Anyone can find a reason to hate if they try hard enough. Also, I thought I had annoyed you a whole lot in the past for some reason.
I am the DM, and I'm running the Fireball chapter of Dragon Heist. It seems simple enough: let the players (gp) around for however long they want, and when they eventually get a clue, lead them to the dungeon.
I’m pretty sure you killed Xi through a misunderstanding that was probably my fault, I was a [gp] back then tho so I’ll let it slide
oh fun, Sel and I are doing an experiment together where we run the same campaign with a group of high schoolers and a group of middle schoolers respectively and see the differences. It’s far from scientific, but it’s fun
Ah, understandable. I'm grateful you've forgiven me. I used to be a bit more of a jerk, so it might have been equally my fault too.
That's actually awesome and I love it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity. Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level. When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy. Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering. Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare? Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy. Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic. This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight. Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria. It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts. And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor. Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards. Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes. A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight. The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists. The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes. What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
I love this. And I'm glad it is set in Texas.
For the MIB, I might have to make a Lizardman. I also think it would be funny if the President that they work for is the immortal corpse of one of the old Presidents like Lincoln or Washington. I don't know if that would fit though. I'm just imagining a lizard man MIB blasting up monsters under orders from Lincoln, 'for the United States of America!'
A few questions: What exactly are Dark Artes? Are they Dnd spells, or abilities we make up? Am I right in looking at this as very similar to JJK? Do both humans and wards use Wards? For a human character, would it make sense for them to dress up strange and develop a reputation as a crackpot so that people associate him with the supernatural and fear it less? Can one fear result in the manifestation of several Nightmares? For example, could there be several spider monsters that come from arachnophobia, or is there one ultimate spider monster that is the fear of spiders?
Sorry that's a lot of questions, but this looks awesome.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity. Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level. When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy. Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering. Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare? Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy. Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic. This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight. Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria. It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts. And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor. Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards. Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes. A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight. The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists. The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes. What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
That. Is epic.
Dang, missed this. Thank you very much, fellow anime enthusiast! What were your favorite parts?
All of it really. It has so many possibilities for characters, and that’s something I love in threads.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Yo, I'm Himy (He/him) not as active as I use to be, but I'm here from time to time. I don't got much else to say.
"From the stars of the inner sea, from the tower of insight, from the four corners of paradise, let them know; their story is filled with blessings. Only those free of sin may pass... Garden of Avalon!”
”The elements coalesce, amalgamate, and bring forth the star that interweaves all creation. Bow down with death! Enuma Elish!”
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity.Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level.When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy.Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering.Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare?Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy.Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic.This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight.Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria.It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts.And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor.Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards.Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes.A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight.The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists.The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes.What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
There is so much here, I don’t even know what to say besides that I love it. So much.
Thank you, Good Friend Friendly Archfey. When you are able to formulate your words, I'd like a more specific description of what you love so I can make it more lovably lovely for my loves.
This looks incredible, if you’re planning to make this into a thread anytime soon, please count me in!
I think you missed this as well lol, absolutely no worries, my favourite part personally is more the concept of nightmarish, folklore characters interacting with humans in an urban setting. And unique powers. Gotta love unique powers (I think I’ve said something similar in response to one of your concepts before!)
Yeah, I also missed this, heh. Thank you for pulling it up for me!
This is actually an evolution of that concept, made into a thread. It's my current concept for my manga!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity.Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level.When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy.Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering.Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare?Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy.Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic.This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight.Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria.It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts.And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor.Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards.Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes.A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight.The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists.The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes.What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
There is so much here, I don’t even know what to say besides that I love it. So much.
Thank you, Good Friend Friendly Archfey. When you are able to formulate your words, I'd like a more specific description of what you love so I can make it more lovably lovely for my loves.
Ooookay, so first off, it is folk horror, which is simply the coolest thing, and secondly… it’s so well thought out, and it like, adapts all of the ideas I love from horror genres in general and makes it so organized and easy to understand.
