a bit of a do-gooder and often involves herself in trouble in the towns she and her companions visit out of a sense of frontier justice and a distrust that nobles will actually protect the people under their rule.

Player: Abbie Lammel
Actor: Natalie Dormer
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Character Class: Rogue
Current Level: 7
Deity: Calista
Homeland: Taldor
Race: Halfling

Size: Small
Gender: Female
Age: 35
Birthday: Oathday, Rova 22 4678 AR
Height: 2’8″
Weight: 73 lb
Hair: Blonde
Skin: White

Character Sheet:

Pippa Locksley – Level 1 Rogue
Pippa Locksley – Level 2 Rogue
Pippa Locksley – Level 3 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 4 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 5 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 6 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 7 Arcane Trickster
Pippa Locksley – Level 8 Arcane Trickster
Pippa Locksley – Level 9 Arcane Trickster

Alignment Statement:

Most laws exist to protect and enforce the status of those in power, and breaking them in the service of regular people or mine and my companions comfort (preferably both) is the right thing to do.

Values:

Pippa protects her own above all others. From her informants to her landlady in her townhouse in the capital city to her butler to the guy who fences her “repatriated” artifacts she takes an interest in their lives and troubles.
Pippa is prideful. She knows she’s worth about 10 of any mark or enemy she comes across.
She believes in eye for an eye justice, and if someone has been wronged in her view she will extract exact punishment
Sorcerers and wizards are Trouble, and should be given a wide berth. However, magic is wondrous and fascinating and strange.
If she can’t do something smart, Pippa will do something right

Bonds:

Menet has returned – and Andromeda has taken her place in the gem. I am overJOYED to see her again, to know that she lives and that Odessa likewise is unharmed, and continuing a journey of her own. So much has happened to Abraxas and me in the past few weeks, and in that time Menet has spent a year in this other place fighting a war, an experience that had to have left its own marks upon her – which I should be sensitive to. There is some awkwardness there that it will take time to navigate as we get to know each other again and recover our old camaraderie if we can.
I must remember that in this environment and when dealing with magic, Abraxas knows far more than I, and this both comforts and frightens me – should I reveal the expansion of my inner room?
The…creature…, ah, Argentea – has been helpful delivering spells on my behalf, helping me scout ahead where my eyes do not see, and taking blows for us that would have otherwise been fatal. She…(they?)…seem only to want my favor and a kind word in return. I should speak with her more, and discover what she likes.
I have struck a bargain with a witch, and I’m terrified of Abraxas finding out.
I must remember that in this environment and when dealing with magic, Abraxas knows far more than I, and I must let him lead and teach me.
Abraxas has been so kind to me, allowing me to ride him when I can’t keep up and bolstering me in times of fear. I must think of something I can do to show him how much I appreciate his friendship – perhaps a giant pile of exotic meats?
The source of Andromeda’s powers has finally been revealed, and we are going to do what we can to sever her relationship with this eldritch nightmare. Perhaps even more difficult will be helping this poor kid recover from the emotional trauma and isolation growing up like this has caused.
The source of Andromeda’s powers has finally been revealed, and we are going to do what we can to sever her relationship with this eldritch nightmare. Perhaps even more difficult will be helping this poor kid recover from the emotional trauma and isolation growing up like this has caused.
Andromeda is now inside the gem on Menet’s shoulder – I hope that this means she’s able to find some peace, to heal somewhat from the influence her patron has had on her life, and her first real experience with the grief of losing a friend. Buwan was really the one who would have been able to help her best, but in his absence, I must discover what I can do when she feels ready to return to us.
Trust is a choice you make, as I learned with Buwan in the short two weeks we knew him. He is gone, and I intend to carry the lessons I learned from him forward with this new companion on our quest, Bayani, and welcome him to our party as warmly.
I was just getting to know Jaromir/Buwan, after being so suspicious for so long, and then he died protecting us. I don’t know what to do with this guilt – as I told Andromeda, this will likely never go away as I mourn his death and my conduct towards him. I remember his stories about his grandmother, and vow to thwart her in every way possible, should we meet, and kill her if I can – in Buwan’s name.
Bayani is a quite disarming fellow, lots of muscles, charmingly guileless, a little witless too. But can he pack the punch we need as we face increasingly powerful foes? I should be prepared to ward him if necessary or redirect him from bad tactical ideas.

Personal Bond

I accepted a bargain with Maryusa to restore my powers and grant me a new gift. This led to me being able to save the lives of my companions when we were at our weakest and accomplish the vendetta I took on behalf of the people of Waldsby. I know there will be consequences but I can’t bring myself to regret it. Should I continue to explore the room to accomplish my other vendettas?

Retired Bonds

Buwan is clearly exactly the style of friend that I used to covet – monied, well-read, with excellent manners, and clearly well connected. I look forward to opportunities to enjoy the finer things (where they can be found) with him.
Andromeda is powerful in combat but HELPLESS in most other situations and I’m not sure I trust her judgment. HOW did she get wrapped up in this – I must know and she is frustratingly vague about it.
Abraxas and I may be the only two left of our original party, but we cannot dwell on such things if we are to make it out of this place alive. In addition, he has taken on much of the frontline fighting, channeling Menet’s memory and her spirit in the doing. I continue to find new depths of respect for his courage, and will throw myself into making it count with equal ferocity.
This hut is not fit for living in as nonevil ancient hags. Some improvements must be made.
Odessa and Menet – it’s hard to believe we only knew each other a short time, but bonds formed in blood and duty do not fade easily. If I survive this, I will not rest until I’ve discovered what happened to you and try to bring you home.
Is Buwan a mark or a partner? Friend or foe? Can he be trusted with our mission and with the lives of my companions? I’m going to watch him carefully until he does something to prove he can be trusted, geas, or no.
Buwan’s connections are based in Irrisen, and he mentioned he has “worked with” Halflings in the past, a situation that would be very odd indeed in Irrisen from what I know of my mother’s time here and the reactions I’ve gotten from the locals. I need to find out more about where he comes from, and why he was in Whitethrone.
Andromeda is someone else whose powers just appeared, who also is spoken to by mysterious other beings. Perhaps we can offer each other support in this area.
This hut is not fit for living in as non evil ancient hags. Some improvements must be made.
I have acquired a cat with my face. I am attempting to be in deep denial about this, but at the same time I know I should utilize her and learn how she can further our quest.
~~Of the original four of us who set out on the quest, Abraxas and I are the only ones who remain. We’re both feeling their loss keenly I know, and I’m afraid to let him out of my sight.~~
Odessa proved herself a trustworthy ally and a good friend to me when she helped me out of a rough spot a few weeks ago. I want to prove myself and equally trustworthy friend to her as we continue to travel together.
~~I’m really, really, REALLY curious about Odessa’s “gun”. I want her to let me fire it. Just once.~~
~~Abraxas is a fascinating combination of ferocity and guilelessness that I find precious and worth protecting. I want to teach him about my world, but not let it touch him too much.~~
~~I want to learn as much about him and his homeland as possible. I have always been fascinated by the wild north, and have never met a druid – I must know everything!~~ – Resolved
Abraxas has told me much about his homeland in our weeks of travel together and now we are heading there. Something that fills me with both wonder and terror. I must remember that in this environment Abraxas knows more than I do and I have to let him lead and teach me now.
Menet is like a character out of one of my mother’s stories! Strong, noble, open and brave – having her come with us makes me feel more able to come out of this adventure alive. She gives away money like it doesn’t matter and will bankrupt us quickly if I don’t keep an eye on it.
Menet charged ahead of the party toward the sound of screams, which is a noble reaction, but a highly impractical one. I fear that one day she will either walk into a trap with no one able to reach her in time, or that she will give away our position at the wrong moment.
Odessa has been struggling all this time with her addiction, and I was too blinded with my own ambitions to see the truth. I must try to be a better friend to her, and help her lance this wound at the core of her heart.
My faith and own experience tells me that solace and blissful distraction can often be found in a night of passion with a beautiful lover – a sentiment I know Odessa shares. I should wingwoman her if we get an opportunity at a tavern where we aren’t being attacked by the proprietors.
I hope that while spending time in Abraxas’s presence and observing and speaking with him I can learn to accept and better control these changes to my nature, and the possibility of wilder heritage than I had thought.
~~Menet gives away money like it doesn’t matter and will bankrupt us quickly if I don’t keep an eye on it.~~
Menet is brave and true and good, and does nothing without cause or without reason. Of all of us, she is perhaps the most clear minded about our mission – I would do well to heed her instincts in the future and not let my past associations with priests and paladins cloud my judgement of her character.
Menet recently confided in me that she is unused to this sort of fear in the face of such overwhelming danger and the odds that not all of us will make it to see this quest finished. I want to find a way to cheer her up, and remind her that she is more than equal to this task.

The post Pippa Locksley – Level 9 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Paizocon Online 2021

fantasticworldspod — Fri, 28 May 2021 19:17:08 +0000

We hope to see you all this weekend! Please stop by our #fantastic-worlds channel and say hello! We will be giving away awesome sticker sheets and merch!

The post Paizocon Online 2021 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Mutant Madness: 12 Most Zaddy X-Men Characters

Logan Mayne-Rizzi — Thu, 06 May 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Who are the X-Men? Well, that depends on what iteration of Marvel’s mutant superhero team you’re talking about. They’ve ranged from upstart private school do-gooders to immortal clone island nation. There have been so many members who have filled up their ranks that their homebase is essentially a revolving door. The X-Men have spawned cartoons, movie franchises, video games, board games, and countless comic spin-offs, splinters teams, and blockbuster summer events. The plight of mutants have been compared to a myriad of metaphors and real-world issues: racial minorities, AIDs allegories, apartheid, queer spaces, genocide. They are an enduring franchise and a true pillar of the Marvel comic empire.

But I’m not here to talk about any of that. I’m here to talk about something infinitely more important than anything that has been debated before in the world of X-Men. I’m here to talk about what puts the MEN in X-men.

We need to talk about who are the Most Zaddy X-Characters. For those of you not in the know, a zaddy is “a sexually attractive man, especially an older one who is fashionable or charismatic” (Oxford Languages). As you can see, a zaddy is a particular type of daddy lust-object — these ones have some sort of je ne se quois that excites and titillates just by their sheer presence. These persons hold a certain gravitas that draws in those foolish enough to enter their orbit. Consider me a foolish space rock then, babes, because I’m spiraling out of control!

So now it is my enviable (and self-anointed) task to distill and quantify who and who does not fit into this descriptor. To be honest, this list came too readily from me. I’m not sure what that says about me, but I do know that whatever quality this fervor spawned from, you, my dear reader, must have the same spark within yourself. (I do realize that who I consider a zaddy may be different from who you consider a zaddy, so take this list not with a grain of salt but with a tall glass of sangria accompanied by a majestic and regal fan as you soak in the heat radiating from these manly men.)

Admittedly, to just what Degree of Zaddyism a character achieves is in some part due to the skills of the artist, but the following characters, no matter who draws them, are still able to produce that unconscious “gulp” as I reach for some water to slake my thirst because my god just look at him.

Without further ado, here in no particular order are the 12 Most Zaddy X-Characters. They deserved to be drooled after. They make me hot under the collar. They are zaddies.

Colossus (Piotr Rasputin)

Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue, art by Brian Stelfreeze

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Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue, art by Brian Stelfreeze

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Let’s make one thing clear: about 90% of the time I find Colossus horribly boring personality-wise. He reminds me of wet cardboard that someone has painted muscles on. But man oh man those muscles. From the get-go, Piotr Rasputin was not afraid to show some skin. His mutant ability to transform his skin into organic metal apparently had the side-effect of convincing Colossus to show the world as much skin as mutantly possible. He gave two middle-fingers to the Russian snow as he flaunted his muscly goodness. Now if being as nude as possible just to gloat with your glamour muscles isn’t fashion, then what is? Colossus is at his best when he is a thicc boy. I want those thighs to be like tree trunks or so help me or I will relegate you to another substandard X-Men splinter team! The piece de resistance for Colossus is his way too infrequent beard. That addition INSTANTLY gets me off the fence and fully into “Zaddy Colossus” territory. Note to all future artists: more facial hair, less fabric. You can’t go wrong!

Bishop (Bishop Lucas)

Marvel Swimsuit Special #2, art by Dwayne Turner

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Marvel Swimsuit Special #2, art by Dwayne Turner

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Bishop hails from a dystopian far future where mutants are put into concentration camps, but that may or not be possible any more due to timey wimey wibbly wobbly deus ex machina mutant revolution bullshit. He also may have gone off the deep end for a couple years and became a sociopathic Terminator so hellbent on killing a mutant child on the off chance that she would cause said dystopian future that he razed a couple different timelines in pursuit of said. He’s also a cop, but a mutant cop from the future, so…there’s a lot to question. He’s shown where his true allegiances lie, and they are solidly on the side of good. For now. But let’s push all that aside. Let’s talk about what makes this zaddy tick. Let’s talk about how he was a mainstay in the swimsuit issues of the 90s and why current Marvel NEEDS TO BRING THESE BACK. Let’s talk about how his whole demeanor has me standing at attention and yelling, “yes, Sir!”.

What else is there to know? Is it the way he can rock multiple hairstyles so gloriously from long flowing locks and cueball bald to homicidal dreads and modern fade high top? Is it the fact that he definitely owns handcuffs? Is it his natural swagger and what I imagine palpable musk? Whatever question is asked, there’s only one answer: he’s a zaddy. Also ACAB.

Cable (Nathan Summers)

Papa Summers has hit the building and I am NOT talking about Daddy Cyclops. We’re bypassing the man synonymous with X-Men in favor of his zaddy son-from-the-future Cable. But let me be clear — we are not talking about current Teen Cable that’s running around Krakoa. If he was of age, he would clearly be a Twunk. We’re talking grizzled, future-scarred, badass mercenary, old AF with guns bigger than a capybara Cable. This version of Nathan Summers was introduced with a gaggle of extraneous pockets and pouches and sporting a behemoth of gun. And you know what they say about muscle-bound blokes with big pockets and even bigger guns — he a zaddy. He’s gruff. Mysterious. Is constantly utilizing his near-omega level telekinesis to slow down the techno-organic virus that’s ravaging his body. Older than his own father but not anymore. His look leans more towards the utilitarian and Mad Max side of things, but he pulls it off with panache. This old dog is cocked and ready to go. Just make sure you’re hanging with the main Cable and not one of his various clones that were sent to the past in order to overcome some disease shenanigans because…comics. It was a whole thing, and you don’t want him suddenly plopping over and becoming a waste of an evening.

Cable (2017) #1, art by Dale Keown

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Cable (2017) #1, art by Dale Keown

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Sauron (Karl Lykos)

art by Jim Lee

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art by Jim Lee

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First off, this needs to be gotten out of the way. Yes, Karl Lykos is named after the Sauron from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Yes, that basically makes him a walking copyright infringement case. No, I don’t understand how he’s allowed to keep his name. What truly matters about Sauron is his zaddy qualifications. An older male? Check. Cultured? Again, named after the ultimate baddie synonymous with high fantasy. Charismatic? He has mind-control powers so I believe that is a “technically, yes” check mark but also leaves the door open for questions revolving consent. Sexy monster mash-up? Well, technically dinosaur-mutate-vampire who feeds off the life force energy of mutants but who cares. What we really care about is his fashion choices. For decades, Sauron’s go-to costume has been a booty-huggin’ Tarzan loincloth or mid-calf denim jeans distressed to perfection. That is a fashion risk I can get behind! What he lacks in overt muscles and body hair he makes up with a Coco Chanel level of boldness and emerald green scales. He also can apparently breathe fire now. Hot! Plus, he lives in the Savage Land. If that doesn’t scream zaddy material, I don’t know what else will convince you.

Banshee (Sean Cassidy)

Well tickle me green and call me a Bonnie lass, up next is one of the original members of the All-New All-Different X-Men roster, Banshee. This man has got the luck of Irish leprechauns on his side (Literally. They live under his ancestral home Cassidy Keep), but he doesn’t even need that because his natural charm is what we’re here for.

He rocked mutton chops back in the day, actually makes the color combo of green and yellow look dashing, and was even once a member of Interpol, so he definitely has the muscle machismo fashionista street cred down pat. With his mutant ability to scream, Banshee is able to fly through the skies and can easily sweep you off your feet for a jaunt through the clouds. Just don’t forget earplugs! To be a quintessential zaddy, you have to really lean into the hyper-masculine persona, so the fact that Sean Cassidy is named after a historically female Irish cryptid makes him even more swoon-worthy. He’s so secure in his manliness that he’ll rock that Banshee moniker. Though he’s had some low points in his career (throat slit by Mystique but still alive and not able to use his powers, finally using his powers again to try to stop a plane but not being powerful enough and having it explode and kill him, being revived as one of the Apocalypse Twins’ Horsemen), there’s no keeping a good Irish zaddy down.

Generation X Holiday Special, art by Chris Bachalo

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Generation X Holiday Special, art by Chris Bachalo

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Sebastian Shaw

Astonishing X-men, art by John Cassaday

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Astonishing X-men, art by John Cassaday

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In the previous entry, I noted how Banshee used to rock mutton chops. But with this next entry, I’m happy to report that Sebastian Shaw has always and still continues to sport mutton chops. Otherwise, this perennial Black King of the Hellfire Club would look utterly ridiculous in his Victorian Era ensemble. Shaw is all about procuring, consolidating, and wielding power, both bureaucratically in benefit to the before mentioned Hellfire Club or that of his own mutant abilities. He sports the power of kinetic and thermal energy absorption in order to enhance his own strength, stamina, and recuperative abilities. In other words, he makes himself harder, better, faster, stronger all while making the good guys look wholly inadequate. I mean, the Hellfire Club always had an underground current of S&M pastiche in their DNA, but even Blindfold (who is blind) can see how Fifty Shades of Shaw his powerset can be.

I distinctly remember a scene of X-Man Gambit using his powers to kinetically supercharge Sebastian Shaw while Shaw was shirtless and Gambit was grabbing his pecs. Of course there was body hair, but there was also a gloriously copious amount of muscles. For a Victorian dandy, Sebastian Shaw is one zaddy of a baddie which makes it even funnier that his son Shinobi Shaw is so utterly un-zaddy like (stay tuned for more on Shinobi in future articles!).

Wolverine (Logan)

Fleer Ultra: Spring Break Cards, art by Luis Royo

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Fleer Ultra: Spring Break Cards, art by Luis Royo

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Despite how little I feel about the omnipresent milquetoast Wolverine, I can’t deny his zaddy status (also we share the same name so that’s dope). Wolverine is “the best there is at what he does,” so it’s no surprise to find him on this zaddy list. He’s overly-muscled. He’s gruff and stocky. Smokes cigars. Wears more flannel than a Canadian lumberjack which is not that shocking once you realize that he was living it up in Canada for many years. Wolverine’s not afraid to let loose his machismo wrath and he chooses to do it all in form-fitting spandex. His fashion ‘do is simply iconique. Why does his hair match his mask? Which came first? Who cares. He may have a kill list longer than even the most genocidal dictators, but have you seen his chest hair? Glorious. Wolverine almost lost his spot on this list because of that one time when Magneto ripped the adamantium from his skeleton and for some reason this caused Wolverine to devolve into a neanderthal-esque state with no nose but that was mercifully short-lived. This Weapon X Alum has been to hell and back, led a school in the memory of his comrade’s wife because he wanted to bang her, and was an Avenger at one point. There’s honestly too much going on with Wolverine to keep it all straight (lol) that I haven’t even talked about his mutant powers. So I won’t. But I will say that the best version of 616 Universe Wolverine is Patch, his go to disguise when he needs to be undercover where…he wears an eye patch. Like literally that’s it. Go on zaddy! Give us nothing!

Black Tom Cassidy

What has the great nation of Ireland been up to in the Marvel universe? Apparently exporting zaddies because they’ve given us not one zaddy with Banshee but a second one! And they’re cousins! There must be something extra zexy in the Cassidy Keep water to keep churning out these wonders.

Black Tom originally had the power to control to absorb energy and redirect it through wood and plant life, so of course him being Irish led to him carrying around a shillelagh at all times. Badass man with a cane alert! He eventually learned to expand his powers to controlling and communicating plant life as well as turning into some ungodly tree-mutant hybrid so…werk. He’s no longer a plant-person and instead has his zaddy body back. But what has always been a constant in Tom’s life was his attention to fashion and personal grooming. Red and black: classic combo. Sporting a gentleman’s sash cocked to one side? Exquisite and oh so pirate. Never afraid of a signature look, he’s always had some form of mustache-goatee combo and now is sporting a streak of grey. This man is slick. He also kidnapped Banshee’s daughter Siryn and raised her as his own daughter for some reason, but every family has their quirks. Now he’s ostensibly one of the good guys on Krakoa, talking to the living island and letting his chest hair flow free in the Pacific Ocean breeze.

