The new season of Game Changer looks great. Caldwell Tanner in all his glory is there. Nathan Yaffe-Drawfee too. (I'm so glad that despite going independent there's still Drawfee representation on Dropout.) Also Jacob Wysocki's bit was incredible. That's acting! Plus more ProZD. (I saw him in the Blackberry movie. He was great.) And Brian David Gilbert. Never gonna say no to more BDG. Glad to see Jess Ross, Vic Michaelis and Ify Nwadiwe too.
Between Fantasy High Junior Year, Very Important People and Game Changer, next year is shaping up to be another great year on Dropout.
“A bunch of cowards and the bravest little girl in the world.” - Neverafter, Ep. 3, about Ylfa Snorgelsson
“The world should have protected you, but you have been asked to protect it. What an honor. What an injustice." - NADDPOD, Ep, 97, about Beverley Toegold V
Something something about children being forced to grow up faster than they deserved because the powerful people around them aren’t doing enough. Gonna go cry thanks.
definitely the reason that murph is on brennan’s side for the yaaaathqueens/yathmag debate is from the number of naddpod bits that caldwell/jake/em go in on that he doesn’t even understand
I choose to believe that Brennan's cameo in last night's Game Changer had the sole purpose of him abducting Caldwell Tanner afterward straight into the Dome to hold him hostage for the duration of a D20 side-quest. I choose to believe that
Pencils Down was such a fun episode of Game Changer, I just HAD to try some of the drawing challenges out! For each prompt, I set up whatever background I was drawing on, and then set a timer for 3 minutes and drew like the wind. I’m adding blank versions of each “canvas” at the end, so anyone who wants to can participate as well!
LP Artistry (design and title a vinyl album cover for Sam): I was so happy to find this picture of Sam. I immediately knew I was going to make him a cheeky baby, basically the same exact energy he has as a gameshow host
Tramp Stamps (think early 2000s and permanent regrets): When I think 2000s I think of tamagotchi, Nickelodeon, and classic commercials like the Quiznos rat-filled fever dream. Plus I can never pass up a good double entendre
The Next Big Thing (pitch your best get-rich-quick idea): Hello, sharks. Aren’t you tired of reservedly nibbling your pasta for fear of staining your shirt? Well no more! Slurp safely and to your heart’s content with the Spa-guard-i ™️! The super easy, dinner plate-sized fork attachment that slides easily over any fork and shields your clothes from errant sauce splatters. Twirl your spaghetti without fear, with the Spa-guard-i™️!
New Pokémon (design, name, and describe one power of a new Pokémon): Introducing Snide, a nosey little guy who’s not overly popular in social settings. Watch out for his physic attack, Passive-Aggression!
Last-Minute Monster (the Dimension 20 needs a finale-worthy Big Bad and fast): For this one I used a fantasy villain name generator and got Duke Church. Following Brennan’s criteria of terrifying, emotionally resonant, and mechanically interesting, I concocted a monster who will appear toxically masculine, but in fact be uncomfortably submissive & masochistic. Duke Church is incredibly tone-deaf (terrifying), indicative of the dangers of enforcing a gender-binary (emotionally resonant), and he can’t be defeated with damage as that only makes him stronger/hornier (mechanically interesting)
This was so incredibly fun to do, I hope they do more Game Changer episodes like this in the future. Here are the blanks so you can play along yourself! 😊
If you're interested in making a D&D character who can have a great personal arc in a campaign, follow Emily Axford's example.
Emily's characters tend to have the fullest, most complete arcs and I believe this comes from her play philosophy. In her episode of Adventuring Academy she put forth a philosophy about playing D&D that emphasizes virtues such as enthusiasm, wonderment, and curiosity. She wants to engage with the setting, the characters and the story as wholly as possible, to knit her character into the fabric of the world until their life feels inextricable from it. She commits herself to her character, their reality and their feelings, and she imbues them with peculiarities and specificity that grounds them in the setting and for the audience. She is true to her character's emotions and expresses them genuinely. And of course this is in concert with the DM building and tweaking their campaign to meet her. The result is a character who is organically a part of the setting and if story is going to happen, a character arc must as well.
You can see how her style of play, her commitment and philosophy has influenced other players as well. Look at the players she's played with most—the NADDPOD boys. Murph, Caldwell and Jake are all fantastic and bring their own ideas to the table, but they've absolutely followed her lead (whether intentionally or subconsciously) and NADDPOD is made more impactful by that decision.
To sum up Emily's philosophy and play style—Care. Care deeply.
Good, beautiful, engrossing, dramatic, fulfilling stories happen when you do.
i have no doubt jaysohn will both take and deal me emotional damage, but i love that siobhan gets to play two goofier characters before playing adaine again