One thing that I don’t think you mentioned, is there a CR limit on nightmares? I know you said level 20 for humans, so I assume as long as it’s reasonable it’s fine (and it likely won’t come up much considering it’s a roleplay thread mainly) I was just curious because I wanted to know if you had any specific rules on it.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity.Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level.When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy.Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering.Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare?Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy.Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic.This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight.Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria.It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts.And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor.Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards.Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes.A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight.The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists.The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes.What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
There is so much here, I don’t even know what to say besides that I love it. So much.
Thank you, Good Friend Friendly Archfey. When you are able to formulate your words, I'd like a more specific description of what you love so I can make it more lovably lovely for my loves.
This looks incredible, if you’re planning to make this into a thread anytime soon, please count me in!
I think you missed this as well lol, absolutely no worries, my favourite part personally is more the concept of nightmarish, folklore characters interacting with humans in an urban setting. And unique powers. Gotta love unique powers (I think I’ve said something similar in response to one of your concepts before!)
Yeah, I also missed this, heh. Thank you for pulling it up for me!
This is actually an evolution of that concept, made into a thread. It's my current concept for my manga!
No problem! Also I thought it might be a progression of that idea since it’s very similar, I’d love to take part whenever the thread is made and would also love to check out your manga if it’s public lol
Anyone can find a reason to hate if they try hard enough. Also, I thought I had annoyed you a whole lot in the past for some reason.
I am the DM, and I'm running the Fireball chapter of Dragon Heist. It seems simple enough: let the players (gp) around for however long they want, and when they eventually get a clue, lead them to the dungeon.
I’m pretty sure you killed Xi through a misunderstanding that was probably my fault, I was a [gp] back then tho so I’ll let it slide
oh fun, Sel and I are doing an experiment together where we run the same campaign with a group of high schoolers and a group of middle schoolers respectively and see the differences. It’s far from scientific, but it’s fun
Ah, understandable. I'm grateful you've forgiven me. I used to be a bit more of a jerk, so it might have been equally my fault too.
That's actually awesome and I love it.
Sometimes I think that I’ll look back on me of today and think “wow what a [gp]” I much prefer it to never realizing I was a ***** in the first place
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I’m a decent DM and an above average rules lawyer
I have several complete Pokedexes | I may be stupid, but at least I’m not smart!
Stay Paranoid!! My Drummer given title is… Swift as the Dragon
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity. Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level. When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy. Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering. Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare? Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy. Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic. This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight. Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria. It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts. And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor. Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards. Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes. A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight. The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists. The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes. What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
I love this. And I'm glad it is set in Texas.
For the MIB, I might have to make a Lizardman. I also think it would be funny if the President that they work for is the immortal corpse of one of the old Presidents like Lincoln or Washington. I don't know if that would fit though. I'm just imagining a lizard man MIB blasting up monsters under orders from Lincoln, 'for the United States of America!'
A few questions: What exactly are Dark Artes? Are they Dnd spells, or abilities we make up? Am I right in looking at this as very similar to JJK? Do both humans and wards use Wards? For a human character, would it make sense for them to dress up strange and develop a reputation as a crackpot so that people associate him with the supernatural and fear it less? Can one fear result in the manifestation of several Nightmares? For example, could there be several spider monsters that come from arachnophobia, or is there one ultimate spider monster that is the fear of spiders?
Sorry that's a lot of questions, but this looks awesome.
I'll answer in order: What exactly are Dark Artes? Are they Dnd spells, or abilities we make up? Yes. Am I right in looking at this as very similar to JJK? Yes. Do both humans and wards use Wards? I assume you mean if Nightmares use Wards, and yes. For a human character, would it make sense for them to dress up strange and develop a reputation as a crackpot so that people associate him with the supernatural and fear it less? Actually a common tactic among the NEO. Can one fear result in the manifestation of several Nightmares? For example, could there be several spider monsters that come from arachnophobia, or is there one ultimate spider monster that is the fear of spiders? Yup! Most Nightmares are local, meaning they are born from fears, grief, etc. in a specific area as opposed to globally. Spiders, humanoids, and computers are some of the most common.