X-Men: Blue, art by R.B. Silva

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X-Men: Blue, art by R.B. Silva

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Forge

X-Men: Lifedeath, art by Barry Windsor-Smith

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X-Men: Lifedeath, art by Barry Windsor-Smith

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Well helloooooooooo, Mr. Veteran! Also, helloooooooooo Mr. Shaman! If those two occupations seem discordant, you’re correct! Forge’s real name has never been revealed, and that just adds to this zaddy’s mystery appeal. He is a man of multiple worlds: a mutant hero, a genocidal maniac, a failed shaman, an authoritarian government agent, an eccentric inventor. What’s not to love? Forge created his own Aerie using his mutant powers of being able to build whatever he can come up with, so this zaddy already gets bonus points for having his own personal pad away from the chaos of the Marvel universe. Minus points for summoning a demon during the Vietnam War that got his whole squad killed (side note: such a bad idea to tie his comics origin to such a major event. How old is he now? 40+? 60+??). It was this whole thing, so he swore off magic and went full into tech and guns. Lots of guns. It was the 90s. Everyone had guns. And pouches. But now we’re getting side-tracked. As a member of the Apache tribe, Forge sports some chic fringe on almost every uniform he’s worn, and even more so rocks a manly ponytail and red headband combo. Did I mention he always has facial hair and sometimes booty jorts? That definitely makes up for the time he tried to wipe out the universe or something! But the icing on the cake is that his main love interest was and has always been Ms. Storm herself. If you have the Ororo Munroe seal of approval, what else is there to strive for?

Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur)

Ok, when we think zaddy, we think distinguished older gentleman, amiright? Well what about a gentleman from the age of the pharaohs? That’s right, zaddy Apocalypse himself is here. Thousands of years old with blue skin like a dusky evening as well as some pillowy (genocidal?) lips, En Sabah Nur will make you walk like an Egyptian as you drink in his grandeur and sheer charisma.

With his mantra of “survival of the fittest” and his whole Book of Revelations complete with Four Horseman Motif going on, many would not be hard-pressed to call this walking mutant god “intimidating” or at the very least “theatrical”. He was always seen as the perennial villain, but he apparently hired a bitchin’ PR agent, because his whole image has been revamped and I am shooketh. No more is he a basically walking trite trope of neerdowell-ism. Oh no. Turns out Apocalypse’s ideology comes from him being mutant kind’s first Family Man. His wife and four kids were apparently trapped in an alternate dimension, so all of Apocalypse’s grandstanding and hemming and hawing was in service to be reunited with his wife Genesis (because of course). A zaddy who cares who is also a DILF? Wow. He also is chin-deep in Mutant Magic which is still newly being explored but seems like something right up zaddy-lane with the possible inclusion of wizardly beards and robes. Now, to be fair, there was the Age of Apocalypse wherein En Sabah Nur ruled over an alternate timeline and royally screwed up everything, but that was the 90s. Focus more on the beautiful reunited family as they walk to the end of existence together (but focus more on that mutant zaddy derriere).

Excalibur, art by Marcus To

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Excalibur, art by Marcus To

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Captain Britain (Brian Braddock)

Captain Britain & M13, art by Leonard Kirk

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Captain Britain & M13, art by Leonard Kirk

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A lot of you may be scratching your head at who this character is, but trust me Captain Brian Braddock is squarely entrenched in the world of mutants. His twin is Betsy Braddock aka Psylocke and their older brother Jamie Braddock also happens to be an omega class mutant himself. Brian, sadly, is not a human. Instead, he is the sworn protector of the British Isles that gets his powers from the Amulet of Might (sometimes the Sword of Might) and acts as a link between the regular world and Otherworld, a land of swords and sorcery and British stereotypes. He can fly. He is strong. He’s a scientist. He’s the butt of many jokes. For a long stretch, he was the leader of Excalibur (note the X), a satellite X-Men team based out of a lighthouse in England. Notable mutant members include Shadowcat, Nightcrawler, Rachel Summers, and many more. But enough about his mutant cred.

Let’s talk zaddy. Captain Britain typically sports a skintight costume — the better to see his rippling abs and showboating muscles. The best versions of him, however, sport a truly glorious beard that makes him seem like some sort of Celtic demi-god wrapped up in the Union Jack. He’s also had bad hair days such as that era where he was sporting a mullet, but this English Gentleman is firmly entrenched in the zaddy multiverse. He’s fit. Bloody handsome. Cultured. Fun to make fun of. He’s the whole package! Except for the fact that he lost the title of Captain Britain to his twin sister and is currently going by Captain Avalon after being brainwashed by Morgan Le Fay but I digress. He’s cheeky, govnah!

Silver Samurai (Kenuichio Harada)

Marvel: War of Heroes, art by Marvel Artist

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Marvel: War of Heroes, art by Marvel Artist

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Last but not least, we come to Kenuichio Harada aka the Silver Samurai. To be fair, he’s not that popular, though he has gotten major exposure by being included in the seminal fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (he was also in the Wolverine movie but I did not enjoy that movie so let’s ignore that). The Silver Samurai’s mutant powers revolve around channeling tachyon energy through his sword and only his sword which seems…oddly specific and situational with a vague hint or orientalism. But man is he built like a brick! Who knew modern day mutant samurais were swole and lived at the gym! And his color scheme? Silvery chrome perfection. He is both blindingly handsome and just straight up blinding depending on light source. Kenuichio, Ken to his friends which are none, is one angry, gruff dude. Probably stems from him being the bastard son of the Yashida crime syndicate and half-brother to Mariko Yashida (one of) the love of Wolverine’s life who Logan killed due to her being poisoned. But whose interpersonal social life isn’t a skosh complicated. Due to his overcompensation for something out of his control, the Silver Samurai has become a very learned individual, so he checks off the culture box in spades. Plus, he’s an expert swordsman which makes anyone instantly more attractive. Unfortunately, he died (the details are fuzzy to me because it didn’t happen in an X-Men comic), but now he’s alive again because of the new mutant status quo. If you’re looking for him, check the Crucible on Krakoa. That’s where depowered mutants fight Apocalypse to the death so that they can be reborn with their mutant powers. He’s the referee. A zaddy into sports? Quick, coach, put me in!

The post Mutant Madness: 12 Most Zaddy X-Men Characters appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Friday Francisco – Level 1

fantasticworldspod — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Art by arabird_art on instagram

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Art by arabird_art on instagram

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Friday Francisco

Friday grew up in a rural farming planet, Triaxus being the closest planet, only then he was able to go to the “big city planet” a few times in his youth. Friday dreamed of exploring the stars with his best friend and confidant, his sister Tuesday, but as an adult does it alone, his crew the closest thing he has to a family while traveling the stars.

Player: Dustin Alexander
Actor: Sam Elliott
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Character Class: Witchwarper
Current Level: 1
Deity: Weydan
Homeland: Ranch Planet A
Race: Human

Size: Medium
Gender: Male
Pronouns: He/Him
Age: 38
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 160 lbs
Hair: Orange
Skin: Purple

Character Sheet:

Friday Francisco – Level 1 Witchwarper

Alignment Statement:

What is my legacy? Will it be one running cargo for a company like EJ or will it be exploring the stars with my own ship and a crew close enough to be considered family. EJ Corp is just a link in the chain to achieving that, one day I will be able to fly the skies on my own flying free. I must take every opportunity to get out there on my own and explore what is beyond the stars I see.

Values:

Live each day with courage
Take pride in your work
Always finish what you start
Do what has to be done
Be tough, but fair
When you make a promise, keep it
Talk less and say more
Remember that some things aren’t for sale
Know where to draw the line.

Bonds:

Ballad

Ballad likes to present as a tough loner, but I can see behind those eyes some fear and a yearning to be a part of something bigger than herself. I need to make sure she feels she can trust me and I can trust her.
I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I know Ballad is holding something back. I am sure it has to do with some very obvious trust issues. We need to work through this fast because I can’t protect her or the crew if I don’t dangers may be around us.

Seren

Seren‘s confidence seems to be waning after our recent cargo drop off, I don’t care what xer past is, as a member of our crew I need to let xer know I will protect xer and that I trust xer as long as xe trust enough to tell me what is happening with xer.
I need to talk to Seren about adding some songs to Jambot’s playlist. There is not one country or folk song on Jambot and that is an error I aim to correct.

Fanny

I love Miss Fanny, she is always prepared and able to provide comfort whether that be a warm meal, an ear to listen, or a first aid kit. However, I already have a mother and I need to find a way for Miss Fanny to dial back from an 11 to at least a seven.
As someone who tends to put himself last I notice that Fanny also tends to do the same. I am learning that I need to put myself first occasionally, and I need to make sure Fanny does the same.

Personal Bond

If those sons of bitches take action to harm my mother, the gloves are off!

Aspirations:

Short Term Goals

I have not achieved my company goals in the last six months, I must find a way to hit the gap, or it may harm my family and that is just not acceptable.

Mid Term Goals

After years of working under the thumb of EJ Corp, it is time to move to be an independent contractor. I am not sure how I will achieve this, but it’s time for a change.

Long Term Goals

Looking to travel the stars with the crew people I consider family.

The post Friday Francisco – Level 1 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Miss Fanny (Rhalora Reisora) – Level 1

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Art by arabird_art on instagram

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Art by arabird_art on instagram

" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Miss-Fanny-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?fit=649%2C954&ssl=1" />

Miss Fanny

Every universe has a Miss Fanny. You know her. She cuts the crusts off your sandwiches and always reminds you to take a sweater with you because it is cold outside. For Miss Fanny, empathy is the power of connection. Don’t get her wrong; she is not under the illusion that the world is a perfect place; she has seen her share of cruelty. Due to her physiology, chances are she has walked a mile in your shoes and, therefore, will always have an
empathic ear to hero and villain alike: an ear and a slice of pie.

Player: Angel Espinoza
Actor: Libertad Lamarque
Alignment: Neutral Good
Character Class: Technomancer
Current Level: 1
Deity: Weydan, Eloritu
Homeland: Absalom Station
Race: 4 Armed Humanoid (Astrazoan)

Size: Medium
Gender: Nonbinary
Pronouns: They/Them; She/Her
Age: 71
Height: 5’3″
Weight: 180 lbs
Hair: Grey
Skin: Light ruddy/brown

Character Sheet:

Miss Fanny – Level 1 Technomancer

Alignment Statement:

A year ago I was your adversary. Yesterday I was your neighbor. At this moment I am your ally. Tomorrow I will be you. You have my anger, love, compassion, disdain, and endless admiration.

Values:

Fly a mile in their ship

Every individual has a unique experience in the cosmos. Their experience is valid and represents their own truth. Your experience may intermingle or clash with others, influence or be influenced. What it wont do is invalidate or poison it. Honor the form and seek first to understand the experience. Though you may change in the next instance, to thy own self be true.

Fly beyond the stars

Every world has a wealth of knowledge, sights, sounds, and cultures. Every solar system is a light with innovation, life, and unturned stones. Perpetual discovery and exploration is the lifeblood of the universe. What hidden wonders can be found in the vast beyond? Let us fly beyond the stars and find out!

Live Free or Die

Life forms are not meant to live under the heel, sole, or tentacle of others. Slavery is abhorrent plain and simple. Empathy, understanding, and compassion ends there.

Bonds:

Friday

His eyes flicker momentarily with familial concern as he pulls up his sleeve to assist the crew with their work. The casual gait blended with knotted shoulders. Friday is one of many siblings who is used to looking after others.
Captain, command thyself – The crew is a family in the eyes of the captain. They provide him a sense of normalcy and provide comfort in the absence of their own. Thinking of others is a wonderful quality, but he can and should want things for himself and put himself first from time to time.
Heavy is the seat – The captain takes care of the crew. Who takes care of the captain? No need to guess. The captain needs taking care of. Maybe fluffing his pillows is a tad overboard, I suppose he can do that on his own. He is a big boy after all.

Seren

The specific hue of their lumination and lattice formation indicates trauma of some sort during their formative years. Xhe also has incredible resilience. I wish I had been like xer in my youth.
A diamond in the rough – I’ve become too comfortable cooking in the background. I’m grateful for Seren’s companionship. The entire crew is a delight, however Seren’s visits to view “Live! Danger! Extreme! Starring Zo!”! is the highlight of my week. I’ll have them hooked on “Sheesket Haak Luag” the best vesk soap opera out there.
Sharp as toranium ops module – Seren is best xerself among engines, relays, and magnanspanners. What brilliance. I have loved engineering since my military days and know my way around subcircits and boridium plating. I look forward to learning more from xer.

Ballad

Her movements are too perfect. There is a practiced and honed cadence to their step. Their palate is extremely refined and their knowledge of flavor combinations is vast. What a fierce combatant, she would have loved my military unit. There is a lot of life energy in that short frame. Almost too much for one life form.They would pull off an aged form much better than I.
Cat ears, cat purr- Ballad is beyond adorable. And much like the feline style she enjoys, she is highly independent. I feel she has blossomed in her time with this crew, forming unexpected bonds. It is not my place to deepen her bonds with others, but Miss Fanny seems the type to meddle. Yes, that sounds right.
A shapeshifter knows a shapeshifter – What forms has this wonderful creature taken in the past, what parts of their natural form took root in this new form. This of course works the other way around. I by no means am a wizened small humanoid. The time will come for us to share our stories and experiences.
Cat claws – Violence is never the answer. Except when it is. There is a time for Miss Fanny to be meek, and there is time for her to break open a pressurised canister of chanclas. I wonder if Ballad would be willing to show this “old gel” some new tricks.

Calamity

This vessel is home but clearly was not built for the various species of the galaxy. I should not have had to modify so many areas to allow comfort for a Shimreen. There are plenty more modifications needed to make this vessel truly homey. The time may come to Miss Fanny to adapt in order to upgrade for the greater good.

Personal Bonds

Be the change – There are things I can control, there are things I cannot. Joy and cruelty both exist in this multiverse. Change is my constant, and I will be the change I want to see in the ‘verse.
No place like home – The Reisora household will remain in my heart and is what I picture as home, the good and the bad. I could attempt to lie to myself and pretend I did not want to be known by biological progenitors. My is said to be rare. We are by no means easy to spot. Could we have crossed paths already. One day I will have the time, no, the courage to look for them.

Aspirations:

Short Term Goals

Keep morale up as best as you are able
Help Runo
Help the crew with their EJ troubles
Truly understand the experiences of an elderly humanoid form
Open up to the idea of using their abilities for the crew

Mid Term Goals

Explore a powerfly physical form
Explore flight form
Reconnect with parents

Long Term Goals

Courtship of Vesk hunk
Develop diplomatic skills
Find bio units

The post Miss Fanny (Rhalora Reisora) – Level 1 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Ballad Serenade (Tetra 9) – Level 1

fantasticworldspod — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Art by arabird_art on instagram

" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ballad-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?fit=685%2C1170&ssl=1" width="685" height="1170" src="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ballad-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?fit=685%2C1170&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-4231" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ballad-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?w=1110&ssl=1 1110w, https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ballad-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?resize=451%2C770&ssl=1 451w, https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ballad-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?resize=685%2C1170&ssl=1 685w, https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ballad-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?resize=768%2C1313&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ballad-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?resize=899%2C1536&ssl=1 899w" sizes="(max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px" data-attachment-id="4231" data-permalink="https://fantasticworldspod.com/ballad-serenade-tetra-9-level-1/ballad-featured-image-in-article/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ballad-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?fit=1110%2C1897&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1110,1897" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Ballad Serenade" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

Art by arabird_art on instagram

" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ballad-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?fit=685%2C1170&ssl=1" />

Ballad Serenade (Tetra 9)

Whatever your preconceptions are about androids, throw them out the window before you meet Ballad Serenade. She’s rough and rowdy, fun-loving and fashion-forward, sexy and silly, kind and carefree. They’re a one-of-a-kind construct, and they’re here for a good time and a long time. She doesn’t know where, for what, or by whom she was created, but she does know that the life she’s lived since has propelled her in one direction: forward. Where her new position on the Calamity will take her, only time can tell.

Player: Jessica Negin
Actor: Satomi Ishihara
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Character Class: Solarian
Current Level: 1
Deity: Triune
Homeland: Akiton
Race: Android

Size: Medium
Gender: Nonbinary
Pronouns: They/Them; She/Her
Age: 30 (claimed)
Height: 5’2″
Weight: 120 lb
Hair: Brown
Skin: Beige

Character Sheet:

Ballad Serenade – Level 1 Solarian

Alignment Statement:

Life is messy, chaotic, unbridled, unhinged – so I, too, will live thusly.

It’s a cruel and random world, but the chaos is all so beautiful. – Hiromu Arakawa

Values:

Courage

Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest. – Maya Angelou

Living Free

The moment someone has leverage on you, it’s time to slip away and find the means to turn it around on them. Never let another person hold something over your head.

Protecting What’s Important

The people I care about are my reason for living, and I will not let anyone hurt them.

Bonds:

Group Bond

I thought when I came to EJ corp I was going to be bored. I thought I wouldn’t care about the people I worked with – that they wouldn’t be of any use to me – but this crew is something special. These are talented people, and they deserve better than EJ corp. We’ve only been together on this ship for a year, but I can tell already that we’re going to accomplish big things together. I’m beyond excited to play my part, and I plan to protect this group with everything I have.

Seren

Seren is vulnerable right now. Xhe’s clearly been running for quite some time, and now that xhe’s been found out, wants to run from us as well. I understand xher feelings, but in the past year, I’ve found boon companions in this crew. And I think if the both of us are to stand any chance of facing our pasts, we need to stick with the people we have now and face these things all together. We’re stronger as a unit, and I think we can trust them. I want to make sure xhe knows that, and that xhe won’t disappear on xher own and never get the chance to heal xher wounds.

Friday

Friday knows I’m not telling him everything. He has a keener eye for these things than I gave him credit for, though I bear some of the blame for his suspicion after using my contacts to get us a better deal on those berries. I’ve shown my hand, and now it’s time to face the music and tell him just enough to satisfy his curiosity. But there are some things I simply can’t share. Not yet, at least. I just hope things don’t really hit the fan and give away the rest of my cards before I get the right chance to come clean. And I hope he’ll forgive me if worse comes to worst.

Miss Fanny

Miss Fanny has some interesting things up her sleeves, and I get the feeling that – much like the rest of this crew – she has some skeletons in her closet that she isn’t revealing just yet. I feel like there’s a deep well there, but perhaps not as deep as she’s pretending, either. I desperately want to know what her deal is, and find out what she’s hiding under that matronly exterior.

Sinjin

Sinjin has made it big if Kiyohiro is correct. That doesn’t bode well for my future. I promised him I’d come back in desperation, knowing he wouldn’t help me otherwise, but if he’s a boss now, that means he might feel he’s in a position to “keep” me. I thought I would find a solution to this problem before he found me again, but I worry that by exposing myself in the Hive Market, I may have compromised my position. I have to do everything I can to stay hidden from him.

Aspirations:

Short Term Goal

Take on the GL and get the people coming after Seren and I off our backs

Mid Term Goal

Help Friday save his family
Break free from EJ corp

Long Term Goal

Find out who created me and for what purpose

The post Ballad Serenade (Tetra 9) – Level 1 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Why I Game – Heidi Owens

fantasticworldspod — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Why do I game? There is a very straightforward answer: I like the escape that gaming offers.

As someone who moved around a lot as a kid I was often anxious and had a hard time making friends because of the constant fear that I would have to leave those friends behind. Games offered me an opportunity to go on adventures, make friends with the characters, and feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

As a child I played board games with my sister as often as I could and when I got the Gameboy pocket for my 7th birthday I began playing some retro classics like Megaman: Dr Wiley’s Revenge and Paperboy. As I grew up I picked up a variety of games for the gameboy and my family’s Apple Macintosh, (Back when they were still called Macintosh). I loved the mystery and depth of the world in Myst and Riven. I Loved the collecting aspects and battle mechanics of games like Pokemon and Megaman Battle Network. I delved into the massive worlds of Golden Sun and Breath of Fire on the Gameboy Advance.

While I would like to say I got into TTRPGs at this time, I had about two mediocre experiences playing a Christian themed TTRPG with some friends. I wouldn’t try another TTRPG until I was about 19 with a group of people I didn’t know and couldn’t overcome my own anxiety around doing actual roleplay with. After moving to Idaho, my love of games turned into regularly playing Magic the Gathering, Betrayal at House on the Hill and the DC Deck Building games. Games which required seeing people in person, and required making friends to actually enjoy them. These games paved the way for me to actually get into Pathfinder because they helped me be less anxious, to learn rules and make friends more easily.

One common theme throughout my years of gaming is that I would create characters that I felt best represented myself. Which is to say, I would always play as a woman and connect with those characters. Gaming for me was not just an escape from the world around me, but from the fact that I often felt uncomfortable in my skin. By playing as a woman in games like World of Warcraft or Guild Wars 2, I could interact with people without them knowing I was anything besides who I felt I was.

Events in my life forced me to take stock of what I wanted in my life and who I wanted to be and I decided to be myself, not in a game, but in real-life. Once I took the step to begin my transition from who I used to be to who I am now I began playing Pathfinder again, for real this time. I create characters that help me identify areas of my life I’m struggling with and work through them. So, why do I play games? So that I can be the best version of myself.