As for your Lizardman idea, he would have to be able to disguise as a human since a lot of taxpayers like to be able to pretend the paranormal does not exist, and who are the NEO to argue?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity. Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level. When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy. Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering. Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare? Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy. Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic. This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight. Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria. It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts. And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor. Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards. Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes. A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight. The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists. The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes. What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
That. Is epic.
Dang, missed this. Thank you very much, fellow anime enthusiast! What were your favorite parts?
All of it really. It has so many possibilities for characters, and that’s something I love in threads.
Epic. You think it needs any changes before I post it? Other than some basic formatting repairs.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity.Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level.When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy.Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering.Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare?Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy.Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic.This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight.Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria.It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts.And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor.Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards.Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes.A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight.The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists.The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes.What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
There is so much here, I don’t even know what to say besides that I love it. So much.
Thank you, Good Friend Friendly Archfey. When you are able to formulate your words, I'd like a more specific description of what you love so I can make it more lovably lovely for my loves.
Ooookay, so first off, it is folk horror, which is simply the coolest thing, and secondly… it’s so well thought out, and it like, adapts all of the ideas I love from horror genres in general and makes it so organized and easy to understand.
One thing that I don’t think you mentioned, is there a CR limit on nightmares? I know you said level 20 for humans, so I assume as long as it’s reasonable it’s fine (and it likely won’t come up much considering it’s a roleplay thread mainly) I was just curious because I wanted to know if you had any specific rules on it.
Thank you so much! I thought it would be incomprehensible and wordy.
No. Nightmares have a ton of weaknesses, so choosing to be stronger at the cost of the versatility of a PC is something you can choose to do.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Anyone can find a reason to hate if they try hard enough. Also, I thought I had annoyed you a whole lot in the past for some reason.
I am the DM, and I'm running the Fireball chapter of Dragon Heist. It seems simple enough: let the players (gp) around for however long they want, and when they eventually get a clue, lead them to the dungeon.
I’m pretty sure you killed Xi through a misunderstanding that was probably my fault, I was a [gp] back then tho so I’ll let it slide
oh fun, Sel and I are doing an experiment together where we run the same campaign with a group of high schoolers and a group of middle schoolers respectively and see the differences. It’s far from scientific, but it’s fun
Ah, understandable. I'm grateful you've forgiven me. I used to be a bit more of a jerk, so it might have been equally my fault too.
That's actually awesome and I love it.
Sometimes I think that I’ll look back on me of today and think “wow what a [gp]” I much prefer it to never realizing I was a ***** in the first place
Fair enough. One must be able to reflect to improve. Being critical of yourself while remaining healthy is a major skill.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity.Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level.When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy.Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering.Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare?Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy.Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic.This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight.Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria.It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts.And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor.Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards.Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes.A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight.The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists.The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes.What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
There is so much here, I don’t even know what to say besides that I love it. So much.
Thank you, Good Friend Friendly Archfey. When you are able to formulate your words, I'd like a more specific description of what you love so I can make it more lovably lovely for my loves.
This looks incredible, if you’re planning to make this into a thread anytime soon, please count me in!
I think you missed this as well lol, absolutely no worries, my favourite part personally is more the concept of nightmarish, folklore characters interacting with humans in an urban setting. And unique powers. Gotta love unique powers (I think I’ve said something similar in response to one of your concepts before!)
Yeah, I also missed this, heh. Thank you for pulling it up for me!
This is actually an evolution of that concept, made into a thread. It's my current concept for my manga!
No problem! Also I thought it might be a progression of that idea since it’s very similar, I’d love to take part whenever the thread is made and would also love to check out your manga if it’s public lol
I haven't actually written it yet, but I'm making progress. I decided it should be a hopeful story in a miserable world, and I think this system makes that especially possible.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity.Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level.When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy.Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering.Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare?Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy.Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic.This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight.Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria.It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts.And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor.Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards.Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes.A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight.The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists.The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes.What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
There is so much here, I don’t even know what to say besides that I love it. So much.