The post Why I Game – Heidi Owens appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Seren Casurus – Level 1

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Art by arabird_art on instagram

" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Seren-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?fit=329%2C702&ssl=1" width="329" height="702" src="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Seren-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?fit=329%2C702&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-4221" alt="" data-attachment-id="4221" data-permalink="https://fantasticworldspod.com/seren-casurus-level-1/seren-featured-image-in-article/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Seren-Featured-Image-In-Article.png?fit=329%2C702&ssl=1" data-orig-size="329,702" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Seren Casurus" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

Art by arabird_art on instagram

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Seren Casurus

A descendant of elementals born on a planet battered by violent elemental storms. Seren has been on the run for as long as xhe can remember with only xer trusty JamBot by xer side. After finding a home with the Calamity crew, Seren’s past has finally caught up with xer. Maybe it’s time to quit running.

Player: Heidi Owens
Actor: Melisanthi Mahut (for voice and motion capture)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Character Class: Mechanic
Current Level: 1
Deity: Weydan
Homeland: Shimransara
Race: Shimreen

Size: Medium
Gender: Agender
Pronouns: Xhe/xer
Age: 31
Birthday:
Height: 7’5″
Weight: 250 lb
Hair: No
Skin: Indigo crystals with sparkling lights inside

Character Sheet:

Seren Casurus – Level 1 Mechanic

Alignment Statement:

I’ve been hurt and have been helped by people on both sides of the law. I’ve learned enough to know that I don’t want to hurt anyone I don’t have to, and I’ll help those I can. I just hope that when this all shakes out the people in power will look kindly on me …

Values:

Family:

Family is the people you choose to keep in your life because they’re good to you. I will protect them at all costs, even if it means my own safety.

Critical thinking:

I’ve been in a lot of situations where I have had to rely on nothing but my multi tool and my mind to get by. There’s nothing I can’t solve if I think hard enough about it.

Bonds:

Group bond

The Calamity has been my home for the last 8 years and people have come and gone, but Friday and Miss Fanny seem like people I can trust to not abandon me. I’m generally okay being left alone with the engine, making sure that the ship runs its best whether I’m here or not.

Friday

Friday saw me at one of the lowest points in my life. Right after my terraforming job when I was scared and struggling with my grasp on reality, he let me join his crew. I have a lot to learn from him about being stable and supportive.
I don’t know if I can trust that he’s not going to abandon me once he knows the full details of my past, but I’m willing to risk my rocks if he wants to give me the time of day.

Miss Fanny

Miss Fanny is complicated. She feels like a mother figure and someone I can go to when I’m upset. But my own Mother was so absent while I was growing up that I feel awkward with how much Miss Fanny dotes on me. Besides, how does she always know what rocks taste the best and just how to get abrasions off my crystals.
I look forward to catching every episode of “Live! Danger! Extreme! Starring Zo!” every week with Miss Fanny.

Ballad

Ballad is new to the group and I’m unsure of their place in our dynamic, but she joined the crew and that makes them family for now.
It seems Ballad and I have shared history of which I was unaware. I’m taking a chance letting her get this close to me and it scares my latticework to let someone see me so vulnerable.

Jambot

Jambot is my oldest friend. I made them out of scrap as a kid on Absalom Station And have been upgrading them ever since. They’re the only one I’ve ever felt comfortable talking to about my fears because I know they won’t leave me.

Calamity

I’ve spent years making sure this ship keeps running. With the upgrades and modifications I’ve made, she’ll work long after I’ve left.

Shan

Shan saved my life and I’ve loved staying in contact with her, but it’s been a while since I heard from her and I’m starting to get worried.

Personal

I’ve had too many people leave me and I can’t trust anyone to stay if they knew who I really am. I get upset too easily and am ready to go if it ever looks like they’re going to betray me.
I haven’t been this close to my Mother since I was 8 standard years old and I feel pulled to track zer down and ask zer what ze was thinking but I doubt ze’ll ever give me a real response.

Aspirations:

Short term goal

I want to get back off the radar and avoid further notice by the Golden League or the Disciples of Grace so that one day I can retire to a world without any water where I can be alone.

I want to get some new pieces to upgrade Jam bot’s speaker system so that I can enjoy the highest quality version of Star Sugar Heartlove’s newest album.
Abadarcorp is releasing the newest in their line of furry friends toys and haven’t said what it’s going to be yet and I need to get one on release day.

Mid Term Goal

This crew has shown me that I might have run away too quickly from Dade and I want to figure out how to apologize for what I did to her.

Long Term Goal

I want to reconnect with my mother and figure out what ze has been running from all this time.

The post Seren Casurus – Level 1 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

The Fairy Dance – A Fairly Spring Inspired Cocktail

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 17:00:00 +0000

It’s nearly spring (at least in Northern California) and when Abbie told me an Irish fairy tale called The Fairy Dance, I got caught up in the romance of the story and couldn’t stop thinking about those warm spring nights that are just up ahead. In the story, a young girl finds herself dancing with a mysterious yet beautiful young man and is whisked away into his world and is generously offered some food and wine. But, if you know anything about fairies, let it be this: DO NOT drink the fairy wine.

This dreamy and whimsical Irish folk tale instantly made me want to create a cocktail in its name, inspired by the dizzying and amorous feeling you get after a night of dancing and drinking what I imagine fairy wine might taste like. I chose to put a floral spin on one of me and Abbie’s favorite drinks: the French 75.

I highly recommend listening to some beautiful music while making and drinking this gorgeous cocktail. Abbie made a perfect playlist to go along with it so check it out!

The Fairy Dance

1.5 oz gin
.5 oz hibiscus or rose simple syrup*
.5 oz rosemary simple syrup
Just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Chilled sparkling wine, to top up
Edible flowers, to garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add gin and syrup, shake vigorously and strain into a coupe glass. Top up with chilled sparkling wine.

*Any floral simple syrup will do. I used these.

For the rosemary simple syrup, I made my own:

Rosemary Simple Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add fresh rosemary and let continue to simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Strain rosemary.

If you give this cocktail a try let me know! Tag us on Instagram or Twitter at @fairytalefixpod or use #fairytalefix.

The post The Fairy Dance – A Fairly Spring Inspired Cocktail appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Pippa Locksley – Level 8

fantasticworldspod — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 16:00:00 +0000

Art by: corpsecutie on instagram, erikathegoober on instagram, arabird_art on instagram

Pippa Locksley

Player: Abbie Lammel
Actor: Natalie Dormer
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Character Class: Rogue
Current Level: 7
Deity: Calista
Homeland: Taldor
Race: Halfling

Size: Small
Gender: Female
Age: 35
Birthday: Oathday, Rova 22 4678 AR
Height: 2’8″
Weight: 73 lb
Hair: Blonde
Skin: White

Character Sheet:

Pippa Locksley – Level 1 Rogue
Pippa Locksley – Level 2 Rogue
Pippa Locksley – Level 3 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 4 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 5 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 6 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 7 Arcane Trickster
Pippa Locksley – Level 8 Arcane Trickster

Alignment Statement:

Most laws exist to protect and enforce the status of those in power, and breaking them in the service of regular people or mine and my companions comfort (preferably both) is the right thing to do.

Values:

Pippa protects her own above all others. From her informants to her landlady in her townhouse in the capital city to her butler to the guy who fences her “repatriated” artifacts she takes an interest in their lives and troubles.
Pippa is prideful. She knows she’s worth about 10 of any mark or enemy she comes across.
She believes in eye for an eye justice, and if someone has been wronged in her view she will extract exact punishment
Sorcerers and wizards are Trouble, and should be given a wide berth. However, magic is wondrous and fascinating and strange.
If she can’t do something smart, Pippa will do something right

Bonds:

Odessa and Menet – it’s hard to believe we only knew each other a short time, but bonds formed in blood and duty do not fade easily. If I survive this, I will not rest until I’ve discovered what happened to you and try to bring you home.
I must remember that in this environment and when dealing with magic, Abraxas knows far more than I, and this both comforts and frightens me – should I reveal the expansion of my inner room?
The…creature…, ah, Argentea – has been helpful delivering spells on my behalf, helping me scout ahead where my eyes do not see, and taking blows for us that would have otherwise been fatal. She…(they?)…seem only to want my favor and a kind word in return. I should speak with her more, and discover what she likes.
I have struck a bargain with a witch, and I’m terrified of Abraxas finding out.
I must remember that in this environment and when dealing with magic, Abraxas knows far more than I, and I must let him lead and teach me.
Abraxas and I may be the only two left of our original party, but we cannot dwell on such things if we are to make it out of this place alive. In addition, he has taken on much of the frontline fighting, channeling Menet’s memory and her spirit in the doing. I continue to find new depths of respect for his courage, and will throw myself into making it count with equal ferocity.
Abraxas has been so kind to me, allowing me to ride him when I can’t keep up and bolstering me in times of fear. I must think of something I can do to show him how much I appreciate his friendship – perhaps a giant pile of exotic meats?
The source of Andromeda’s powers has finally been revealed, and we are going to do what we can to sever her relationship with this eldritch nightmare. Perhaps even more difficult will be helping this poor kid recover from the emotional trauma and isolation growing up like this has caused.
Andromeda is powerful in combat but HELPLESS in most other situations and I’m not sure I trust her judgment. HOW did she get wrapped up in this – I must know and she is frustratingly vague about it.
Buwan is clearly exactly the style of friend that I used to covet – monied, well-read, with excellent manners, and clearly well connected. I look forward to opportunities to enjoy the finer things (where they can be found) with him.

Personal Bond

Retired Bonds

Is Buwan a mark or a partner? Friend or foe? Can he be trusted with our mission and with the lives of my companions? I’m going to watch him carefully until he does something to prove he can be trusted, geas, or no.
Buwan’s connections are based in Irrisen, and he mentioned he has “worked with” Halflings in the past, a situation that would be very odd indeed in Irrisen from what I know of my mother’s time here and the reactions I’ve gotten from the locals. I need to find out more about where he comes from, and why he was in Whitethrone.
Andromeda is someone else whose powers just appeared, who also is spoken to by mysterious other beings. Perhaps we can offer each other support in this area.
This hut is not fit for living in as non evil ancient hags. Some improvements must be made.
I have acquired a cat with my face. I am attempting to be in deep denial about this, but at the same time I know I should utilize her and learn how she can further our quest.
~~Of the original four of us who set out on the quest, Abraxas and I are the only ones who remain. We’re both feeling their loss keenly I know, and I’m afraid to let him out of my sight.~~
Odessa proved herself a trustworthy ally and a good friend to me when she helped me out of a rough spot a few weeks ago. I want to prove myself and equally trustworthy friend to her as we continue to travel together.
~~I’m really, really, REALLY curious about Odessa’s “gun”. I want her to let me fire it. Just once.~~
~~Abraxas is a fascinating combination of ferocity and guilelessness that I find precious and worth protecting. I want to teach him about my world, but not let it touch him too much.~~
~~I want to learn as much about him and his homeland as possible. I have always been fascinated by the wild north, and have never met a druid – I must know everything!~~ – Resolved
Abraxas has told me much about his homeland in our weeks of travel together and now we are heading there. Something that fills me with both wonder and terror. I must remember that in this environment Abraxas knows more than I do and I have to let him lead and teach me now.
Menet is like a character out of one of my mother’s stories! Strong, noble, open and brave – having her come with us makes me feel more able to come out of this adventure alive. She gives away money like it doesn’t matter and will bankrupt us quickly if I don’t keep an eye on it.
Menet charged ahead of the party toward the sound of screams, which is a noble reaction, but a highly impractical one. I fear that one day she will either walk into a trap with no one able to reach her in time, or that she will give away our position at the wrong moment.
Odessa has been struggling all this time with her addiction, and I was too blinded with my own ambitions to see the truth. I must try to be a better friend to her, and help her lance this wound at the core of her heart.
My faith and own experience tells me that solace and blissful distraction can often be found in a night of passion with a beautiful lover – a sentiment I know Odessa shares. I should wingwoman her if we get an opportunity at a tavern where we aren’t being attacked by the proprietors.
I hope that while spending time in Abraxas’s presence and observing and speaking with him I can learn to accept and better control these changes to my nature, and the possibility of wilder heritage than I had thought.
~~Menet gives away money like it doesn’t matter and will bankrupt us quickly if I don’t keep an eye on it.~~
Menet is brave and true and good, and does nothing without cause or without reason. Of all of us, she is perhaps the most clear minded about our mission – I would do well to heed her instincts in the future and not let my past associations with priests and paladins cloud my judgement of her character.
Menet recently confided in me that she is unused to this sort of fear in the face of such overwhelming danger and the odds that not all of us will make it to see this quest finished. I want to find a way to cheer her up, and remind her that she is more than equal to this task.

The post Pippa Locksley – Level 8 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 8

fantasticworldspod — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 16:00:00 +0000

Abraxas Hillrunner

Artwork by the amazing Ara (arabird_art on Instagram)

Size: Medium
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Birthday: Desnus 12 4684 AR
Height:5’8″
Weight: 173 lb
Hair: Dark brown, sun damaged
Skin: Tan

Character Sheet:

Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 1
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 2
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 3
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 4
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 5
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 6
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 7
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 8

Alignment Statement:

“When nature calls, I reply. When nature speaks, I listen. And when nature angers, I destroy.” (d20pfsrd.com Publishing, Call of the Wild)

Values:

Adventure
His ancestors traveled the entire span of the Kodar mountain. Travel is in his blood. He delights in discovery and adventure.

Bonds:

Guile, Innovation, and Intrigue. Pippa can enchant without the virtue of magic. How wonderful would it be to gracefully dance around the truth and fiction?
I came into this world possessing destructive powers. One bite could transform a pacifist into a bloodthirsty creature. The strength I draw from the natural world can create a mist or unleash a maelstrom. Pippa’s enchanting and destructive powers are growing. She did not have the mentors I now see I was fortunate to have, she cannot hear the encouraging whispers of the frost, the wisdom of the mountains. I hope I can provide her the confidence and courage to dance in the tempest and embrace her own claws and fangs.
Andromeda is a child of balance. She drinks deeply from a wellspring of mysterious power. Its waters, alight with life on the surface and a strange hollowness at its deepest depths. Her footsteps are timid as a doe, her fangs know the endless hunger of a wolf. Andromeda is a child of imbalance. A light sip of the wellspring sends her to the bottomless depths, gasping for air. I will stand by her side whether she wanes or waxes.
Hypocrisy. I have become the angry intolerant horde. The Herald has done nothing to earn my animosity. When we are threatened, he fights and bleeds with us. When we are confused, he offers insight and guidance. I must make more of an effort to keep my prejudices in check.

Personal Bond:

Retired Bonds:

The moon is a mixed blessing to my people. It provides light for the hunt, it grants us power in all our forms. It also empowers the bitter sting of silver and drives those we bite into madness. This Herald seems different from the Irresseni I have encountered. Will they prove a mixed blessing?
~~Is Andromeda a witch in sheep’s clothing or yet another victim of Irrisen’s wickedness. Best keep her close and find out. One way or another my curiosity or hunger will be sated.~~
~~Fang, fur, and the elements have served me on my travels. I may have to adapt to ensure Pippa and I can weather any menace.~~
~~Pippa can harness powerful arcane forces. My hope is she balances its protective and destructive potential.~~
~~Some darkness or sorrow wounded Odessa early in life; I will make sure she knows she is safe in the pack.~~
~~Since Menet joins me in the den (i.e., embraces my natural spirit), I will endevour to join her in the temple (i.e., embrace her spiritual nature).~~
Odessa saved my life at the lighthouse; I will preserve her life. – Resolved
Odessa’s eyes can find both beauty and the perfect spot to aim for; she may become a trusted ally – Resolved
~~Odessa can talk to anyone; I have much to learn from her.~~
Pippa can talk to anyone; I have much to learn from her. – Resolved
Pippa knows that you don’t need a title or badge to dispense frontier justice; she may become a trusted ally. – Resolved
Pippa could have met a watery end; I will help her survive the dangers of wilds. – Resolved

Artwork by the talented Jjo (p4ndster on Instagram)

The post Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 8 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Representation Matters – Diversity at the Table

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 16:00:00 +0000

In May, the Fantastic Worlds Productions crew celebrated our new partnership with Paizo – a hallmark achievement for us! It was a lot of hard work, and we had a lot to celebrate.

A major reason we wanted to get officially licensed by Paizo (aside from, you know, thinking we have a great podcast and wanting to turn it into a more successful one) was to further our desire to promote greater diversity in gaming. Diversity of race, culture, gender, sexual expression, neurochemistry, and others leads to better gaming experiences and more specific, exciting stories.

As we exit Pride Month 2020, we want to reflect a little on what having this avenue for expressing our queerness (and allyship) has meant to all of us in our tabletop gaming experiences. It’s been fun, it’s been transformative, it’s been a refuge, and it’s important to us to be able to share this space we’ve created for ourselves with all of you.

Host reflections

Logan:

I want to get this clear. Framing the tabletop gaming experience in terms of how inclusive it can be in regards to the diversity of its players and the stories that they tell and allowing these experiences to be played in a safe space is not pandering. If you feel the need to restrict diverse gaming, be it consciously or unconsciously, you are gatekeeping, and you are a part of the problem.

Before it was put on hold, I was the Dungeon Master for a group of teenagers who had mixed levels of experience in terms of tabletop gaming. The group included diverse ethnicities: Hmong, Latinx, Mixed-Race. It included a variety of genders and social-economic backgrounds. But what stood out to me was one player in particular.

As the group began to create their characters as we prepared for the upcoming campaign, one player excitedly told me all about the character he was creating. It focused at first on the normal tidbits: class, background, what cool abilities he wanted his Arrakocra to be able to do.

But then he asked me this: “Is it ok for my character to be gay?”.

Being a happily married gay man, I enthusiastically told him yes. A few minutes later, he told me that all of the characters he’s played before had been gay. I responded that all of mine have been queer in some way. A few minutes later, he came out to me, and I proudly smiled at him. At that moment, the shell he had constructed dissolved. I recognized it because it was the same shell I used to wear when I was his age.

I can’t imagine how scared he may have been to even ask that first question. He wasn’t my student, so he didn’t know me very well. He didn’t know how open I would be to his question. He didn’t know how I am dedicated to diversity and safe spaces and that I would welcome him with open arms. So he took a chance, and it paid off beautifully. He went on to hit on every male we encountered in the campaign, and his fellow players assisted in being wingmen and wingwomen when they could.

If he was rejected by a different Dungeon Master or by his fellow players, I wonder if he would’ve wanted to continue gaming. All I know is that his story, his thread in the collaborative tapestry that is tabletop gaming would have never been there. It would be unable to be seen by others. And that would’ve been a shame. By embracing diversity, we uplift all. We grow. We thrive.

Jess

Positive representation matters. I wrote about this in a personal article about my identity as a nonbinary person and how it has impacted my gaming, so excuse me for repeating myself a bit, but seeing the positive representation of the trans experience in college saved my life. Until I met the trans professor for my freshman year seminar, who showed me that being trans could be freeing and beautiful, I was lost, terrified, and filled with self-hatred.

So many moments in media and life instilled these feelings in me. Seeing Jim Carrey showering while sobbing and brushing his teeth with an entire tube of toothpaste after kissing a trans woman in an Ace Ventura movie. When the villain in Dude, Where’s My Car? (whose name I sadly can’t remember) reveals a bulge in her underwear, and one of the main characters visibly retches. Not to mention the slew of transphobic jokes slung around in The 40-Year-Old Virgin after a transgender sex worker is hired for the titular virgin played by Steve Carrell. Or, in the more current and supposedly more “progressive” film, Deadpool, when Wade off-handedly jokes that a very buff, powerful woman must have a penis due to those other aforementioned traits. These depictions of transness terrified me, made me swallow down any sense of kinship I had with the trans characters so that I could hide from the ridicule and hatred I knew would come with it. And those are just moments I can remember off the top of my head – there have been so many more.

The freedom to see and understand who I was was a single person representing the experience in a positive light. And that’s why diversity in gaming – and every other format – is so important. I want depictions of transness and queerness (along with any different marginalized identities) that give people hope. We’ve had enough of the grimdark, “realistic” portrayals – we’ve lived the experiences those portrayals broadcast. It’s time for gaming, movies, television, books, and everything else to paint another picture. My picture happens to be of tons of queer folks doing cool magic shit and destroying evil. What will yours be?

Abbie

Gaming is often about more than telling a great story – it’s about getting to live out a fantasy, experimental version of yourself. It can be incredibly vulnerable and exciting, getting to try out different aspects of our potential identities in low stakes and low commitment environments.

Representation in gaming (all media really, but we’re discussing gaming here) of different potential identities is crucial. Speaking from my own experience, I never considered the possibility that I was bi or potentially ace-spec (still working that one out) until I encountered more nuanced versions of these concepts in my gaming content and podcasts I was consuming. My life and understanding of myself have become vastly richer with that exposure, and I’m so grateful for it.

Embracing diversity in tabletop games allows us to explore different aspects of ourselves. That might manifest as our desire to explore, what is an ancient elven mage might be like, but I’m also talking about wanting to explore what being a non-gendered ancient elven mage might be like, or a pansexual barbarian, or even just a new name – you need a table full of people who understand and embrace your characters, and more importantly you, in all your infinite variety. If those people aren’t available to you (for whatever reason), you need that representation in the games you might find in other media, like podcasts. It’s something we try to incorporate in our Golarion – it’s imperative to all of us and, we hope, to you.

Angel

As he commented, I smiled and thought back to a recent conversation with the FWP crew. I shared how each of my TTRP characters contained an element of me. Part of it is to live vicariously through their adventures. The other part is growing up I felt there weren’t enough shows and games made just for me. As a gaymer and co-host with some awesomesauce queer folk and allies, I proudly get to nerd out with a diverse group who brings their amazing personalities and backgrounds to create a truly fantastic experience.

It tickles me pink to think that our stories and experiences, joined with other incredible queer podcasts, games, books, and movies, encourage others to embrace themselves. I know my younger self definitely would have benefited from the diverse and supporting gaming voices. I sincerely appreciate all of you who wave your respective flags and create safe places for gamers of all ages and backgrounds to play and tell their stories. Besitos!

Dustin

Diversity is a part of what I think makes us unique; we might not be the most famous actual play podcast out there, but we believe that it is helping to put good into the world.

That was a highlight in our press release when we sent it to various groups to promote our partnership with Paizo. It was a massive surprise to me when several of those sites chose to leave the focus on diversity out of their articles, and honestly, while it was a surprise, it helped me understand just how big of an issue this is.

Our contribution to equality is small, but much like Mariposa, we are fierce. I was and still am frustrated at those who choose to ignore a part of who we are, but it just means we need to work harder.

Diversity makes the world fantastic. To me, worlds can be an infinite number of sizes. It can be your world of friendships, the world of your career, the world of your community, and it especially means the fantastic worlds we explore in tabletop gaming.

So as Pride month comes to a close, I encourage you all to look at the groups that you play with and ask this question. Is there someone with a different background than mine that I can invite to my group? Have I created a space that works towards making everyone feel welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated? Am I celebrating differences in flavor and playstyle and supporting it?

Be prepared to listen, be ready to have your thoughts and ideas changed, and be ready to grow. Nothing wrong with learning and understanding.

In the next month, we will be highlighting some of the gayest people I know, my lovely and wonderful co-hosts, as they share their experiences and thoughts and wish you all the best this pride.

The post Representation Matters – Diversity at the Table appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 7

fantasticworldspod — Thu, 07 May 2020 19:39:13 +0000

Abraxas Hillrunner

Artwork by the amazing Ara (arabird_art on Instagram)

Size: Medium
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Birthday: Desnus 12 4684 AR
Height:5’8″
Weight: 173 lb
Hair: Dark brown, sun damaged
Skin: Tan

Character Sheet:

Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 1
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 2
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 3
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 4
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 5
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 6
Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 7

Alignment Statement:

“When nature calls, I reply. When nature speaks, I listen. And when nature angers, I destroy.” (d20pfsrd.com Publishing, Call of the Wild)

Values:

Adventure
His ancestors traveled the entire span of the Kodar mountain. Travel is in his blood. He delights in discovery and adventure.

Bonds:

Guile, Innovation, and Intigue. Pippa can enhant without the virtue of magic. How wonderful would it be to gracefuly dance around the truth and fiction.
Fang, fur, and the elements have served me on my travels. I may have to adapt to ensure Pippa and I can weather any menance.
I came into this world possesing destructive powers. One bite could transform a pacifist into a bloodthirsty creature. The strenght I draw from the natural world can create a mist or unleash a malestrom. Pippa’s enchanting and destructive powers are growing. She did not have the mentors I now see I was fortunate to have, she cannot hear the encouraging whispers of the frost, the wisdom of the mountains. I hope I can provide her the confidance and courage to dance in the tempest and embrace her own claws and fangs.
Is Andromeda a witch in sheep’s clothing or yet another victim of Irrisen’s wickedness. Best keep her close and find out. One way or another my curiosity or hunger will be sated.
The moon is a mixed blessing to my people. It provides light for the hunt, it grants us power in all our forms. It also empowers the bitter sting of silver and drives those we bite into madness. This Hearald seems diffrent from the Irresseni I have encountered. Will they prove a mixed blessing?

Retired Bonds:

~~Pippa can harness powerful arcane forces. My hope is she balances its protective and destructive potential.~~
~~Some darkness or sorrow wounded Odessa early in life; I will make sure she knows she is safe in the pack.~~
~~Since Menet joins me in the den (i.e., embraces my natural spirit), I will endevour to join her in the temple (i.e., embrace her spiritual nature).~~
Odessa saved my life at the lighthouse; I will preserve her life. – Resolved
Odessa’s eyes can find both beauty and the perfect spot to aim for; she may become a trusted ally – Resolved
~~Odessa can talk to anyone; I have much to learn from her.~~
Pippa can talk to anyone; I have much to learn from her. – Resolved
Pippa knows that you don’t need a title or badge to dispense frontier justice; she may become a trusted ally. – Resolved
Pippa could have met a watery end; I will help her survive the dangers of wilds. – Resolved

Artwork by the talented Jjo (p4ndster on Instagram)

The post Abraxas Hillrunner – Level 7 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Pippa Locksley – Level 7

fantasticworldspod — Thu, 07 May 2020 19:15:47 +0000

Art by: corpsecutie on instagram, erikathegoober on instagram, arabird_art on instagram

Pippa Locksley

Player: Abbie Lammel
Actor: Natalie Dormer
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Character Class: Rogue
Current Level: 7
Deity: Calista
Homeland: Taldor
Race: Halfling

Size: Small
Gender: Female
Age: 35
Birthday: Oathday, Rova 22 4678 AR
Height: 2’8″
Weight: 73 lb
Hair: Blonde
Skin: White

Character Sheet:

Pippa Locksley – Level 1 Rogue
Pippa Locksley – Level 2 Rogue
Pippa Locksley – Level 3 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 4 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 5 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 6 Sorcerer
Pippa Locksley – Level 7 Arcane Trickster

Alignment Statement:

Most laws exist to protect and enforce the status of those in power, and breaking them in the service of regular people or mine and my companions comfort (preferably both) is the right thing to do.

Values:

Pippa protects her own above all others. From her informants to her landlady in her townhouse in the capital city to her butler to the guy who fences her “repatriated” artifacts she takes an interest in their lives and troubles.
Pippa is prideful. She knows she’s worth about 10 of any mark or enemy she comes across.
She believes in eye for an eye justice, and if someone has been wronged in her view she will extract exact punishment
Sorcerers and wizards are Trouble, and should be given a wide berth. However, magic is wondrous and fascinating and strange.
If she can’t do something smart, Pippa will do something right

Bonds:

Odessa and Menet – it’s hard to believe we only knew each other a short time, but bonds formed in blood and duty do not fade easily. If I survive this, I will not rest until I’ve discovered what happened to you and try to bring you home.
This hut is not fit for living in as non evil ancient hags. Some improvements must be made.
I have acquired a cat with my face. I am attempting to be in deep denial about this, but at the same time I know I should utilize her and learn how she can further our quest.
I must remember that in this environment and when dealing with magic, Abraxas knows far more than I and this both comforts and frightens me – should I reveal the expansion of my inner room?
I have struck a bargain with a witch, and I’m terrified of Abraxas finding out.
I must remember that in this environment and when dealing with magic, Abraxas knows far more than I and I must let him lead and teach me.
Abraxas has been so kind to me, allowing me to ride him when I can’t keep up and bolstering me in times of fear. I must think of something I can do to show him how much I appreciate his friendship – perhaps a giant pile of exotic meats?
Andromeda is someone else who’s powers just appeared, who also is spoken to by mysterious other beings. Perhaps we can offer each other support in this area.
Andromeda is powerful in combat but HELPLESS in most other situations and I’m not sure I trust her judgement. HOW did she get wrapped up in this – I must know and she is frustratingly vague about it.
Buwon is clearly exactly the style of friend that I used to covet – monied, well-read, with excellent manners and clearly well connected. I look forward to opportunities to enjoy the finer things (where they can be found) with him.
That said, Buwon’s connections are based in Irrisen, and he mentioned he has “worked with” Halflings in the past, a situation that would be very odd indeed in Irrisen from what I know of my mother’s time here and the reactions I’ve gotten from the locals. I need to find out more about where he comes from, and why he was in Whitethrone.
Is Buwon a mark or a partner? Friend or foe? Can he be trusted with our mission and with the lives of my companions? I’m going to watch him carefully until he does something to prove he can be trusted, geas or no.

Personal Bond

Retired Bonds

~~Of the original four of us who set out on the quest, Abraxas and I are the only ones who remain. We’re both feeling their loss keenly I know, and I’m afraid to let him out of my sight.~~
Odessa proved herself a trustworthy ally and a good friend to me when she helped me out of a rough spot a few weeks ago. I want to prove myself and equally trustworthy friend to her as we continue to travel together.
~~I’m really, really, REALLY curious about Odessa’s “gun”. I want her to let me fire it. Just once.~~
~~Abraxas is a fascinating combination of ferocity and guilelessness that I find precious and worth protecting. I want to teach him about my world, but not let it touch him too much.~~
~~I want to learn as much about him and his homeland as possible. I have always been fascinated by the wild north, and have never met a druid – I must know everything!~~ – Resolved
Abraxas has told me much about his homeland in our weeks of travel together and now we are heading there. Something that fills me with both wonder and terror. I must remember that in this environment Abraxas knows more than I do and I have to let him lead and teach me now.
Menet is like a character out of one of my mother’s stories! Strong, noble, open and brave – having her come with us makes me feel more able to come out of this adventure alive. She gives away money like it doesn’t matter and will bankrupt us quickly if I don’t keep an eye on it.
Menet charged ahead of the party toward the sound of screams, which is a noble reaction, but a highly impractical one. I fear that one day she will either walk into a trap with no one able to reach her in time, or that she will give away our position at the wrong moment.
Odessa has been struggling all this time with her addiction, and I was too blinded with my own ambitions to see the truth. I must try to be a better friend to her, and help her lance this wound at the core of her heart.
My faith and own experience tells me that solace and blissful distraction can often be found in a night of passion with a beautiful lover – a sentiment I know Odessa shares. I should wingwoman her if we get an opportunity at a tavern where we aren’t being attacked by the proprietors.
I hope that while spending time in Abraxas’s presence and observing and speaking with him I can learn to accept and better control these changes to my nature, and the possibility of wilder heritage than I had thought.
~~Menet gives away money like it doesn’t matter and will bankrupt us quickly if I don’t keep an eye on it.~~
Menet is brave and true and good, and does nothing without cause or without reason. Of all of us, she is perhaps the most clear minded about our mission – I would do well to heed her instincts in the future and not let my past associations with priests and paladins cloud my judgement of her character.
Menet recently confided in me that she is unused to this sort of fear in the face of such overwhelming danger and the odds that not all of us will make it to see this quest finished. I want to find a way to cheer her up, and remind her that she is more than equal to this task.

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May Giveaway

fantasticworldspod — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:42:03 +0000

May 2020 is a huge month for the FWP crew: beginning our licensing partnership with Paizo, throwing our first Fantastic Fund Drive, and the launch of our new podcast – The Greatest Show on Earth – based on Paizo’s 2e Extinction Curse Adventure path! To celebrate, we are giving away one Pathfinder 2e Core Rulebook and one 2e Gamemastery Guide to two lucky listeners.

To enter, do one (or all three) of the following for one entry each.

Leave us a review on iTunes
Tag a friend you think may enjoy the show on one of our posts
Retweet or share our posts

It’s that simple, help spread the word about FWP and you will be entered to win! Contest ends May 31st, at 12am PST.

NOTE: International winners will receive a PDF copy, due to current international shipping rates.

The post May Giveaway appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Fantastic Worlds Officially Partners with Paizo

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 05 May 2020 23:46:10 +0000

YOUR FANTASTIC JOURNEY AWAITS:

FANTASTIC WORLDS PODCAST ADVENTURES THROUGH REIGN OF WINTER WHILE THE EXCLUSIVE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH COMBATS THE EXTINCTION CURSE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PAIZO

REDMOND, WASHINGTON AND CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (May 5, 2020): Paizo is pleased to announce that The Fantastic Worlds Podcast is joining the family as one of their officially licensed entertainment partners. What a fantastic way to start the day!

As part of the Fantastic Worlds Productions, the Fantastic Worlds Podcast is an actual-play tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) podcast that utilizes Paizo’s Pathfinder First Edition gaming system. Established in August 2018, the Fantastic Worlds crew produces an immersive podcast experience as they struggle against wintry witch herself Baba Yaga in the Reign of Winter Adventure Path. Meanwhile, soon they will take up a new fight as their previously unannounced foray into Paizo’s Extinction Curse Adventure Path for Pathfinder Second Edition with the announcement of their second podcast adventure, The Greatest Show on Earth!

Reign of Winter Trailer The Greatest Show on Earth Trailer

Game Dad (GM) Dustin Alexander harries the team via the machinations of the Witch-Queens of Irrisen in Reign of Winter, and Jess Negin takes the reigns as the nefarious Ring Master (GM) in Extinction Curse while Abbie Lammel, Angel Espinoza, and Logan Mayne-Rizzi just try to keep their characters alive.

The A.V. Club 4/29/19
When Fantastic Worlds launched last August, its creators were stepping into a fairly crowded field of actual play podcasts. Since then, they’ve managed to set themselves apart from the pack and slowly grow their fanbase because of their ability to perfect one important element: balance. Each episode [contains] virtually equal amounts of world-building, character development, and high-stakes action, which is broken up by those all-important moments of levity where these five friends can just goof around a table… AV Club Full Review

STORY FIRST, MATH SECOND

EllayB, 12/08/2019, Apple Podcasts
A gem in the haystack of actual play podcasts
Its obvious effort is made in the production, and the players are excellent at developing and acting upon their characters’ motivations and personalities.[…] They truly keep the game fun, with high stakes, and fascinating backstories…

rweiher, 08/28/2019, Apple Podcasts
Fun diverse group
After commenting on Twitter about another podcast that lost their one and only female member of the group[,] without comment this podcast was recommended[…]. This podcast hit the spot and I enjoy the camaraderie and play style[…]. Give it a listen…
Fantastic Worlds Productions is composed of five friends who every other week unleash their overactive imaginations for the benefit of all. They strive to create both an intricate and personal experience in the Lost Omens setting via nuanced characters with complex motivations and even more complex interpersonal relationships. Drama runs high with this group whether the dice fall in their favor or not!

DIVERSITY IN FRONT & BEHIND THE MIC

Vamihilion, 11/04/2019, Apple Podcasts
You got me to write a review

…The roleplay is super engaging and makes my heart hurt at times with how genuine and fun all the characters are. [I] love hearing another (mostly) queer party playing[…]. Highly recommend [this] to anyone that is a fan of Glass Cannon, Critical Role, High Rollers, or Find the Path. Truly exemplary work.

Fern_Gulley, 03/26/2019, Apple Podcasts

A fun and quirky adventure!
It’s fun. It’s feminist. It’s queer. It’s slightly unhinged. I love it…

One of the pillars of Fantastic Worlds Productions is our dedication to inclusivity. Women, People of Color, and members of the LGBT+ community are found in the characters played and the players themselves. What better way to be fantastic than to celebrate diversity?

“We know many Pathfinder players are roleplaying game enthusiasts and many play multiple games—regardless of the edition. And it is always more impactful to see or hear people having fun with your product than to tell people it’s fun; show, don’t tell. So Paizo welcomes the experienced, diverse voices of Fantastic Worlds Productions and we can’t wait to see what stories they tell next!” said Aaron Shanks, Marketing and Media Manager for Paizo.

Fantastic Worlds Productions is so excited to invite you all to join them in this next momentous step of their journey. They love to engage with their community of fans and listeners and can be found on various social media platforms such as Twitter @fantasticpods and Instagram @fantasticworldspod, on their dedicated Discord server which can be accessed through the link below, and in their fledgling subreddit r/FantasticWorldsPod.

Come along on this fantastic ride and learn more at Fantastic Worlds Productions. Share in the mirth. Revel in the glory. But most important, fall in love with the cooperative and improvised story delivered every two weeks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, & wherever else podcasts are available.

About Paizo

Paizo Inc. is one of the world’s leading hobby game publishers. Since 2002, millions of players have joined the goblin army by playing the Pathfinder® and Starfinder® Roleplaying Games in homes, at conventions, at their favorite local game stores, and digitally on virtual tabletops. Paizo.com is an online retail hobby destination for gamers that carries the latest products from top hobby game publishers. Players can also find the newest releases, as well as accessories like dice and maps, miniatures, T-shirts, goblin plush toys, to quickly replenish their adventuring supplies for the next dungeon run.

###

CONTACT INFO:

Aaron Shanks
Marketing and Media Manager
Paizo Inc.
(425) 250-0800
Fax (425) 250-0801
aaron.shanks@paizo.com
paizo.com

7120 185th Ave NE Ste 120
Redmond, WA 98052-0577
Images available at http://bit.ly/paizo

Dustin Alexander
CEO and Co-Host
Fantastic Worlds Productions
(530) 518-8384

info@fantasticworldspod.com
fantasticworldspod.com
7445 Autumn Ave
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
Press Kit and Graphics available at https://bit.ly/FWP-Press-Kit

The post Fantastic Worlds Officially Partners with Paizo appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Why I Game – Logan Mayne-Rizzi

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 18:00:00 +0000

This is a simple question with no simple answers.

My first memory of gaming is falling asleep in bed as I watched my grandma beat Tetris on the NES. The flashing lights as the intersecting shapes locked into each other and disintegrated were my white noise, and I can picture my grandma’s back, an immigrant from the Philippines, hunched in concentration as the titular Tetris theme played on a loop. Twenty years later, on the day I learned my grandma died, I pulled myself together from the initial shock and dug out the same NES, the same cartridge of Tetris, and played the same levels she had played. I wanted to desperately bring her back to me. I recently, finally, placed first in Tetris 99, and I knew my grandma was smiling down on me.

I remember playing all the Nintendo classics with my older sister, challenging each other to get better and better. She is five years older than me, and we drifted apart as we grew up. My sister fell into a different world of hobbies and interests. Still, just this past year, we gleefully passed an SNES Classic controller back and forth to each other as we took turns helping her middle child beat some particularly difficult levels in Super Mario World. We found ourselves back in the apartment we grew up in, back to the days when we were best friends.

There are so many times when I tear open a gift, ecstatic at the new world it will transport me to. There are stacks of board games at my parents’ house that are eclipsed by my collection. There are so many memories of mine that are interwoven in the act of playing a game. Whether playing with others or playing by myself, games make me feel connected.

I game because I enjoy the challenge and the ensuing feelings of accomplishment. I game because I enjoy spending time with others in a way that forces us to view the world a little differently. But I primarily game because of how it lets me use my imagination and the memories that become embedded into who I am as a person.

When I was younger, I played to win. To beat the computer. Win against my friends in Mario Kart. Wipe the floor with my Pokémon team. Reach the next level to achieve bragging rights. But that’s not who I am as a person now. I used to exclusively play single-player RPGs and Adventure games, and though I still play those types of games, I now see the joy in a collaborative gaming experience where stories have the chance to become legends. I look forward to meeting up with friends, cracking open a board game, and losing ourselves in the immersion. I love teaching others new games and seeing them become just as addicted as I am. The connectivity of gaming, the community of gaming, is what continues to pull me in. And what could be better than to be able to do that with those I feel closest too?

Oral storytelling is the root of gaming, notably Tabletop Gaming. Look how much has grown from that initial foothold. The mythic, totemic nature of gaming calls to me because it allows me to insert who I am, all of me, into a narrative of epic proportions. I game because it allows me to feel connected to others, but selfishly, I game for me.

As a mixed heritage Person of Color, a gay man, it’s easy to feel disconnected from what the norm and majority see as the defunct. I am not going into a diatribe about the existential feeling of being lost that can be pervasive in truly insidious way. Instead, I want you to know that I cannot express the sheer happiness and delight I felt when I played Mass Effect 2 (I played them out of order; oops). For the first time, I was able to create an Asian avatar, but a mixed-race Commander Shepard, who was also able to romance same-sex characters. It was an experience that was a long time coming. It was one of the first times I truly felt a part of a game.

Shared experiences bond me with strangers. I remember attending Gaymercon for the first time and feeling unabashedly in tune with everyone around me. I have attended other conventions since then, but nowhere since then have I ever felt more seen and included. I have realized that I thrive off of being able to be unabashedly me in everything I do, including gaming.

I game because it allows me to be seen, to be connected, and to be empowered, and it just so happens that TTRPGs intersect in a way where all three of those allowances come into play.

To put it simply, that is why I game.

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Red Dead Redemption 2: A Lament for Thick Arthur

Jessica Negin — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 19:12:07 +0000

If you don’t know already, I streamed my playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2 on Twitch (LINK!) and though much of it was spent doing full 360s as I launched myself from my horse by slamming it into various surfaces (usually trees), my experience with this game was, overall, heartbreaking. I loved it to bits, let’s establish that now, but I’m still apt to get a bit weepy if I talk about Arthur for too long. I will try to avoid spoilers as much as possible, but the pretty major one, and one that no one will be surprised about if they’ve played the first Red Dead, pretty much has to be laid out.