Thank you, Good Friend Friendly Archfey. When you are able to formulate your words, I'd like a more specific description of what you love so I can make it more lovably lovely for my loves.
Ooookay, so first off, it is folk horror, which is simply the coolest thing, and secondly… it’s so well thought out, and it like, adapts all of the ideas I love from horror genres in general and makes it so organized and easy to understand.
One thing that I don’t think you mentioned, is there a CR limit on nightmares? I know you said level 20 for humans, so I assume as long as it’s reasonable it’s fine (and it likely won’t come up much considering it’s a roleplay thread mainly) I was just curious because I wanted to know if you had any specific rules on it.
Thank you so much! I thought it would be incomprehensible and wordy.
No. Nightmares have a ton of weaknesses, so choosing to be stronger at the cost of the versatility of a PC is something you can choose to do.
Alright! Thanks, I am really excited for this, already drafting up a character idea.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity.Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level.When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy.Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering.Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare?Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy.Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic.This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight.Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria.It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts.And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor.Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards.Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes.A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight.The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists.The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes.What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
There is so much here, I don’t even know what to say besides that I love it. So much.
Thank you, Good Friend Friendly Archfey. When you are able to formulate your words, I'd like a more specific description of what you love so I can make it more lovably lovely for my loves.
This looks incredible, if you’re planning to make this into a thread anytime soon, please count me in!
I think you missed this as well lol, absolutely no worries, my favourite part personally is more the concept of nightmarish, folklore characters interacting with humans in an urban setting. And unique powers. Gotta love unique powers (I think I’ve said something similar in response to one of your concepts before!)
Yeah, I also missed this, heh. Thank you for pulling it up for me!
This is actually an evolution of that concept, made into a thread. It's my current concept for my manga!
No problem! Also I thought it might be a progression of that idea since it’s very similar, I’d love to take part whenever the thread is made and would also love to check out your manga if it’s public lol
I haven't actually written it yet, but I'm making progress. I decided it should be a hopeful story in a miserable world, and I think this system makes that especially possible.
Yeah, that sounds great! I’ve got a good idea for a Nightmare, it’s a very specific fear but his true form is a catfish/kappa, and at night he hangs around at the bottom of an old bridge, fishing with his glowing lure. To passing drivers, the lure’s glow is irresistible, appearing as a treasure they desperately desire, but just out of reach in the corner of their eye, leading them to swerve off the bridge, and drown in their car. In the day he roams the streets as a human, running a bait and tackle shop, volunteering with pothole repairs on the side.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity. Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level. When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy. Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering. Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare? Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy. Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic. This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight. Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria. It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts. And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor. Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards. Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes. A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight. The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists. The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes. What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
I love this. And I'm glad it is set in Texas.
For the MIB, I might have to make a Lizardman. I also think it would be funny if the President that they work for is the immortal corpse of one of the old Presidents like Lincoln or Washington. I don't know if that would fit though. I'm just imagining a lizard man MIB blasting up monsters under orders from Lincoln, 'for the United States of America!'
A few questions: What exactly are Dark Artes? Are they Dnd spells, or abilities we make up? Am I right in looking at this as very similar to JJK? Do both humans and wards use Wards? For a human character, would it make sense for them to dress up strange and develop a reputation as a crackpot so that people associate him with the supernatural and fear it less? Can one fear result in the manifestation of several Nightmares? For example, could there be several spider monsters that come from arachnophobia, or is there one ultimate spider monster that is the fear of spiders?
Sorry that's a lot of questions, but this looks awesome.
I'll answer in order: What exactly are Dark Artes? Are they Dnd spells, or abilities we make up? Yes. Am I right in looking at this as very similar to JJK? Yes. Do both humans and wards use Wards? I assume you mean if Nightmares use Wards, and yes. For a human character, would it make sense for them to dress up strange and develop a reputation as a crackpot so that people associate him with the supernatural and fear it less? Actually a common tactic among the NEO. Can one fear result in the manifestation of several Nightmares? For example, could there be several spider monsters that come from arachnophobia, or is there one ultimate spider monster that is the fear of spiders? Yup! Most Nightmares are local, meaning they are born from fears, grief, etc. in a specific area as opposed to globally. Spiders, humanoids, and computers are some of the most common.
As for your Lizardman idea, he would have to be able to disguise as a human since a lot of taxpayers like to be able to pretend the paranormal does not exist, and who are the NEO to argue?
Awesome, thanks!
The Lizardman definitely would be able to disguise himself. Lizardmen are a common in MIB lore. It is also just a fun idea I may or may not use.
Another idea I had was a Nightmare Hunter who drew his power from other peoples fear of himself. So he works hard to be a terrifying and ruthless legend.
I have a lot of ideas I'm brainstorming. I'm looking forward to the thread.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity.Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level.When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy.Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering.Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare?Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy.Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic.This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight.Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria.It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts.And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor.Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards.Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes.A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight.The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists.The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes.What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
There is so much here, I don’t even know what to say besides that I love it. So much.
Thank you, Good Friend Friendly Archfey. When you are able to formulate your words, I'd like a more specific description of what you love so I can make it more lovably lovely for my loves.
This looks incredible, if you’re planning to make this into a thread anytime soon, please count me in!
I think you missed this as well lol, absolutely no worries, my favourite part personally is more the concept of nightmarish, folklore characters interacting with humans in an urban setting. And unique powers. Gotta love unique powers (I think I’ve said something similar in response to one of your concepts before!)
Yeah, I also missed this, heh. Thank you for pulling it up for me!
This is actually an evolution of that concept, made into a thread. It's my current concept for my manga!
No problem! Also I thought it might be a progression of that idea since it’s very similar, I’d love to take part whenever the thread is made and would also love to check out your manga if it’s public lol
I haven't actually written it yet, but I'm making progress. I decided it should be a hopeful story in a miserable world, and I think this system makes that especially possible.
Yeah, that sounds great! I’ve got a good idea for a Nightmare, it’s a very specific fear but his true form is a catfish/kappa, and at night he hangs around at the bottom of an old bridge, fishing with his glowing lure. To passing drivers, the lure’s glow is irresistible, appearing as a treasure they desperately desire, but just out of reach in the corner of their eye, leading them to swerve off the bridge, and drown in their car. In the day he roams the streets as a human, running a bait and tackle shop, volunteering with pothole repairs on the side.
Awesome. People with low enough SS won't be affected, so it's only the weirdos who get pulled off the bridge, but not the super weirdos who actually believe in the occult and have protection against it. So basically, it looks like the disturbed are just throwing themselves off the bridge with no real pattern to it. We've got a miniature Akashi Kaikyo Bridge down here, don't we?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity.Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level.When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy.Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering.Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare?Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy.Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic.This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight.Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria.It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts.And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor.Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards.Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes.A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight.The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists.The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes.What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
There is so much here, I don’t even know what to say besides that I love it. So much.
Thank you, Good Friend Friendly Archfey. When you are able to formulate your words, I'd like a more specific description of what you love so I can make it more lovably lovely for my loves.
This looks incredible, if you’re planning to make this into a thread anytime soon, please count me in!
I think you missed this as well lol, absolutely no worries, my favourite part personally is more the concept of nightmarish, folklore characters interacting with humans in an urban setting. And unique powers. Gotta love unique powers (I think I’ve said something similar in response to one of your concepts before!)
Yeah, I also missed this, heh. Thank you for pulling it up for me!
This is actually an evolution of that concept, made into a thread. It's my current concept for my manga!