Yes, let’s put the cart before the horse for once (and perhaps dash the horse against it so Arthur might fly through the air and land on his neck – an injury he will somehow survive). Arthur Morgan, our lovely protagonist, will die in this game. He dies from tuberculosis which he contracts, admittedly, while doing some shady business for the moneylender Leopold Strauss, whose missions I stopped doing entirely because of how dirty they made me feel. Oh, I don’t feel bad spoiling this one either: that asshole is also dead. Ha!

The fact of the matter is, knowing that Arthur would die from the start kind of made the whole experience better for me. Sure, it made certain actions taken by the man sort of frustrating and depressing, but that’s the RDR experience in a nutshell, I’d say: frustrating and depressing. But in a totally compelling, fun, and touching way. But we’re not just here to talk about Arthur’s death and how it crumpled my soul into a tiny wad and threw it straight into a fiery trash can. We’re here to talk about this whole dang video game! And since I don’t know how to grapple with talking about a game of this size and scope without chunking it, here are the things I’m going to talk about in order: Arthur, some of the things I disliked about the game, characters, and my horsey (named lovingly after my cat, Corbin). If that list seems haphazard, it is, and I have no excuse. But they all fall under the category of “stand out things” so that’s how I landed on these topics.

Ok, Arthur. I adore him. This is kind of blasphemous, I know, but I may like him more than John. Actually, I’m just going to say it: I like him more than John. Sorry. While we’re at it, I liked this game more than the first installment in the series. Though, to be fair, that is in large part due to the arduously long section spent in Mexico. Peak frustration. Anyways, that’s neither here nor there since Arthur never makes it down there.

Arthur is, and I said this a lot during my streams, so adorably naive. I’d describe him as a good-hearted, vulnerable man who was conned into doing bad things. People live with this kind of hypocrisy every day on a less dramatic scale, and that’s one of the many things that makes Arthur so relatable. It’s kind of the perfect example of nature vs. nurture. He was groomed by Dutch to be a lackey, an unthinking follower who believes he’s in control of his life, who believes he’s fighting for freedom and good. It plays into Arthur’s inner desire to ultimately be “good,” no matter the means.

Red Dead 2 is set directly at the juncture where Arthur starts to realize that maybe Dutch is not a good man. The charismatic leader has hit a wall that forced him into desperation, slowly growing more and more unstable to the point that he unravels his carefully constructed “freedom fighter” persona, and unveils what he really is: a man who cares only for himself. He wants glory, money, and control, but power most of all. And Arthur was so caught up in the magnetism of his surrogate father that he did not see these things about Dutch, much like the rest of the Van der Linde gang. This makes Arthur’s arc both incredibly frustrating to watch, and also deeply compelling. You keep hoping that he’ll wise up faster, and take a hard turn before it’s too late. But, if you’ve played the first installment in the series, you can be pretty certain that’s not going to happen. And, realistically, the way things played out makes a good deal of sense, heartbreaking though it may be. Arthur is so incredibly human. He makes mistakes – pretty much nonstop. He’s a well-intentioned fool, and he’s also trying so hard by the end to make up for his sins. He loses everything in the process. I’m still not over it.

I think about Arthur a lot. Redemption is in the titles of these games for good reason, but it can also be said that neither Arthur nor john ever fully redeem themselves. There are things they’ve both done that their deaths do not change or undo. And there are things they’ve both done that their attempts to reform do not fix. That’s one of my favorite things about Arthur’s story – you see this first-hand quite often. The way he’s hurt people is presented to you with a glaring harshness (e.g. Edith Downes), and you start to truly feel bad about what you’ve done.

Let’s talk about some stuff I wasn’t a fan of, now that I’m done singing Arthur’s praises. I’ll start it off with something I actually have mixed feelings about the honor system. I dubbed honor “good boy points” (or GBP) and often lamented when I lost GBP for actions I would not personally consider dishonorable. For example, coming off the heels of the Civil War, our country’s lawmen were almost entirely comprised of former slave catchers, so do I really deserve to lose honor for shooting them? I don’t think so. But since the game neglects to comment on that part of history, we can safely sweep it under the rug and call it fair when I’m punished for doing so. I found that frustrating, but not impossible to overcome, so perhaps it doesn’t bear mentioning in this section. At the same time, it bothered me enough (regardless of the overall outcome) that I wanted to write this paragraph, so I think it does.

Ultimately, I was able to regain all my lost GBP, as I’ve been hinting at. It’s not hard to game the honor system, really (which makes you question its legitimacy all over again). I think it fell flat in some scenarios and did its job in others, but should have been applied more judiciously to situations that would actually make it compelling. One good example is shooting horses. Holy shit did I feel bad shooting horses. I tried my best to avoid it, but when I was left running out of deadeye surrounded by enemies and down to my last few bullets, horses were often the unfortunate casualties of war. RIP, you beautiful beasts. I loved each and every one of
you. There are clearly more story-centric examples that illustrate my point better, but I really am trying to avoid spoilers. Anyways, I’ve already given my opposing example – losing GBP for shooting lawmen – so I won’t rehash that… but I am still shaking my fist about it internally.

On a related, but more general note, there’s the overall “realism” of the game. And I’m realizing as I write this that, as with most things I have gripes about, I have mixed feelings. This game is really good, y’all. It’s good enough that even the negative aspects have their upsides. Anyways, this is yet again a case of misapplication. There were plenty of times where the realism – the clunkiness of Arthur’s movements, the horse physics (which I could write a whole dang article on alone), the swiftness with which a cougar could take your ass down – added significantly to the immersion. There were lots of other times where it really super didn’t. In particular, weight gain and loss, something I’ve alluded to in the title. First of all, it’s actually broken. The system is somehow not working properly, and there is as yet no solution for that. If you want to chunk up your boy, you have to stand around slamming snacks in your gob and doing squats in between. That’s the only method that appears to work. That’s a different set of problems than the real issue with the system, however, which is that I don’t ever really feel compelled to go eat something. Like, I don’t care, honestly. Arthur can be underweight, it has its benefits after all. I was never, ever, ever actually worried about starving, and what is the realism for if not to make you concerned with real-life issues of survival? It just seemed unnecessary to me. Something I absolutely did not need – not even once – in the entire game. And, in fact, since it was broken, it was even MORE useless because I never succeeded in making Arthur a big boy. Not that that’s actually cosmetically possible. The amount of bulk you can add is insignificant, as I’ve seen in pictures and other playthroughs. Thumbs down, Rockstar games.

Here are a few other examples that frustrated me: skinning animals, looting bodies, and bounties. Ok, I want to pinpoint that last one first, because it’s really stuck in my craw. This system is so inconsistent and haphazard. I’ve had people bump me, fall down on their own, then run off screaming and ended up with a $10 bounty on my head (no small sum in this game). I’ve also bumped people with my horse, run into a building “too fast,” and worn my mask a little too long, and had the same thing happen. Usually, I die in these scenarios because everyone starts shooting. Great. Oh, don’t even get me started on the time I shot my gun at the ground by
accident and was suddenly the most wanted man in all of Saint-Denis. Piss off with that malarkey, this is the Wild West!

And then we come to the matter of Blackwater. You can’t get in there. That makes sense because the whole thing is “we messed up in Blackwater and had to flee.” Cool, I’m very okay with that. How about don’t even put it on my map until the epilogue then pal? Because if you even slightly stray into the red area in the Southwest portion of your map, a coterie of unkillable, teleporting bounty hunters will shoot you so many times your body will become more bullet than man meat. Rockstar Games did this to keep you out of Blackwater, which makes sense, sure, but frankly, I find it ridiculous. I wasn’t trying to go there, I dipped one hoof in those red waters
when I was fleeing a different set of bounty hunters, and I’m punished with inescapable death? If you’re going to give me bounty hunters, give me bounty hunters. I’m totally fine fending them off and then fleeing again. That would be the consistent way of handling this. Instead, I get wave after wave of extremely tough boys on my tail, which, considering that this is supposed to be realistic, is hot nonsense.

As far as the skinning and looting go, I won’t say much. Just know this, video game
developers, I never – not once – ever ever ever ever ever in my life asked to watch an animal get its skin ripped off every time I kill and loot one. Do you know what else I didn’t ask to watch? Arthur pooping, and you never made me see that, so I don’t know why this situation was so different for you. Why do we have to have this be part of the “gritty realism” and not the pooping? I don’t want to watch it. I don’t want to watch it the first time, but I will as long as you promise me it won’t be EVERY time. Heck, you can have it happen 50% of the time instead, and I’ll be happy. And this is not about me being squeamish, because I’m not. I like taxidermy, I love horror movies, I’m very hard to gross out. I just can’t believe I have to spend that time (EVERY TIME) watching Arthur painstakingly flaying a deer. It’s the same issue I have with looting in this game, as well as many others. Please stop making me crouch and pat a body down. Please stop making me pause my gaming experience for a full 30 seconds just to get a pocket watch and some cocaine gum I’ll never use. Please. I’m begging you, game developers.

All in all, however, all this realism junk didn’t bother me that much or detract from my enjoyment either… other than making me grumpy that I couldn’t have a beefy Arthur and that I could never loot as many bodies as I wanted without getting caught. Really, none of it pissed me off to the degree of wanting to quit. It was just annoying enough to put a frown on my face.

But on a much less sour note, it’s time to tell you about the things I loved. I’m saving horse-related things for last because they deserve their own section. Thing number one: movement. I know this actually frustrates some people when playing this game, but I enjoyed it right from the beginning. In other games, I feel like a floaty, super-powered, unhinged being of pure energy, with no limits to what my body can do. Not so here in RDR2. Arthur is as clunky and slow as he should be. He’s still certainly more physically capable than the average man, but he feels so real when you’re moving him around. Another notable example of this is any of the Dark Souls games, and Bloodborne, of course, but even there, I often feel unrealistically nimble.
I can do like five dodge rolls in a row very quickly once I’ve leveled enough in one of those games. And though this is not physically impossible, I’d suggest going outside and actually doing a few and telling me how you feel afterward. I did two swift rolls in one of my martial arts classes years ago and did not come up wanting to continue the fight. No matter how you’re trained, they take it out of you. Yet it always looks so easy for my Hunter when I’m diving away from all of Rom’s dumb spider babies. Not so with Arthur. I defy you to get Arthur to do even ONE dodge roll. He won’t. It’s not in his repertoire.

What is in his repertoire is supernatural shooting abilities, a body that can absorb like 20 bullets, and the ability to see scent trails, but we’re not going to focus on that at all. It detracts from my point, and my point is this: moving around in this game gives you a really good feeling of what it would be like to do the things Arthur is doing. You can really put yourself in his shoes. And it made the game just that much more immersive for me.

I’ve already talked a bit about how I loved Arthur and how I loved his arc, basically implying that I loved the entire story. So I’m not going to bore you with more gushing about that, but I neglected to talk about a heavily related topic. The other characters. I will never get to all of them, because it would be too many paragraphs, so honorable mention to Sean, Hosea, Karen, and Mary-Beth. You were all fantastic, but I’m focusing on my MVPs.

So, full confession, I couldn’t give two farts about a lot of them. I didn’t care about seeing that dipstick Bill Williamson again. I spent 90% of the game talking about how much I wanted to boil Dutch alive. And I did nothing but roll my eyes at about half of the other people at camp. But I became very invested in the ones I did care about. Heck, you could even say my deep hatred of both Micah and Dutch was a form of care. They certainly shaped my experience with the story, so I’d say they were as important as anyone else in their way.

However, the positive characters are the ones that really stood out for me. Lenny, of course, is a standout. He’s so funny, sincere, and lighthearted from the start. He’s also a major part of one of the best side-quests in the whole game. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, please look up “Lenny Drinking Scene” (or play the game). It’s probably my favorite part of the game. We also have Tilly Jackson, who is sweet, charming and also completely badass. Her outward naivete is likely a front, and a good one, that hides multitudes. She’s dependable, strong, and whip-smart. And she’s also a lot of fun to be around. Bonus points because she gets the happy ending she deserves.

Then there’s the mixed bag: Javier Escuella. I keep saying this, but if you’ve played the first installment in the series, your relationship with Javier from the outset is very different. Bearing that in mind, I was determined to dislike him. But goshdarnit, they made a good prequel, because I found myself forgetting everything that made me angry at Javier. At the lighthearted start of the game, he’s fun and lively and friendly. He’s nice to Arthur, and that automatically earns him some points. I didn’t start thinking about the events of RDR again until much later on when he started to get a little testy and weird. His unquestioning loyalty to Dutch
becomes grating and disappointing, and that’s where I soured on him. But there was a time, Javier, where I did enjoy you. That’s more than I could say before.

There’s no way I was going to get through talking about characters without talking about the absolute marvel that is Sadie Adler. What a dang woman. I can’t decide which I want more: to be her or to marry her. She’s kind of like a female Arthur, but smarter, more capable, and with a ferocity that endears her to me instantly. If Rockstar is smart, they will make her the next game’s protagonist, because I think we all need more of this woman’s story. At the same time, considering what happened to both John and Arthur, maybe not.

And now, I want to discuss the lovely, quiet, and capable Charles. He is on par with both Lenny and Tilly as far as likeability goes, but that’s not all there is to it. He’s loyal, he’s principled, he’s good inside and out in a way that few other characters are. By the end of the game, he had ingrained himself so deeply in my heart I hardly noticed it had happened. They never make it clear what happened to him at the end of the game, but I like to assume he got his wish for peace, and for a family. He was honestly even with Sadie in my list of favorite characters, even more so than Arthur in a lot of ways. I didn’t gush about him nearly as much as I did Lenny or Tilly or even Javier while playing, weirdly, but I have a deep well of love for Charles Smith.

The only thing I loved more than all of the above-mentioned characters is a very special animal. An animal the game 100% intends for you to fall in love with. An animal whose service for the cause will never be forgotten. My gorgeous warhorse, Corbin (formerly Horsecake, and even more formerly Pony Danza). I changed his name to make myself even more attached to him because, as I mentioned at the beginning, my cat (that I’m obsessed with) is named Corbin. Pony Danza was a joke I stole from Bob’s Burgers, so it had no emotional heft. And Horsecake was great and cute and alluded to how often I fed him oatcakes, but I wanted something that
really made it hurt when I lost my boy. Hence, Corbin.

Our relationship started out simple enough: he was my DLC horse, a much better beast than the Tennesse Walker I started out with. All horses are beautiful and perfect, of course (except Uncle’s), but objectively, Corbin is superior. First of all, he’s a dang beast. I often noted how much larger he was than other horses in cutscenes, which was very satisfying. He was also this really pretty grey and black pattern, and his big hooves made me so happy. All physical attributes aside though, he was just a great horse. He liked his brushes – something I LOVED doing in game because of the satisfying dirt cloud that rose from his mane when I did. He never died no matter how hard I smashed him into things. And he never got mad
at me. He saw me through every adventure, he took me through all kinds of wilderness, and he camped with me out on that lonely road. He was fast (not the fastest, but pretty good), he had stamina, he was hearty. He saved my life more than once by keeping calm enough to carry me past a cougar. Sometimes he bucked me off, sure, but who could blame him? What I’m saying is, Corbin was a steadfast friend. You may have realized from what I said earlier, however, that the game does in fact kill him. This death was almost harder to take than Arthur’s, and I’m still
just as upset about it. RIP Corbin Horsecake Pony Danza. You were my best friend.

So, what’s my score for this game, exactly? It has changed since I started writing this. The epilogue is what incited this change. It’s too goddamn long. It took me, I believe, 8 hours to complete. An epilogue. 8 hours. Of epilogue. 8 hours of farm chores, of chatting with Abigail and Uncle and Jack, of basically playing Red Dead again. I did not need that much epilogue, seriously. Though, to be fair, I may have been more patient if I hadn’t been streaming it while wanting to move on to streaming other games. That could very well have affected my disposition towards the experience. Still, there was so much I would have been happy to watch
in cutscenes. Building the house, for example. I didn’t need to tap X to feel like I was part of that experience, okay? It was completely unnecessary, went on way too long, and the music was hilariously bad. Shoveling shit also comes to mind, but that was at least quick. The thing is, the very final mission of the epilogue was one of the most fun and satisfying of the entire game. But by the time I got to it, I was so pissed off and tired that I couldn’t give it the emotional energy it deserved. Again, probably would have been better if I hadn’t just streamed for four hours straight. But I wanted to finish it with my pals on the stream who sat through the entire rest of
the game with me, and that shouldn’t have been such a long process.
Admittedly, it did feel nice to be in John’s boots again. I had missed his desperation – his scrabbling attempts at forming a new life. A good boy’s life. Alas, we all know how that tale ends (or well, at least those of us who have played RDR know). None of our boys can ever have a happy ending. But anyway, I really enjoyed my experience with this game quite a lot. I can’t say I’ll play it again because it hurt me too much the first time. Maybe with some distance, some time, I’ll feel safe to relive Arthur’s journey, but definitely not anytime soon. Anyways…

The post Red Dead Redemption 2: A Lament for Thick Arthur appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

True Friendship and the Acquisition of a Small Gremlin

Kay O'Connor — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 16:47:13 +0000

I think for anyone who has spent more than five minutes in my presence, or has listened to our podcast, knows how much I love my cat. For those of you who are new here, her name is Muta, and she’s a sphynx cat. My partner Shannon and I decided about 4 years ago that we really wanted one, but couldn’t justify buying one from a breeder. So we waited… for years.

We had one small dog at the time and had lost our other dog about a year prior; the grieving period had subsided. We had given up on the idea of finding a sphynx in a shelter and had settled on getting a sweet little fur baby. So I began an exhaustive search for a cat. This consisted mainly of spending almost every free moment I had on the local shelter website. I’m talking like every few minutes I’d refresh the page. In retrospect, it was kind of insane. But it was due to this diligence that we lucked out.

A cute sphinx cat being held

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A cute sphinx cat being held

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One day while we were out of town, about an hour away, taking care of some errands I had sat down and scrolled through the list of sweet little kitters but no one new popped up. So I closed my phone and returned to the task at hand. Roughly five minutes later, I sat down and pulled out my phone again while Shannon talked to someone and pulled up the site. I made it about halfway down the page, and there she was in all her naked glory. Her name had been Isabell. I made an indescribable sound and launched myself out of the chair frantically signing at Shannon, which is apparently what I do when my mouth fails me. She stared at me like I’d lost my mind. I ran over to her and shoved my phone at her. She saw the sweet little face on the screen and told me to go outside, call them, have them put her on hold, and we’d be there as soon as physically possible. I ran outside and called, but was told they didn’t put animals on hold. My heart sank; there was no way we’d make it in time.

But we decided to try.

We jumped in the car and began the hour-plus drive home, frantically hoping that we’d get there first. But I think we both knew that wasn’t going to happen.

Enter Avalon and Aubrey.

Kay and some cool peeps

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Kay and some cool peeps

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These are two of my best friends, who at this point in time we’d just recently met at a boat party that Shannon’s work had put on. We’d probably hung out one other time outside of that. By I knew they would accept this quest. I told Shannon to text Aubrey and ask them to go to the shelter. Shannon insisted that we hadn’t been friends long enough and that it would be weird. So I, of course, ignored her and used voice to text to explain the situation. I knew Aubrey would be at home working, but I had to try.

I received a text back. She told me they would be out the door as soon as Avalon put on some pants, and off they went. We implored them to just sit in a visitation room with her, tell all interested parties she was mean and stinky and scare everyone away. These two beautiful angels waited at the shelter for an hour as we drove north.

Upon arrival to the shelter, they had our paperwork ready with a buzzer in hand to indicate when she would be ready to meet. We were the first in line, but not the only ones. Three more people had showed up. Two more showed up through the process of adopting her.

And let me tell you, it was love at first sight. The first thing I saw was her abnormally fluffy butt, and her sad little tail. They warned us that she was shy, but the moment she was on the floor she crawled into our laps and it was done. With no supplies at all we brought her home. Shannon stayed with her while I ran to the store and bought everything from cat food to a litter box to a cat tree. We were so completely unprepared, but it was the best decision of my life.

From that moment forward Avalon, Aubrey, Shannon, and I have become incredibly close, and I’m happy to say that they were very honored to accept our request that they be Muta’s Godmothers.

The post True Friendship and the Acquisition of a Small Gremlin appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Odessa Grenadé – Level 5

fantasticworldspod — Wed, 22 May 2019 01:11:48 +0000

Artists: Corpsecutie on Instagram, maidfetish on Instagram, animositi on Instagram

Odessa Grenadé

Odessa was raised mostly by her doting father in Absalom where her father was a world renowned blacksmith. Growing up she lived a pretty charmed life. It wasn’t until she hit her teens that things went sideways. A sudden tragedy caused Odessa to flee her home and leave her old life behind. From there she made her way to a brothel where she worked for quite some time before leaving to find her own way in the world.

Odessa is first and foremost very blunt, followed closely by her fearless nature. Those combined, she often gets herself into trouble. Due to a gun misfire as a small child Odessa is Deaf in her left ear, as a result she was given a magical teddy bear named Jim as a service animal. With her cotton candy pink hair and her adorable companion it may be hard to take her seriously, but you’d be foolish not to.

Player: Kay O’Connor
Actor: Holland Roden
Alignment: Lawful Good
Character Class: Gunslinger
Current Level: 4
Deity: Cayden Cailean
Homeland: Absalom
Race: Human

Size: Medium
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Birthday: Rova 7 4688 AR
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 135 lb
Hair: Ever changing
Eyes: Heterochromia iridum Blue (L) Green (R)
Skin: White

Character Sheet:

Odessa Grenade – Level 1
Odessa Grenade – Level 2
Odessa Grenade – Level 3
Odessa Grenade – Level 4
Odessa Grenade – Level 5

Alignment Statement:

Charm them before you harm them.
When in doubt knock them out.
Ally blood spilled will get them killed.

Values:

Steel
Emotions and fragility should be left to those with nothing better to do. Such things do nothing but cause trouble and put people at risk.

Charm
A skill that doubles as both a defense and a weapon.

Mercy
Should be shown when circumstances call for it, but should be cast aside once the person in question has proved themselves unworthy of it.

Righteousness
This world is riddled with those who would do harm unto others. Those people should be dealt with quickly and efficiently.

Book 2 Bonds:

Pippa

The transformation that Pippa is going through is going to require support. I don’t pretend to understand what is happening as magic is something I know so little about, but I do know she will need a friend. So while Abraxas and Menet can offer advice and training I can offer her a hand to hold, and a safe escape should she need it.

I feel like there’s a side to Pippa I haven’t seen yet, but got a glimpse of her the other night in the tavern. The more I hear about the followers of Calistria the more I realize Pippa and I might have more in common than I thought. She puts on a proper front, but I’d love to see her let hair down for a minute and just have fun without formalities holding her back.

Menet

My heart skips a beat when I think of Menet. Her kind eyes and strong arms make me feel safe, but when she said she thinks she’s was falling in love with me it scared me to my core. We’ve known each other for such a short period of time. Is it even possible for something so big to happen so fast? I worry about what the others will think and what could come of this. But I’m willing to try if she is.

I’ve been so focused on Menet but I feel like I don’t know anything about her. If we are going to be… something together… I should probably know more about her than superficial observations. I will not let her strong arms distract me from actually getting to know her. It’s about time I stop being so shallow and actually learn something about her.

What a mess I’ve made with Menet. The world is falling down around us and I keep finding myself thinking about what could be with someone I barely know. Her words “I hope you’ll give us a chance” echo in my head when I look at her. But she is coming to terms with the gravity of the situation we have fallen into and has so much on her plate. The last thing I need to do is add anything more. I do not have the skills to help me navigate the intricacy of what has happened between us. But I still can’t help but wonder what would happen if I was honest with myself… and with her.

Abraxas

The platonic intamacy of sharing a bed with Abraxas has saved me from myself more times that I care to admit. He has become a silent rock for me to brace myself against that keep my nightmares at bay. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to repay the gift of peace he’s given me, but I shall try.

When Pikel showed up I was taken aback but enthralled by the sexual tension. From what Pikel alluded to Abraxas is an animal in more ways than one. So if I see an opportunity, I will be sure to throw Abraxas to the bears so to speak *wink*.

Myself

I am truly the champion of making things more complicated than necessary. From spitefully sleeping with a stranger, to yelling at Menet and then telling her how I feel, to waking up the next day to hid under the bed, and then lying to Pippa and Abraxas through omission… things have taken a turn. But Cayden trusts me and has put me on probation. In his honor I will cope with this stress in healthier ways and drink to celebrate when the stress is over. And you know… when we save the world.

After years of living inside an impenetrable shell that kept everyone at arms length I have begun to see cracks along the surface that let small truths slip through. Cayden has brought me to people who might give me the courage to live out in the light. Perhaps I can trust them with the truths that wreck my mind when I close my eyes. Maybe I don’t have to carry all this alone.

Book 1 Bonds:

Pipa seems to get into a lot of trouble, I need to watch her back at all times
Pipa’s heart is kind and true, I admire her drive to help others
Abraxas seems to struggle in almost any social situation, I will fix that somehow
Abraxas despite his struggle he is an ally that I can rely on
Pippa and I have grown close over the last several months, I believe I can trust her and I hope she can trust me. We both seem to of suffered substantial loss and heartbreak at too young an age. Knowing this, I want her to be able to confide her troubles in me and mine to her. Together perhaps we can begin to heal.
I am so completely out of my element. From the snow on the ground to a culture I do not understand, this is clearly not my expertise. As much as I hate to admit it, Pippa’s suggestion to follow Abraxas makes sense. I will do my best to swallow my pride and be the best I can be.
I’ve made baby steps towards opening up and trusting my companions just as Cayden has commanded me, but I can’t seem to get over the larger hurdles. If I am ever going to have this divine curse lifted I will either need to embrace this forced honesty or convert to a new God. Wherein the latter isn’t really an option. Oh Cayden, why have you betrayed me so?

The post Odessa Grenadé – Level 5 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Menet Serbana – Level 5

fantasticworldspod — Fri, 10 May 2019 19:42:18 +0000

Artists featured: yeez_art on instagram, animositi on instagram

Menet Serbanea

Menet is a half-Garundi, half-Varisian woman who has spent half of her life in Osirion, and half traveling with a Varisian caravan. As a working class child in Osirion, she learned of Khepri, who she worshipped devotedly from the moment she was given a choice. As a Paladin of Khepri, she fights for the working folk, those oppressed by the nobility and without the means to fight for themselves.

Menet has felt an undeniable wanderlust in her heart from a very young age. She adapts quickly to new terrains, and though she grew up under the harsh sun of Osirion, she’s just as comfortable in the colder climes of Irrisen.

Player:Jessica Negin
Alignment: Lawful Good
Character Class: Paladin
Current Level: 4
Deity: Kehpri
Homeland: Osirion
Race: Human

Size: Medium
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Birthday: Abadius 20 4681 AR
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 170 lb
Hair: Black and Curly
Skin: Brown

Character Sheet:

Menet Serbanea – Level 2
Menet Serbanea – Level 3
Menet Serbanea – Level 4
Menet Serbanea – Level 5

Alignment Statement:

“At the end of the day, I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. If that makes me an outlaw, so be it. I’ve been called worse.” – Angela Parkhurst, Forget Me Not

“God made this money – the fresh air, too – for his children’s use. He never made the difference between poor and rich.” – Rebecca Harding Davis, Life in the Iron Mills and Other Stories

Values:

Freedom

None who may be redeemed should be imprisoned, and none should be restricted by circumstance. Menet believes that only the most heinous criminals deserve to be in a cage, and even they may be redeemed under different circumstances.

Compassion

Menet believes that all who live deserve that life, and deserve the basic necessities of life. Every person should be provided shelter, food, and healing, and she will do her best to help those who go without.

Adventure

Born of the migratory Garundi and caravaneering Varisians, Menet’s proclivity for travel and adventure is in her blood. She feels most at home on the road, and especially in locales that differ greatly from Osirion.

Humility

Menet has never been a woman of prodigious means. She has cobbled together a suit of armor, acquired weaponry second-hand, and basically scraped by since birth. She knows she looks nothing like the shining Paladins of Iomedae or Desna, but she also knows that people look to her for hope. She will never show self-consciousness about her patchwork armor, nor her well-worn weapons, whether she feels distressed by them or not. She exudes confidence regardless of her circumstances, and hopes to inspire confidence in those she serves – the poor and downtrodden.

Bonds:

Abraxas seems to be grappling with his wolfy curse more than usual. I hope to help him cope with his feelings, even though there is little I can do to properly help him.
Abraxas is conflicted about working with Baba Yaga, and I can understand why. I also have some trepidation considering that she is rumored to be evil. However, I believe that we can trust in the guidance of fate, and I hope to convince
Abraxas that no matter what happens, we will find the power to stop Baba Yaga from controlling us further when it’s all over.
Pippa and I have similar aims, I want to help her to reach her goals.
Pippa has a hunger for wealth, I want to dissuade her from pursuing coin as it is a corrupting force. I believe we should both be aiming to dismantle the system that requires it and creates such disparity between people based on earthly goods.
Odessa is sensitive under that hard outer shell, and I want to protect her from the things in the world that will cause her psychological or physical pain.
Hearing the words “my world kind of ended at 16” shocked and alarmed me. I couldn’t have guessed at what Odessa had been through. I knew it was nothing good from her emotional state, but to have everything so dramatically turned on its head… she must have endured a lot of pain. It has clearly contributed to her lack of self-worth. It will surely take time, but I want to help Odessa see her own value, and the value of living again.
I’ve admitted it – I told Odessa I was falling in love with her. Who knows what we are now… it feels so ill-defined, but I don’t want to push her too far. I want to let things happen naturally, but I’m so antsy to move forward at the same time. I truly didn’t think I could feel like this until now, and I have a lot of regrets concerning my past love life, but I want things to go right this time. I need to make sure I’m conscious of her feelings and work hard not to make mistakes that cause her to question this relationship.
I’ve come to the realization that my worth to my companions is more substantial than I believed, and that this quest is indeed a quest I am meant to be part of. And I understand now that I was seeking martyrdom and believed I was going to die, which was clearly the reason my fear of death grew so strong. Though my fear has not gone completely, I am much more self-assured and I believe I will conquer it entirely with time. Now more than ever, I must work hard to be strong and keep my emotions in check. Khepri, please guide me, and help me keep this fear at bay.
~~Pippa and I have similar aims, I want to help her to reach her goals.~~– Retired
Pippa has a hunger for wealth, I want to dissuade her from pursuing coin as it is a corrupting force. I believe we should both be aiming to dismantle the system that requires it and creates such disparity between people based on earthly goods.– Retired
~~Odessa is sensitive under that hard outer shell, and I want to protect her from the things in the world that will cause her psychological or physical pain.~~ – Resolved
~~Odessa hides her feelings, I want to help her become comfortable being vulnerable, at least with her friends.~~– Resolved
~~Abraxas is unabashedly himself, and I never want him to feel that he needs to be otherwise. I want to protect his innocence and prevent him from becoming self-conscious in a world that will judge him.~~ -Resolved
Abraxas is knowledgeable about nature and traveling through wild areas, I want to learn how to be as helpful when traveling outside of cities (and without wagons and the relative comfort of the caravan). – Resolved
~~Abraxas’ knowledge of Irrisen will be invaluable in our journey. I should spend time comparing notes with him.~~ -Retired

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Co-Host Love Letter: Angel

Abbie Lammel — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 17:00:42 +0000

Modern technology is amazing, I cannot extoll the virtues of video chat more when it comes to making you feel connected with other people. Aside from Dustin, with whom I used to work, I have only met the other members of Team Torta in person once each. But seeing them every week on my roll20 screen has enabled me to get to know them in spite of our vast (now even vaster now that I’ve moved to Maryland) geographical distance. Angel, Jess, Kay and Dustin are some of the best people I know, and I’m excited that this show means I get to see and play with them every week. I also enjoy knowing that Kay and Angel are currently rolling their eyes at my lack of Oxford comma in the previous sentence. Fight me. Also, I love you and here’s why.

Image of the word Angel

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Angel

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Image of the word Angel

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Angel

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I had heard stories and seen pictures of Angel for years before I met him, which sounds creepy actually now that I write it, but I swear it was on the up-and-up – Dustin’s known him for years and was showing me pictures of a mutual friend’s wedding where they were both groomsmen. When we got together for the first time about 3 years ago to begin a game of Dungeon World I was very excited to meet Angel because Dustin thought the world of him, as both a person and a tabletop gamer. Turns out, he’s even cooler than Dustin let on.

Let’s start with the painfully obvious. Angel is an excellent roleplayer! He always comes up with characters that are quirky and fun to play with but also feels a little more well rounded than your average tabletop RPG PC. He’s so much fun to do scenes with! I also think that he has the freshest ideas – he almost never relies on D&D tropes to make his characters, they always have a backstory that is moving and surprising and entertaining.

Playful, warm and kind are all words that I would use to describe Angel but the best part is I could also use practical, sarcastic and witty and that would be just as accurate. The rest of the group can be pretty loud and take up a lot of space, but it’s ALWAYS Angel who will sneak in the one-liner that really makes us a damn mess for five minutes afterward. Angel doesn’t like to sweat the small stuff and is usually the first in line to offer a little perspective on a situation that has the rest of us in a snit.

Angel loves his family and will literally drop everything if his mother is at the door. Naturally, as four white people (as Angel delights in pointing out) this surprises us, and we get thoroughly mocked about how standoffish and strange we can be about our families. In all seriousness though, I really admire how much he prioritizes his family and it sometimes inspires me to take my own mother’s calls more often.

Angel, playing with you is truly a pleasure. I look forward to continuing to bond over tabletop games, Jim Butcher novels (it’s us against the world apparently my dude) and Bioware video games.

The post Co-Host Love Letter: Angel appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

My Gamer Niños

Angel Espinoza — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 12:41:27 +0000

I run a game for my little (in my eyes) nephews and niece when I can. The experience is out of this world. It is fun to see their different personalities as they take on their characters’ personas.

Let me start off with character backgrounds. They usually play as siblings, which I think is cute. As a GM that makes it extremely easy to start them on their adventure. My favorite was their background as royals. The eldest was a lord and a blacksmith; a noble of the people I suppose. The middle child went the thief route. The youngest was the princess and the party healer. They didn’t spend most of their time in the palace. Even as new players, they knew they would be hitting the road soon.

The gear was my favorite thing to see. Their weapon selections revolved solely on looks and theme. The eldest selected a scythe and dagger. Next, the party thief. He went for a dagger and shortbow. The youngest couldn’t read any of the weapon entries and requested a glittery wand. Easy enough to give her a custom magic item.

The eldest loaded up on rope, rations, and torches. My other nephew made sure he had sacks for his loot. My niece wanted a unicorn. Fun times.

Once they got started on their journey, I was even more thrilled to hear their combat moves. If they wanted to stab somebody they went with the weapon that “felt” face-stabby. Damage dice never factored into their role-playing. It was awesome. They
would take the attack of opportunity if it meant they could deliver a headbutt.

Years before the podcast, these kids were truly living the “story first, math second” life. I learned more from these young #worldstravelers in one Christmas break than a whole year of gaming.

The post My Gamer Niños appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Why Queer Content is Important

Kay O'Connor — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 03:52:48 +0000

Anyone who knows me can tell you how much I love queer content. There is a running joke in my household where anytime a tv show makes a character gay, I always respond with a victorious battle cry of “THEY MADE IT GAY!!” If you ever want me to watch something and you sense hesitation, all you have to do is tell me about one gay character in the whole show, and I’m sold. But why is it that I’m so infatuated with content with queer representation? Well, my friends, that’s a very in-depth question, but the short answer is that for years I was starved of anything worth consuming. The only queer content we had was obscure depressing movies where someone almost always died in the end, the L word, or Queer as Folk. There are some other shows, but I try to pretend they don’t exist. Like Lip Service, which I still have not finished because they broke my heart halfway through and I still have trust issues from it.

Which bring us to today. A much brighter future of media where the queer characters might actually get happy endings. We saw the light at the end of the tunnel with Debs (don’t judge me it was the first movie I ever saw that made me realize I needed more trashy-lesbian-love-story driven content), Imagine Me & You, and Saving Face. I didn’t see the latter two until I was in my 20’s though. But now and days we are being graced with queer characters more often than not. Representation has begun to matter more as content creators realize how important it is to give people some semblance of belonging. Or just writing stories that actually mean something to people outside of the straight cis-gendered atypical white couples.

Growing up I missed out on caring about most of the young adult romance novels that came out. I was mostly just annoyed at anyone who read them and looked down on them with substantial distaste. But oh, if that angsty teen only knew what she’d grow into. Now that there are trashy romance novels with lesbian romance being the driving force behind the plot I can’t even help myself. I am subscribed to Audible’s romance package specifically, so I can listen to all the gay trash I can get my hands on. Which is a lot more than I ever thought possible. All those years of hating YA romance novels, and it appears that was all because it was gay enough for me. Who knew?

Being able to read, watch, and listen to queer content has made me feel like my thoughts and experiences matter. It’s brought a community, that used to hide in corners of the internet writing gay fanfiction (I know they are still doing this, but it’s much more mainstream now) out into the open. It’s opened so many doors to tell so many new stories. It’s held up a mirror to people who needed to see that they weren’t alone. It’s started conversations and made being gay more widely acceptable. Sure there’s still a lot of problematic content, lesbians get fetishized, gay men get pigeonholed into being flamboyant caricatures, bisexuality sees a lot of erasure (as per usual, sorry guys), and the few non-binary/trans characters are still trying to have their stories told without seeing violence enacted against them. It’s still a rough world out there. We still have a long way to go, not just with the queer community but in representing all minorities and all people, but I think we are finally starting to make some progress.

So go forth my friends, and watch, read, and listen to all the queer content you can get your hands on because it’s pretty damn good.

Photo by Erean at Morguefile.com

" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unicorn.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unicorn.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-1281" alt="Rainbow unicorn" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unicorn.jpg?w=3000&ssl=1 3000w, https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unicorn.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unicorn.jpg?resize=768%2C513&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unicorn.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unicorn.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" data-attachment-id="1281" data-permalink="https://fantasticworldspod.com/why-queer-content-is-important/unicorn/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unicorn.jpg?fit=3000%2C2002&ssl=1" data-orig-size="3000,2002" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Unicorn" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

Photo by Erean at Morguefile.com

" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/fantasticworldspod.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unicorn.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" />

The post Why Queer Content is Important appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Co-Host Love Letter: Jess

fantasticworldspod — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 17:00:14 +0000

Jess started out as a complete stranger to all of us when we realized that if we kept running this AP with only 3 players, none of whom were healers or tanks, we would be toast. But almost from the moment she joined the podcast she was instantly a huge part of our lives and honestly completes the group in more ways than one. She has also spent a lot of time DMing Pathfinder – which considering it’s Dustin’s first time and Kay and I had never even played before is a perspective we really needed.

Jess is a NERD of the highest order and I love it. Some of my favorite memories we have together so far are just us having some of the most validating geek conversations of my life, and I had no idea how much I needed another person who loves all the same games I do and experiences them in a similar way.

She’s really insightful about games and stories and how they are put together, which makes her fun to talk to about any subject as well as a pleasure to play tabletop rpgs with.

Jess is incredibly brave and sort of stoic but lives loudly at the same time and is an interesting study in contrasts. I find her general outlook on life and mortality and how humans should relate to each other to be refreshing and interesting, I always look forward to what she’s going to tell me about her worldview next.

Jess is thoughtful, easy going and just deadpan fraking HILARIOUS. I treasure her presence in my life and on Team Torta. It’s a crime we don’t have any pictures together yet, my dear. Let’s fix that at GenCon, we’re too good looking and awesome to not be seen together.

The post Co-Host Love Letter: Jess appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Musings on my Homebrew – How Not to Mess Up as Badly as I Have

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 16:01:41 +0000

I’d like to preface what I’m about to say with this: this is as much a helpful guide (maybe), as it is a cautionary tale. Writing a homebrew – as you may have guessed – is REALLY hard. It took a lot out of me, and frankly, I’m not actually done. And I started working on this thing more than 2 years ago.

That being said, here are the general steps I took to get it started. Obviously, things have veered off course pretty drastically, and I was woefully underprepared for what my players were bringing to the table, but I’m going to call that a learning experience. Definitely not a failure… No, it was a failure. I’m not giving up on it, though. I plan to continue to run this game. Whether that means running it into the ground or not remains to be seen.

The way I started, and the way many other people most likely start is with a story (duh). It was actually something I was developing as a book idea, but it has become an entirely different beast now. I started writing the story as a novel in 2012, and really only got about 6 chapters done before dropping it entirely. Let’s not discuss that part of my process anymore – I would like to sweep that deep under the rug and into a hole I dug in the floor. Let’s talk about what I did with that husk of a narrative instead.

I adapted the HELL out of it, is what I did. I completely ripped it apart and reconfigured it for the world of Pathfinder. It literally bears about 0.01% resemblance to the original chapters I wrote, and that’s probably what will happen to whatever story you set out with as well. At least, if you start out the same way I did. If you want to birth a whole new story with homebrew creation already in mind, you may have better luck tailoring it to the system straight away. I don’t roll that way, baby. I’m fast and loose with it.

Anyways, what I’m saying here is: get ready to let go of some things if you want to adapt a story you’ve written as prose. And if you start with a story tailored to Pathfinder (or your game system of choice), I suggest starting from a vantage point of rules and math. Look at some cool mechanics, items, monsters, and maybe even settings, and start writing your story around those things. Don’t start writing something thinking you’re going to be able to make it work eventually – you will end up backpedaling (a la… miss Jessica Negin).

That’s tip number one, and in case you haven’t noticed, I belabor every point. This is why I can’t actually be a writer. Anyways, let’s start in on the explanation of tip number two and then discuss it at great length.