No problem! Also I thought it might be a progression of that idea since it’s very similar, I’d love to take part whenever the thread is made and would also love to check out your manga if it’s public lol
I haven't actually written it yet, but I'm making progress. I decided it should be a hopeful story in a miserable world, and I think this system makes that especially possible.
Yeah, that sounds great! I’ve got a good idea for a Nightmare, it’s a very specific fear but his true form is a catfish/kappa, and at night he hangs around at the bottom of an old bridge, fishing with his glowing lure. To passing drivers, the lure’s glow is irresistible, appearing as a treasure they desperately desire, but just out of reach in the corner of their eye, leading them to swerve off the bridge, and drown in their car. In the day he roams the streets as a human, running a bait and tackle shop, volunteering with pothole repairs on the side.
Awesome. People with low enough SS won't be affected, so it's only the weirdos who get pulled off the bridge, but not the super weirdos who actually believe in the occult and have protection against it. So basically, it looks like the disturbed are just throwing themselves off the bridge with no real pattern to it. We've got a miniature Akashi Kaikyo Bridge down here, don't we?
Oh yeah, that’s true, I didn’t think of that! I’m still working on him, but I’ve got a bunch of ideas floating around of different niche phobias that could be turned into Nightmares!
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity. Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level. When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy. Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering. Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare? Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy. Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic. This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight. Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria. It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts. And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor. Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards. Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes. A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight. The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists. The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes. What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
I love this. And I'm glad it is set in Texas.
For the MIB, I might have to make a Lizardman. I also think it would be funny if the President that they work for is the immortal corpse of one of the old Presidents like Lincoln or Washington. I don't know if that would fit though. I'm just imagining a lizard man MIB blasting up monsters under orders from Lincoln, 'for the United States of America!'
A few questions: What exactly are Dark Artes? Are they Dnd spells, or abilities we make up? Am I right in looking at this as very similar to JJK? Do both humans and wards use Wards? For a human character, would it make sense for them to dress up strange and develop a reputation as a crackpot so that people associate him with the supernatural and fear it less? Can one fear result in the manifestation of several Nightmares? For example, could there be several spider monsters that come from arachnophobia, or is there one ultimate spider monster that is the fear of spiders?
Sorry that's a lot of questions, but this looks awesome.
I'll answer in order: What exactly are Dark Artes? Are they Dnd spells, or abilities we make up? Yes. Am I right in looking at this as very similar to JJK? Yes. Do both humans and wards use Wards? I assume you mean if Nightmares use Wards, and yes. For a human character, would it make sense for them to dress up strange and develop a reputation as a crackpot so that people associate him with the supernatural and fear it less? Actually a common tactic among the NEO. Can one fear result in the manifestation of several Nightmares? For example, could there be several spider monsters that come from arachnophobia, or is there one ultimate spider monster that is the fear of spiders? Yup! Most Nightmares are local, meaning they are born from fears, grief, etc. in a specific area as opposed to globally. Spiders, humanoids, and computers are some of the most common.
As for your Lizardman idea, he would have to be able to disguise as a human since a lot of taxpayers like to be able to pretend the paranormal does not exist, and who are the NEO to argue?
Awesome, thanks!
The Lizardman definitely would be able to disguise himself. Lizardmen are a common in MIB lore. It is also just a fun idea I may or may not use.
Another idea I had was a Nightmare Hunter who drew his power from other peoples fear of himself. So he works hard to be a terrifying and ruthless legend.
I have a lot of ideas I'm brainstorming. I'm looking forward to the thread.
That could easily be a Nightmare in itself, embodying a fear of the exorcists themselves. MIB Nightmares, often called "Boilers" due to their white hazmat suits, are actually pretty common.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity. Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level. When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy. Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering. Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare? Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy. Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic. This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight. Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria. It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts. And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor. Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards. Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes. A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight. The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists. The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes. What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
That. Is epic.
Dang, missed this. Thank you very much, fellow anime enthusiast! What were your favorite parts?