As I said, if you’re looking at mechanics, understanding monsters is super important. And on that same note, you’re going to need to get familiar with the math behind combat difficulty. I know – not super fun – but you can find a ton of handy guides online that make it really simple. I can’t point out any specific guides as I’ve put this information together more through practical means than actual reading and researching, but I know almost every beginners’ GM guide will include a breakdown of CR, etc. This is essential whether you’re homebrewing your monsters, or using pre-made ones. “Why do I need to understand the math behind combat even if I’m using pre-made material?” you ask. Great question! Because your PCs will inevitably either be underpowered or overpowered for the fights, and the only way you can adjust reliably is to understand what you’re adjusting. My handy dandy tip here is to use size changes and apply it only to stats, not to the actual size of the monster. But if I get into any more detail about that here, this will turn into more of a genuine guide and less of a general overview of what not to do. And that’s not what I’m trying to write.

When it comes to monsters, what you need to remember as a GM is that you’re there to tell a story together, to challenge your players to use their ingenuity and the skills of their characters to overcome obstacles, and to make sure they’re not breezing through everything. Which brings me to my next point: study up on your players.

This is, of course, assuming you’ve already created the homebrew, gotten a group together, and gone through the entire process of character creation. If you’ve reached this step, get a copy of their character sheets, and READ THEM. I can’t tell you how many times I set something up expecting the difficulty to be almost too much for the party, only for one or more of them to reveal they have some crazy ability that I forgot about and therefore can blast apart my not-so-carefully constructed encounter. I’m an idiot. Don’t be like me.

Without challenge or adversity, the game completely falls flat. The last session I ran must have felt like hell for my players – they did flips through every hoop I raised for them. That doesn’t create drama or interest or intensity. It made for a drab, uninteresting trudge towards the next part of the story that ended with none of the NPCs making an impact on anyone, and everyone sort of staring at each other like “should we even keep doing this?” This game can get like that sometimes, and that’s fine when it’s only occasionally, but it can become a slippery slope if you let it slide even once.

The alternate, however, is also a problem. Building encounters and challenges and traps that are WAY above the skill level of your party is equally irritating, boring, and without merit. So I say again: READ THEIR CHARACTER SHEETS. I still haven’t done this for my party, because, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m BAD at this. That’s why I’m qualified to give advice. The title of this article should be: How I Wrote My Homebrew – Everything NOT to do When Creating a Campaign Setting.

That is not to say I’m going to stop, however. I’m really determined to keep trying at this, and I think that’s the main thing you need – perseverance. Or maybe blind stupidity and stubbornness. It’s some sort of amalgam of all of the above for me, I think. I’m not one to sing my own virtues, but that’s really what I have going for me in this process. I keep f***ing doing it. And I keep subjecting my players to my experimental dabblings. I’ve written, rewritten, double-rewritten, reverted, and tripled-back on this mess several dozen times now, and I’m going to keep doing that. For all the kvetching I’ve done in this article, it can actually be very fun.

I’ll stop droning on now and leave you with this final thought: buy a campaign module. It’s so much easier.

The post Musings on my Homebrew – How Not to Mess Up as Badly as I Have appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Co-Host Love Letter: Dustin

Abbie Lammel — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 17:00:37 +0000

Dustin and I have been friends for 7 years, and actually met when he hired me for my very first job out of college at the animal shelter where he did fundraising work. We worked in a big bullpen with a bunch of other animal loving dorks, where you can’t help but get to know your co-workers well and BAM! Instant friendship.

Dustin is a doer – he literally can never sit still or he gets seriously bummed out. This makes him one of the only people I know who matches my energy level and enthusiasm for going outside and trying new things, whether it be a road trip to some random point in the woods he found on Google Maps or a 40’s junkyard or a weird new bar or a food festival. Dustin is always game for an adventure – and I adore that about him.

We owe Dustin everything for this podcast, it is truly his accomplishment. He’s been the guy driving this car while the rest of us take turns either napping in the back or attempting to passenger seat drive (God D, sorry for the continued Dad metaphors they just keep coming to me). If we’re having fun, it’s because Dustin creates the environment for it. If we have success, it’s because Dustin planned this out so well. If we make it big someday, it’s because Dustin put in the work.

Dustin is a brilliant and practical man. He always does his research, is always learning and careful to make sure the path ahead is well plotted, all to guide his friends/coworkers/employees/players what have you through their trials with lots of hints and creative solutions without trying to restrict their choices. He’s also an incredibly sensitive, loving and whimsical sort of person. This makes him a naturally wonderful friend, mentor and DM – and I’m beyond lucky to be one of the people he takes such good care of.

The post Co-Host Love Letter: Dustin appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Menet’s Playlist – Book 2

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 18:00:44 +0000

The post Menet’s Playlist – Book 2 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Menet Serbana – Level 4

fantasticworldspod — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 18:00:07 +0000

Artists featured: yeez_art on instagram, animositi on instagram

Menet Serbanea

Player:Jessica Negin
Alignment: Lawful Good
Character Class: Paladin
Current Level: 4
Deity: Kehpri
Homeland: Osirion
Race: Human

Size: Medium
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Birthday: Abadius 20 4681 AR
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 170 lb
Hair: Black and Curly
Skin: Brown

Character Sheet:

Menet Serbanea – Level 2
Menet Serbanea – Level 3
Menet Serbanea – Level 4

Alignment Statement:

“At the end of the day, I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. If that makes me an outlaw, so be it. I’ve been called worse.” – Angela Parkhurst, Forget Me Not

“God made this money – the fresh air, too – for his children’s use. He never made the difference between poor and rich.” – Rebecca Harding Davis, Life in the Iron Mills and Other Stories

Values:

Freedom

Compassion

Adventure

Humility

Bonds:

Abraxas seems to be grappling with his wolfy curse more than usual. I hope to help him cope with his feelings, even though there is little I can do to properly help him.
Abraxas is conflicted about working with Baba Yaga, and I can understand why. I also have some trepidation considering that she is rumored to be evil. However, I believe that we can trust in the guidance of fate, and I hope to convince
Abraxas that no matter what happens, we will find the power to stop Baba Yaga from controlling us further when it’s all over.
Pippa and I have similar aims, I want to help her to reach her goals.
Pippa has a hunger for wealth, I want to dissuade her from pursuing coin as it is a corrupting force. I believe we should both be aiming to dismantle the system that requires it and creates such disparity between people based on earthly goods.
Odessa is sensitive under that hard outer shell, and I want to protect her from the things in the world that will cause her psychological or physical pain.
Hearing the words “my world kind of ended at 16” shocked and alarmed me. I couldn’t have guessed at what Odessa had been through. I knew it was nothing good from her emotional state, but to have everything so dramatically turned on its head… she must have endured a lot of pain. It has clearly contributed to her lack of self-worth. It will surely take time, but I want to help Odessa see her own value, and the value of living again.
~~Pippa and I have similar aims, I want to help her to reach her goals.~~– Retired
Pippa has a hunger for wealth, I want to dissuade her from pursuing coin as it is a corrupting force. I believe we should both be aiming to dismantle the system that requires it and creates such disparity between people based on earthly goods.– Retired
~~Odessa is sensitive under that hard outer shell, and I want to protect her from the things in the world that will cause her psychological or physical pain.~~ – Resolved
~~Odessa hides her feelings, I want to help her become comfortable being vulnerable, at least with her friends.~~– Resolved
~~Abraxas is unabashedly himself, and I never want him to feel that he needs to be otherwise. I want to protect his innocence and prevent him from becoming self-conscious in a world that will judge him.~~ -Resolved
Abraxas is knowledgeable about nature and traveling through wild areas, I want to learn how to be as helpful when traveling outside of cities (and without wagons and the relative comfort of the caravan). – Resolved
~~Abraxas’ knowledge of Irrisen will be invaluable in our journey. I should spend time comparing notes with him.~~ -Retired

The post Menet Serbana – Level 4 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Co-Host Love Letter: Dustin

Kay O'Connor — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 20:00:08 +0000

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Co-Host Love Letter Banner

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Co-Host Love Letter Banner

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So I get to kind of be the odd one out on some of these. I live up in Portland an everyone else lives in Northern California, so I don’t get to spend much time with them. I haven’t even met Angel or Jess in person, and it wasn’t until a couple months ago that I met Abbie. She and Dustin came up for my birthday ♡ but I have yet to get to hug Jess and Angel despite how much I’d love to. So for me, much or our friendships come from wonderful conversations and just getting to know each other through gameplay. So here we go my cast love letters:

Image of the word Dustin

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Dustin

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Image of the word Dustin

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Dustin

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Dustin. The mastermind behind all of this. Down to the original game, Dustin is who brought us all together. He’s been our DM in both games, and without him, we wouldn’t even be here. He is the guy that put together a PowerPoint and charts to convince us to do this. He’s the one who built the website and did the majority of the research. He is basically the backbone and brain that got us to this point. Anytime I have a question Dustin is the guy with the answer. We give him a hard time and call him Game Dad, but despite it not being his favorite thing, I hope he knows it’s out of love that he has been given such a title. Seriously, guys, you should hear the unedited recordings, it’s chaos. If it were up to Jess and I it would be bullshitting 24/7, spewing stories about our stupid cats, and talking about anime. Angel wouldn’t try to stop us, and Abbie would join in because she’s just as chaotic. Dustin is who keeps us organized and on track. It’s seriously like herding cats. I work in mental health with children, and I still can’t fathom how he does it.

Dustin is hands down the most generous guy I know. He drove up with Abbie for my birthday and gave me the BIGGEST bright pink rainbow cake I have ever seen from a vegan bakery because he loves me that much. I just can’t even with that. I still tell people about that, and it was months ago. He’s come up to see me in Portland several times and always makes a point of reaching out and just trying to be the best friend he can be. Which is just crazy to me because I can be such a grumpy butt. Honestly y’all it’s a miracle the group as a whole hasn’t thrown me to the wolves yet. Playing with Dustin is both wonderful and terrible. Being the DM means he creates an amazing world for us to run around in, but it also means he gets to try to kill us ALL THE TIME. I don’t even know how many times he’s dropped us below zero at this point, but it’s a lot. That being said, I can’t even imagine how many hours he spends putting all this stuff together. Not even just the time he spends planning the campaign itself, but also working on accents, putting together maps for roll20, figuring out how to fit our intricate backstories that we made into the adventure path. You guys don’t even want to know how much time he spends editing the podcast itself. Just, damn dude. I remember the first time I met Dustin. I had just gotten together with my partner Shannon and we pulled into a gas station in Chico, CA. There was Dustin in his mini cooper getting gas. Shannon introduced me and he hugged me super hard and lifted me off my feet. It was probably the warmest introduction I’ve ever gotten from anyone. He’s got such a good heart and I’m proud to call him my friend. ♡

The post Co-Host Love Letter: Dustin appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Co-Host Love Letter: Jess

Kay O'Connor — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 01:30:33 +0000

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Jess is the player I strive to be one day. She is almost always the one that calls out the mistakes if there is one, even if it’s her own, and just totally owns it. I recently listened back from the beginning to where we are now, and let me tell you how big of a difference it has made to have Jess in the game with us. She adds an element I didn’t know we needed, and then BAM there she was, and she was everything. We interviewed a few people to bring on as an additional player when we realized we were going to need the help. She was the one, no contest. I remember Dustin and I doing the interview and Abbie came in late. We were worried that whoever we chose would be drowned out by how obnoxious Abbie and I can be, but girl held her own. She wasn’t even phased and has just been an absolute joy to play with.

We all had to get to know Jess and figure her out mainly through gameplay, but as some people know I aggressively friend people, so I made a goal to befriend our resident hermit (Jess). I can only hope that she knows that we are friends now and she doesn’t really get a choice in the matter (sorry not sorry Jess). I hope in the very near future I will get a chance to see her in person and make up for the months of hugs that she has missed out on.

Don’t even get me started on Menet. If Menet miraculously jumped out of a portal into our world, I would drop everything and hop into her big strong arms never to be seen again. Menet is the kind of character that is made of so many layers, and I’m always ecstatic when we find out something new. Jess picked the perfect voice for her, and it’s all just so fabulous. I basically play constantly swooning over Menet. It’s fine.

One of my favorite things about Jess is that when we are playing, I can almost always rely on her to laugh at the same dumb stuff that I do. Sometimes we will be playing, and I’m stifling laughter and I look up, and Jess is too, which then turns into both of us bursting out laughing because we have not an ounce of self-control between the two of us. She is such a blessing, and I am so glad I have someone to talk to about magical girls and gay trash.

I don’t even know what I did before she joined us. Nothing nearly as funny, that’s what. ♡

The post Co-Host Love Letter: Jess appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

#worldstraveler Giveaway

Dustin Alexander — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 01:08:46 +0000

The post #worldstraveler Giveaway appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Co-Host Love Letter: Angel

Kay O'Connor — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 16:46:16 +0000

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Angel is probably one of the most adultiest adults I know. He has his life so together, and just.. dude what is that even like? How does one get to that point? Who knows? Apparently, Angel does though. He is also probably one of the most thoughtful adults I know as well. It’s just a bunch of small things that compound into something so much greater over time. I had a death in the family recently and he sent up a card, which is one of my favorite things. I love getting mail and I wish that was a medium of communication that wasn’t slowly dying, so it touched my heart perhaps a bit more than others. The small things he does in game where he takes care of everyone isn’t unique to Abraxas, but is just a part of who Angel is.

He is just an encyclopedia of pathfinder knowledge. When I was trying to figure out how to make Jim a reality, he sat down and researched how we could make him. He sent me a huge rundown of options and explained how they worked and which one he thought would be best. Then presented me with all the information so I could make an educated decision all on my own. So you guys can thank Angel for Jim just FYI because I don’t know if I would have figured out his mechanics without him.

Something funny that I don’t think I’ve ever expressed to anyone in the group was that I didn’t actually know Angel was gay for probably at least the first few months of us playing our original campaign that started this whole endeavor. I seriously had no idea. He broke my gaydar which I normally take a lot of pride in. I of course blame this entirely on never having met him in person and relying entirely on just his face and voice on roll20 about twice a month for those first few months. Primarily because I’m too proud to admit that I was not gay enough to notice.

I don’t think I have to say it, because listening in I’m sure you all know, he’s also just a joy to play with. He adds such a unique element to the story and Abraxas’ voice is just too perfect. I also applaud him on taking story driven feats, it’s made Abraxas feel so much more real, and I love that so much.

In short, Angel is amazing. You all should be huge fans of his because in and out of game I cherish him and I hope he knows that ♡

The post Co-Host Love Letter: Angel appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Co-Host Love Letter: Abbie

Kay O'Connor — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 17:00:21 +0000

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Abbie is my level 2 girl crush (if you need a reference to this link: here). She is such a majestic human, and I spend probably too much time and resources trying to get her to move to Portland, just so I can bother her constantly.¹ That is what it’s like to be my friend ladies and gentlemen. I am extra. When Abbie was up here for my birthday this year she was like existing next to a ray of sunshine. She is so thoughtful, kind, and just so snuggly and cuddly.² It was such a wonderful gift just having her up here. It was so much fun hanging out with her and Dustin, and the memories are some I will cherish forever.

Kay and Abbie

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Kay and Abbie

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Abbie’s ability to just shift into her character for this campaign is kind of awe-inspiring. Pippa’s sweet little southern accent and just general demeanor are so perfect, and I hope she survives forever (despite the fact that I have a huge crush on her back up character who is also incredible). Playing with Abbie is so easy. She goes with the flow so well and is a force to be reckoned with. She is really the one that keeps us all grounded and sane. I am like existing next to an emotional and mental tornado; my life is a crazy hectic mess, and I’m pretty much always drowning in it. Sometimes that means I’m a grumpy humbug jerk, but Abbie has this way of just making everything better. It’s both amazing and super annoying because sometimes I just want to stay mad damnit.

I remember when I first met Abbie via roll20 and her little face popped up I was super intimidated. She was just SO confident and pretty and generally amazing. I was just kind of always in awe of her. It slowly wore off over time, and now I feel like my confidence can compete with hers at least a little bit.

Abbie is also one of the few people I’ve met who cares about books as much as I do.³ When I took her and Dustin to Powell’s Books here in Portland just watching her face light up in wonder was in my top 5 favorite parts of the weekend. She, of course, left with an armload of books and took all of my recommendations very seriously.⁴

To wrap this up because I’ll just keep gushing over how amazing Abbie is, I will just say that I hope she knows I’m never going to stop trying to get her to move closer. I’ll find the right bait eventually ♡

P.S. I don’t know why I decided to use footnotes, maybe because of all the papers I’ve had to write this term
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
1 Portland is better than Chico Abbie, just move up here already.
2 These are important perquisites to be my friend.
3 It’s a lot.
4 As she should I give great book recommendations.

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Menet’s Playlist – Book 1

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 18:00:43 +0000

The post Menet’s Playlist – Book 1 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Menet’s Tattoos

fantasticworldspod — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 19:15:58 +0000

Fantastic friends, it’s time for us to learn about something I’ve neglected to spend any time describing: Menet’s tattoos. She is half Varisian as you (hopefully) know, and one key marker of Varisian folks is that they often have tattoos, and quite a few. Some are even born with the rare “birth tattoo” which was technically the first tattoo Menet ever received. She didn’t know about this phenomenon until she was 16 however, and so was always told by her family that she was simply marked by Khepri. She often chalked the eerily detailed scarab tattoo on her right arm up to chance – and considered it a weird birthmark. She still doesn’t believe it means much of anything, and thinks it’s just a marker of her Varisian heritage, more than anything. The intricacy of the scarab tattoo comes from its many whorls and designs contained within. It is not a lifelike representation of the beetle, but instead looks like an artistic rendition.

Now, on to the other tattoos! I believe I’ve mentioned in the campaign that she has two facial tattoos, but I’m not 100% sure of that. Either way, we’re going to talk about it now. Menet’s tattoo style is “whatever looks nice.” That doesn’t mean none of her tattoos have any significance, it just means that some are simply there for aesthetics. Hence, her first facial tattoo, which she got at the age of 16 to mark the start of her journey away from home. It is a half-inch wide blue line that extends from one ear to the other, going over the bridge of her nose. She got this tattoo in particular because she saw a Varisian harrower with several lines across her face, and thought it looked beautiful.

The second tattoo she got on her face (not long after the first) was more symbolic. She started to feel homesick upon leaving Osirion, and so she got a simple shen ring in the center of her forehead, about an inch above her eyebrows. It is the same shade of blue as the line mainly because she wanted to match, but also because the color blue represents health, youth, and beauty. This may seem strange considering Menet’s apparent lack of vanity, but she sees beauty as a part of life, and celebrates it as a part of herself because there is no reason to deny it.

The third tattoo she got was on her left arm, in the same location as her birth tattoo on the other arm. She wanted to balance the scarab, and further represent her culture and homeland. Continuing the theme she started with her shen circle (which represents all that the sun circles in Osirion), she decided to get a tattoo of a phoenix (benu), which also represents the sun. It matches the tone of her birth tattoo, however her birth tattoo has always maintained a slight lustre and sheen in its blackness that her other tattoo simply cannot. She considers all of these symbols of her dedication to Khepri as he is linked to the rising sun and to Ra.

The final tattoo she has is a rather large, detailed piece that she has been slowly building on. It is across her shoulders and extends to the middle of her back, and contains as many colors as possible, representing various things to her fellow Varisians. It includes orange, pink, green, blue, turquoise, violet, and red. It is a stylized wagon wheel (think Roma Chakra) surrounded by flowers and whorls to make it more aesthetically pleasing. She has had various flowers added over time, most notably, hyacinthe winding through the spokes.

And those are all of Menet’s tattoos! I thought about using some image references between the text, but at the same time, I think it’s fun to let you all imagine these tattoos as you like. So for those of you who prefer to imagine it yourself, I’ll leave it up to your imagination.

Here are some links for those of you who’d like to see what I was looking at for reference:

https://goo.gl/images/i76rrw

https://goo.gl/images/ARVsFc

https://goo.gl/images/MsxVWY

https://goo.gl/images/BRysUU

https://goo.gl/images/Ag771Y

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Why Ready Player One the Movie was a Failure in my Eyes

Kay O'Connor — Sat, 24 Nov 2018 05:00:25 +0000

Strong female characters are such a huge influence to me and the world I see rising up around me. The representation is so inspiring. Working in a bookstore for years and having customers ask for recommendations from my male coworkers because my own “probably aren’t up to their standards” cuts me down.

Being the women trying to fit into a culture where women get pushed aside or criticized for menial things such as not being a true fan of something, or not belonging is actively hurtful. So that representation helps bring me back up again.

But straight white women are not the only people who deserve that honor.

Ready Player One was a book shone light on what it’s like to be a queer woman of color. H struggled with being accepted to the point where she decided to make a male avatar to help improve the ease of access to basic social rights, such as equal pay and respect, as well as just being more widely accepted. In the movie, this was completely removed.

The pivotal scene with Wade and H meeting for the first time was cut and briefly replaced with a cheap knockoff with Art3mis and H. The reason this scene was important is that it gave H the stage to express why she had disguised herself online and give a stage for an important dialogue.

Other characters were robbed of their chance to make a stance as well. In the book, Shoto and Dijo were inseparable and both struggled with extreme depression that kept them locked in their rooms. In Japan, this is referred to as a Hikkiomori. They are people who rarely, if ever, leave their room due to overwhelming anxiety or a variety of other mental health obstacles. This was also completely removed from the movie. Instead, they made them background characters who shared no connection with no story given to them whatsoever.

My final complaint is with the casting for the movie, which clearly left something to be desired. Almost every character was described in the book as being a little chubby, slightly overweight, or having blemished skin. The classical image of someone who you would think spent most of their time playing a video game, or even just the more typical teenager. The actors that they chose were thin and flawless, aside from the strawberry birthmark that they left on Art3mis. This perpetuates the idea that people need to strive to attain the standard image of beauty and stole away the spotlight for those people who honestly look more like the average human.

The positive feedback I’ve heard is how they made Art3mis a stronger character which made Wade seem less gross in his unyielding attempt to date her. For me this wasn’t about lifting Art3mis up, it was about cleaning up the “white knight” gamer guy who had consent issues. Wade was written as being problematic because he was problematic. But the movie wiped him clean of all his issues, and in doing so stole the foundation of the marginalized communities that the book actually addressed.

The post Why Ready Player One the Movie was a Failure in my Eyes appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Mixed Review: The Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series by Laurell K. Hamilton

Abbie Lammel — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 18:32:12 +0000

I got into this series while I was in high school (around 15ish) after it was recommended to me by the boy I was dating at the time. He was 16, dyed his hair black, smoked, wore skinny jeans, had a lip ring and told me he had to get electroshock therapy every Monday to manage his schizophrenia or something like that – all of which I thought officially made him the coolest person who could possibly exist. Alas, my relationship with this edgy punk lasted only three weeks – but it started me down the path of a much longer but no less turbulent relationship with Anita Blake.

The first 9 books of this series are something truly amazing, especially for a girl in high school who liked scary monsters and mysteries but was lacking a female window into those genres. Anita was tough as nails, no-nonsense, sarcastic and broken in a way that seemed revolutionary to me. These kinds of female characters seem a dime a dozen now, but I give LKH a lot of credit for helping to trailblaze the woman led smart, sexy, supernatural horror thriller novel. This first part of the Anita Blake series and it’s particular brand of feminism is a product of its time (the first book came out in 1993) and has more than a few themes that are problematic in light of how much cultural attitudes towards white 90’s feminism has shifted – but it was still a story I desperately needed and in some ways still do.

With her Browning, penguin stuffed animals, sassy coffee mugs and the ability to reanimate the dead Anita spends 9 books facing down a terrifying and wildly entertaining cast of zombies, vampires, shapeshifters, voodoo priests, evil circus performers and every other horror staple you can think of. She has a classic torrid love triangle with a hot werewolf and an equally hot vampire – both of whom are well fleshed out characters in their own right, with their own struggles and needs that often conflict with Anita’s. Her relationship with Edward, a fellow monster hunter, is still one of my favorite slow burn literary friendships to this day and the book that really expands on the development of that friendship, Obsidian Butterfly, is my favorite novel in the series.

Unfortunately, Obsidian Butterfly also marks the endpoint of the true Anita Blake series for me. In some ways I think that’s because there was no real way to top the stakes (Anita and Edward hunt a vampire so ancient she may actually be an Aztec goddess to save a child), but I think it marked such a huge change in LKH’s personal life that she started taking the series in a direction that is much more supernatural romance than horror thriller. That in and of itself doesn’t really bother me, it’s her series and if she’s in a happier romantic place herself then more power to her.

What bothers me is that outside of Anita’s romantic relationships and explorations of polyamory – some well written with great thoughtfulness (Nathaniel, Jean-Claude) some not so much (ugh Asher) – there really isn’t much story post-OB. The monster hunts, the murder mysteries, the explorations of Anita and her complex relationship with her own growing powers and dark past actions are still lightly touched on but all in all, will take up maybe 100 pages of a 500-page novel.

The rest will be spent on ever more elaborate sex scenes (which sounds titillating and is at first but you’d be surprised how fast that gets old), relationship negotiation and Anita’s strange growing dislike of other women and their strange immediate dislike of her (usually because of their uncontrollable jealousy of her many hot boyfriends). It varies from mildly interesting to eye rollingly cringy. And towards the end, almost as an afterthought, the book will wrap up the monster murder mystery in a few rushed pages and an epilogue.

And yet…I keep reading them. Every once in awhile LKH writes an entry in this series that reminds me of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter I loved so much in high school (hello Affliction, you gave me such hope). Heavy on the action with a well explored, very creepy monster and 1-2 pretty hot sex scenes = ideal Anita Blake.

So I let LKH keep stringing me along because when she’s on her game it’s too good not to read. I’ll leave you with some final thoughts: I miss Ronnie, Olaf needs to die in a fire, Serpentine is completely skippable, and it’s been 14 books but Micah is STILL boring.

End of rant. If you’re also in a bad relationship with this series, hit me up! We have some things to discuss.

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Menet Serbana – Level 3

Dustin Alexander — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 19:00:48 +0000

Menet Serbanea

Player: Jessica Negin
Alignment: Lawful Good
Character Class: Palad
Current Level: 2
Deity: Kehpri
Homeland: Osirion
Race: Human

Size: Medium
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Birthday: Abadius 20 4681 AR
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 170 lb
Hair: Black and Curly
Skin: Brown

Character Sheet:

Menet Serbanea – Level 2
Menet Serbanea – Level 3

Alignment Statement:

“At the end of the day, I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. If that makes me an outlaw, so be it. I’ve been called worse.” – Angela Parkhurst, Forget Me Not

“God made this money – the fresh air, too – for his children’s use. He never made the difference between poor and rich.” – Rebecca Harding Davis, Life in the Iron Mills and Other Stories

Values:

Freedom

Compassion

Adventure

Humility

Bonds:

Pippa and I have similar aims, I want to help her to reach her goals.
Pippa has a hunger for wealth, I want to dissuade her from pursuing coin as it is a corrupting force. I believe we should both be aiming to dismantle the system that requires it and creates such disparity between people based on earthly goods.
Odessa is sensitive under that hard outer shell, and I want to protect her from the things in the world that will cause her psychological or physical pain.
Odessa hides her feelings, I want to help her become comfortable being vulnerable, at least with her friends.
Abraxas is unabashedly himself, and I never want him to feel that he needs to be otherwise. I want to protect his innocence and prevent him from becoming self-conscious in a world that will judge him.
Abraxas is knowledgeable about nature and traveling through wild areas, I want to learn how to be as helpful when traveling outside of cities (and without wagons and the relative comfort of the caravan). – Resolved
Abraxas’ knowledge of Irrisen will be invaluable in our journey. I should spend time comparing notes with him.

The post Menet Serbana – Level 3 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Taking time to find the right fit. Creating Menet.

Dustin Alexander — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 12:58:21 +0000

When I began creating characters for the podcast, I ran into several stumbling blocks. First, I created a Paladin who was, unbeknownst to me, remarkably similar to one on another actual play podcast. That was obviously out, and I had to say goodbye to a beautiful, sweet boy that I’d fallen in love with (RIP Keanu).

Then I started getting some pretty crazy ideas about a Cleric of an Outer God or a chaotic neutral Cleric of Nethys/Calistria/Naderi. All of that sounded really fun, but difficult to maintain. I became particularly obsessed with a Cleric of Yog-Sothoth I had written up, and had to come to terms with the fact that she was definitely not playable long-term. As for the others, I’ve played nothing but chaotic neutral sorcerers since the start of my Pathfinder tenure, so playing another CN caster felt too easy. They’ve been badass and very fun to play, sure, but I wasn’t stretching my legs at all. Though there are definitely many more avenues I would like to explore with such characters, but that’s best left for a different post.

Ultimately, after toying with a Paladin of Arshea (very fun), and a Paladin of Yuelral (a bit less fun), Dustin suggested the god Khepri to me. I wasn’t feeling a strong connection to any of my Paladins (even if the Paladin of Arshea seemed fun), so I wasn’t sure how I would feel trying to create yet another one. It became apparent immediately, however, that this was the one. Her backstory practically wrote itself.

A suave, Robin Hood-esque, freedom-fighting, half-Varisian, half-Garundi Paladin of the people sounded exactly like the character I wanted to play. I loved her, and I loved imagining how I would play her. She’s sexy, she’s laid back, she’s good-natured, she’s dashing, she’s fun, and she’s out of her damn mind. She’s a patchwork of ideas and archetypes that usually don’t fit inside the mold of a Paladin, but I think she’s perfect. We’ll see how she develops together, and I’m excited to take that journey with you!

The post Taking time to find the right fit. Creating Menet. appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Menet Serbana – Level 2

Dustin Alexander — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 06:59:56 +0000

Menet Serbanea

Player: Jessica Negin
Alignment: Lawful Good
Character Class: Paladin
Current Level: 2
Deity: Kehpri
Homeland: Osirion
Race: Human

Size: Medium
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Birthday: Abadius 20 4681 AR
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 170 lb
Hair: Black and Curly
Skin: Brown

Character Sheet:

Menet Serbanea – Level 2

Alignment Statement:

“At the end of the day, I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. If that makes me an outlaw, so be it. I’ve been called worse.” – Angela Parkhurst, Forget Me Not

“God made this money – the fresh air, too – for his children’s use. He never made the difference between poor and rich.” – Rebecca Harding Davis, Life in the Iron Mills and Other Stories

Values:

Freedom

Compassion

Adventure

Humility

Bonds:

Pippa and I have similar aims, I want to help her to reach her goals.
Pippa has a hunger for wealth, I want to dissuade her from pursuing coin as it is a corrupting force. I believe we should both be aiming to dismantle the system that requires it and creates such disparity between people based on earthly goods.
Odessa is sensitive under that hard outer shell, and I want to protect her from the things in the world that will cause her psychological or physical pain.
Odessa hides her feelings, I want to help her become comfortable being vulnerable, at least with her friends.
Abraxas is unabashedly himself, and I never want him to feel that he needs to be otherwise. I want to protect his innocence and prevent him from becoming self-conscious in a world that will judge him.
Abraxas is knowledgeable about nature and traveling through wild areas, I want to learn how to be as helpful when traveling outside of cities (and without wagons and the relative comfort of the caravan).

The post Menet Serbana – Level 2 appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Why I Game – Jess Negin

Dustin Alexander — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 06:27:36 +0000

I grew up in a household wherein gaming was a near daily occurrence. My mom had my sister and I playing Settlers of Catan as early as 2000 when I was just 8 years old. I’ve been obsessed with board games ever since, and the same goes for video games.

Naturally, I was always fascinated by the idea of tabletop roleplaying games, but I didn’t have the chance to play until 2009. That’s when I started my first Pathfinder campaign, and I was immediately hooked. The thrill of our group’s struggles, our failures, and our victories was addictive. I obsessed over my character’s stats and backstory, I roleplayed my little heart out, and from then on, there was no going back. I went on to play the same character type for every campaign after that – basically a heightened version of myself with badass magic powers – and as a teenager, it was the most thrilling form of self-expression I had at my disposal.

Since then, I’ve grown up quite a bit and found a new appreciation for gaming as a means of telling a story as a group, solving puzzles together, and getting to know people better. However, there is still a small part of me that simply enjoys that self-expression. At the heart of it, these games are a creative endeavor undertaken by a group of individuals who all want to articulate something. What we create together can be altogether different from what we set out to create as individuals, and that’s what makes it so special. That’s why I game.

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I never wanted to be a DM: Confessions of a new Dungeon Master

Dustin Alexander — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 05:43:25 +0000

I never ever wanted to be a Dungeon Master, I have been playing for decades at this point, but it never interested me. In part because I thought I lacked the creativity to pull it off. Additionally I thought the people for whom I have historically played with would tear me alive and that freaked me out.

Then a few years ago I was really starting to struggle with character creation. Nothing seemed exciting, I would create a character and have ZERO desire to build a backstory or develop their background. What was the point? I even started to wonder if maybe it was time to stop playing. To find some new hobby that might capture my interest once again.

Then I ran across the podcast Friends at the Table. The first episodes had poor audio quality, but I stuck with it, and was glad I did. Little did I know I would listen to a incredible world and cast of character be created in front of my very eyes.

It was a game rich in team development. A bard was not just a Bard with a spell list, he was a Bard who would explain how and why his spell worked. He was not merely a storyteller, he was a member of a group that collected and archived information across the world. The fighter came from a land where she would eventually have to choose between her people and her friends. A Paladin was not just a protector of his god, but possibly just used as tool by his god. Zombie pirates were not undead evil creatures, they were nearly immortal beings at a stage in the life cycle. These beings pillaged to bring supplies to their city. The world was not just there to exist enough to live in, it was given life by its characters and the imaginations of the players. The DMs job was to weave it all together into a rich tapestry of a game. For the first time I was excited to play again.

I immediately bought the book and showed it to my gaming friends, hopeful I could convince them to give it a try, they were all interested, but I could quickly tell their enthusiasm was not quite where I was or what was needed to build a world.

So it was at that point, for the first time ever, I realized it was time to take matters into my own hands. I had to find another group people that were as excited about building a world as I was. Almost all the people who are in this podcast now were the members of that original group. Quickly my concerns about my lack of creativity and my shaky confidence began to improve.

I will admit, at first I borrowed heavily from Friends at the Table, but it did not take long with everyone’s involvement in the creation of that world to slowly become something different. It also helped to have an amazing group just as excited about the land of Locke and the City of San Madque as I was. Before I knew it I was having discussions with the players about their characters round the clock. They didn’t just create a backstory they created entire cultures and pantheons, or in some cases, destroyed gods.

Just a few days into being a Dungeon Master for an intrepid group of friends and I found a fire I thought had been long extinguished. It found its way because of a desire to tell stories first and focus on the math second. To use our surroundings and go on Fantastic Adventures and to create new and interesting stories.

Some may wonder why we switched from Dungeon World a place where you can build unlimited worlds to that of Pathfinder game. For me it was one of curiosity, what if we put story first and math second in a Pathfinder game. I love the Dungeon World, but a part of me craved a little more guidance and Adventure Paths allow us to focus on character development and put them in an active outline of a story. We still get to put characters first, we still get to develop a world rich in history in our own way. We can take the guidance provided and make it our own. That excited me.

Whether or not we do it well? My dear reader I will leave that decision up to you.

The post I never wanted to be a DM: Confessions of a new Dungeon Master appeared first on Fantastic Worlds Productions.

Why I Game – Angel Espinoza

Angel Espinoza — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:18:33 +0000

I was all about Saturday morning cartoons. Regardless of what time I went to bed the night before, I would start my weekend ritual at the crack of dawn in order catch the first show of my line up. There was no doubt in my mind: I would grow to be a cartoonist. I am currently employed as an Instructional Designer for a state agency. Not exactly in the animation business but my PowerPoint presentations are gorgeous. My Saturday line up no longer consist of Snorks, Muppet Babies, The Littles, Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Punk Brewser, Dungeons & Dragons, or Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. However, I still can recall that feeling of being part of an adventure, unraveling mysteries and foiling the villain. Those feelings still hold sway as I read a book, follow a favorite show, or on opening day of a long anticipated movie.

My mom would have never allowed a player’s handbook in the house when I was a child so I suppose it was good that I was introduced to the epic world of pen and paper RPGs in college. My first character was a lawful evil cleric of Vecna. I had the time of my life. Hanging out with a weird group of nerds that became my closest friends drinking heavily, staying up for 72 hours straight, and strategically casting blade barrier. Each new game gave me the opportunity to create a story for my characters. I was not an animator but I painted and breathed life into my creations.

Why do I game you ask? Why do you paint? Why do I host a weekly board game night? Why do you sail? It is FUN! Do you think reading is amazing? Try collaborative storytelling. Do you enjoy watching Supernatural? Roll yourself a fighter/rogue, romance it up with a cute Planetar, and fight evil alongside your tiefling brother.

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Why I Game – Abigail Lammel

Abbie Lammel — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 19:43:32 +0000

Short answer: I’ve always been a daydreamer. I’m a sucker for drama. And dragons. And aliens.

Longer answer: Sometimes functioning in the “real world” is an exhausting blur of work, bills, dentist appointments, and other mundane tasks or obligations. Roleplaying games let me disappear into a different place and become a different person for a few hours. It doesn’t hurt that this person is often exceptionally magical with fantastical problems.

When I was in college these games would last for several hours – sometimes all night long. As I’ve grown up we had to slow it waaaaaaay down but I still make sure I always cut a little time out of my week to game. It’s imaginative, fun, and something that you and your friends get to create together. Gaming is a way of connecting us to our inner child. It always brings up fond memories of playing pretend with my sister when we were growing up. Playing games that lasted for hours and devolved into long arguments about what a witch could actually “realistically” do.

And let’s face it – the real reason is that it’s damn cathartic having the option to light your enemies on fire instead of making nice with them at parties. Amirite?

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Why I Game – Kailey O’Connor

fantasticworldspod — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 03:59:37 +0000

There’s something magical about slipping out of your skin and into another. Allowing your surroundings to slip away as you submerge yourself in a place far far away. The homework, the chores, and the stress of the day fade away like dust motes in the air as you draw your sword, pick up your ax, or prepare your spells and become engulfed in the ethereal landscape of your imagination.

I grew up chasing my imagination. Whether it was picking up a controller to play Zelda, opening a book to get lost in the pages, or just staring off into space daydreaming. I spent as much time as I could in running through the creations of amazing minds and seeing through the eyes of other people. I was fascinated with overcoming the impossible and making magic a part of everyday life.

Eventually, I wrote my own stories and drew my own pictures. Creating worlds made of colorful stardust, brilliant flower-strewn fields, and towering trees filled with light. I basically consumed and produced anything I could get my hands on that connected me to these impossible fantasy realms. When RPGs finally hit my radar it was like finding a piece of my soul that had been missing all along. This culture that let me do pretty much anything as long as it fell within the parameters of the world that’s been built.

I’ve traveled our own globe, our own pretty blue and green marble that floats through space. I’ve been across Europe, roamed Asia, and sailed through the Caribbean, but it pails in comparison to the worlds I’ve seen built. Lands built from ruin, cities where people never die, realms that run on clockwork hearts, and of course the occasional dungeon riddled with monsters trying to devour me whole. All still impossibly beautiful places created by incredibly creative people.

This is why I game.

I game because it gives me the opportunity to share these adventures, ideas, and personas with other people and in turn, I get to take part in theirs as well. Like peeking behind the curtain of someone’s facade to see the vast landscape of their mind. The magnificence of seeing what they’ve built and their appreciation of your own creation.

I game because It creates a sense of community and closeness with the people around me. Acquaintances have become close friends after we’ve bonded over our love of RPGs. People I probably never would have met otherwise have become staples in my life.

I game because of the moments that are so impossibly ridiculous that it could only ever happen in an RPG. I game because of the confidence it gives me and the confidence I see in the faces around the table. I game because it lets me escape my self-imposed monotony. I game because I love who I am when I’m playing. I game because of the laughter, the love, and the heartbreak.

All of this and more is why you should game too…

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Why I Game – Dustin Alexander

Dustin Alexander — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 02:52:38 +0000

I will be forever grateful for the friends and family I have in my life. They are what keep me from going down the dark alley of depression, despair and bitterness which someone of my size can often find themselves falling into.

They really don’t know how big of an impact they make, and I don’t think I am great at telling them. But it is because of them that I want to succeed despite the what sometimes seems like insurmountable odds.

I am a flawed individual and if left to my own devices could succumb to my own indulgences. But I don’t. I constantly strive to improve, to be a better person, to take the high road, and to help those around me. Those are lessons I learned from the company I keep. Unbeknownst to them, they are constantly pushing me to do better and to pay it forward.

It is this some of these friends that you will be listening to each week, one who inspired me to finish my degree when I would have otherwise given up, one to be a friend when I was lonely and alone my first year of college, and one to constantly be a sounding board and geeky friend even though she lives 12 hours away.

I try to always be there for them because they have made me a better person in one way or another. They have trusted and loved me when I have not always loved myself, even when I felt I was at my worst or lowest point. It is because of that I will always try my best to be there for them when they need me. They have done more for me then they will ever realize.

Games are a way to bring my favorite people together and enjoy their company. It is a time I get to encourage them as much as they encourage me. It’s to challenge and compete and have fun and forget the things in our lives that may not be going as well.

Everytime I am lucky enough have a group of friends together I just like to take a step and try to capture the moment as best as possible. I realize that things can not get much better than this.

Games are fun, they inspire, teach strategy, create competition and camaraderie-ship, but best of all, they bring friends together. Some of my best memories are with friends or family playing games.

The Fantastic Worlds Podcast was built on the idea of having a group of friends come together and play a game. For me, the Fantastic Worlds Podcast is a chance to see the smiling faces of some of my favorite people each week. That is why I do this and this is why I love to play games.

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Subscribe to Fantastic Worlds Podcast

Dustin Alexander — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 05:17:22 +0000

Subscribe (Please note Itunes/Apple Podcasts has the greatest impact, but all help!):

Thank you for supporting the Fantastic Worlds Podcast. Below are several ways to listen to us! Please remember to also rate and review us on iTunes, Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

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