All of it really. It has so many possibilities for characters, and that’s something I love in threads.
Epic. You think it needs any changes before I post it? Other than some basic formatting repairs.
Probably explain exactly what a dark art is
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Yo, I'm Himy (He/him) not as active as I use to be, but I'm here from time to time. I don't got much else to say.
"From the stars of the inner sea, from the tower of insight, from the four corners of paradise, let them know; their story is filled with blessings. Only those free of sin may pass... Garden of Avalon!”
”The elements coalesce, amalgamate, and bring forth the star that interweaves all creation. Bow down with death! Enuma Elish!”
2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity. Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level. When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy. Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering. Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare? Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy. Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic. This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight. Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria. It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts. And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor. Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards. Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes. A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight. The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists. The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes. What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
Wow... there's so much here and I love ALL of it! I can tell you put a lot of thought and care into every single detail- all the systems seem balanced and fair, and there's lots of room for customization. It's what I love about all the things I've seen you make- it's clear that lots of time and thought and love are put into your creations. If you ever do make a thread with this concept, you can absolutely count me in!*
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
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Ah, understandable. I'm grateful you've forgiven me. I used to be a bit more of a jerk, so it might have been equally my fault too.
That's actually awesome and I love it.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
I love this. And I'm glad it is set in Texas.
For the MIB, I might have to make a Lizardman. I also think it would be funny if the President that they work for is the immortal corpse of one of the old Presidents like Lincoln or Washington. I don't know if that would fit though. I'm just imagining a lizard man MIB blasting up monsters under orders from Lincoln, 'for the United States of America!'
A few questions: What exactly are Dark Artes? Are they Dnd spells, or abilities we make up? Am I right in looking at this as very similar to JJK? Do both humans and wards use Wards? For a human character, would it make sense for them to dress up strange and develop a reputation as a crackpot so that people associate him with the supernatural and fear it less? Can one fear result in the manifestation of several Nightmares? For example, could there be several spider monsters that come from arachnophobia, or is there one ultimate spider monster that is the fear of spiders?
Sorry that's a lot of questions, but this looks awesome.
All of it really. It has so many possibilities for characters, and that’s something I love in threads.
Yo, I'm Himy (He/him) not as active as I use to be, but I'm here from time to time. I don't got much else to say.
"From the stars of the inner sea, from the tower of insight, from the four corners of paradise, let them know; their story is filled with blessings. Only those free of sin may pass... Garden of Avalon!”
”The elements coalesce, amalgamate, and bring forth the star that interweaves all creation. Bow down with death! Enuma Elish!”
Yeah, I also missed this, heh. Thank you for pulling it up for me!
This is actually an evolution of that concept, made into a thread. It's my current concept for my manga!
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Ooookay, so first off, it is folk horror, which is simply the coolest thing, and secondly… it’s so well thought out, and it like, adapts all of the ideas I love from horror genres in general and makes it so organized and easy to understand.
One thing that I don’t think you mentioned, is there a CR limit on nightmares? I know you said level 20 for humans, so I assume as long as it’s reasonable it’s fine (and it likely won’t come up much considering it’s a roleplay thread mainly) I was just curious because I wanted to know if you had any specific rules on it.
No problem! Also I thought it might be a progression of that idea since it’s very similar, I’d love to take part whenever the thread is made and would also love to check out your manga if it’s public lol
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
Callow Sunken-Eyes: Goliath Arctic Druid: We Are Modron
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist , The Hunt for the Balowang and Surviving Tempest City!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
Sometimes I think that I’ll look back on me of today and think “wow what a [gp]” I much prefer it to never realizing I was a ***** in the first place
I’m a decent DM and an above average rules lawyer
I have several complete Pokedexes | I may be stupid, but at least I’m not smart!
Stay Paranoid!! My Drummer given title is… Swift as the Dragon
May the dice roll ever in your favor
I'll answer in order:
What exactly are Dark Artes? Are they Dnd spells, or abilities we make up? Yes.
Am I right in looking at this as very similar to JJK? Yes.
Do both humans and wards use Wards? I assume you mean if Nightmares use Wards, and yes.
For a human character, would it make sense for them to dress up strange and develop a reputation as a crackpot so that people associate him with the supernatural and fear it less? Actually a common tactic among the NEO.
Can one fear result in the manifestation of several Nightmares? For example, could there be several spider monsters that come from arachnophobia, or is there one ultimate spider monster that is the fear of spiders? Yup! Most Nightmares are local, meaning they are born from fears, grief, etc. in a specific area as opposed to globally. Spiders, humanoids, and computers are some of the most common.
As for your Lizardman idea, he would have to be able to disguise as a human since a lot of taxpayers like to be able to pretend the paranormal does not exist, and who are the NEO to argue?
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Epic. You think it needs any changes before I post it? Other than some basic formatting repairs.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Thank you so much! I thought it would be incomprehensible and wordy.
No. Nightmares have a ton of weaknesses, so choosing to be stronger at the cost of the versatility of a PC is something you can choose to do.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Fair enough. One must be able to reflect to improve. Being critical of yourself while remaining healthy is a major skill.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
I haven't actually written it yet, but I'm making progress. I decided it should be a hopeful story in a miserable world, and I think this system makes that especially possible.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Alright! Thanks, I am really excited for this, already drafting up a character idea.
Yeah, that sounds great! I’ve got a good idea for a Nightmare, it’s a very specific fear but his true form is a catfish/kappa, and at night he hangs around at the bottom of an old bridge, fishing with his glowing lure. To passing drivers, the lure’s glow is irresistible, appearing as a treasure they desperately desire, but just out of reach in the corner of their eye, leading them to swerve off the bridge, and drown in their car. In the day he roams the streets as a human, running a bait and tackle shop, volunteering with pothole repairs on the side.
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
Callow Sunken-Eyes: Goliath Arctic Druid: We Are Modron
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist , The Hunt for the Balowang and Surviving Tempest City!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
Awesome, thanks!
The Lizardman definitely would be able to disguise himself. Lizardmen are a common in MIB lore. It is also just a fun idea I may or may not use.
Another idea I had was a Nightmare Hunter who drew his power from other peoples fear of himself. So he works hard to be a terrifying and ruthless legend.
I have a lot of ideas I'm brainstorming. I'm looking forward to the thread.
Awesome. People with low enough SS won't be affected, so it's only the weirdos who get pulled off the bridge, but not the super weirdos who actually believe in the occult and have protection against it. So basically, it looks like the disturbed are just throwing themselves off the bridge with no real pattern to it. We've got a miniature Akashi Kaikyo Bridge down here, don't we?
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Oh yeah, that’s true, I didn’t think of that! I’m still working on him, but I’ve got a bunch of ideas floating around of different niche phobias that could be turned into Nightmares!
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
Callow Sunken-Eyes: Goliath Arctic Druid: We Are Modron
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist , The Hunt for the Balowang and Surviving Tempest City!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
That could easily be a Nightmare in itself, embodying a fear of the exorcists themselves. MIB Nightmares, often called "Boilers" due to their white hazmat suits, are actually pretty common.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Probably explain exactly what a dark art is
Yo, I'm Himy (He/him) not as active as I use to be, but I'm here from time to time. I don't got much else to say.
"From the stars of the inner sea, from the tower of insight, from the four corners of paradise, let them know; their story is filled with blessings. Only those free of sin may pass... Garden of Avalon!”
”The elements coalesce, amalgamate, and bring forth the star that interweaves all creation. Bow down with death! Enuma Elish!”
Wow... there's so much here and I love ALL of it! I can tell you put a lot of thought and care into every single detail- all the systems seem balanced and fair, and there's lots of room for customization. It's what I love about all the things I've seen you make- it's clear that lots of time and thought and love are put into your creations. If you ever do make a thread with this concept, you can absolutely count me in!*
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)