Category Archives: Writing

Of Blood and Water – Dragon Age Tabletop RPG Adventure

Introduction: Of Blood and Water is a five-act RPG adventure written for the Dragon Age tabletop RPG system. It was created as a semester-long project for the RPG Writing Workshop course at Carnegie Mellon University. This involved creating character descriptions, step-outlines, and five acts that each include a dramatic scene written in script format.

Time: 15 weeks |  Role: Producer/ WriterTeam Size: 5

Design Goal: The goal of this project was to create an RPG adventure suitable for a three person party to play over the course of several weeks.

My Contributions:

  • Raymon’s character sheet.
  • Act 1’s step outline, prose, and dramatic scene.

Download: The story bible is available here.

Hungarfen, The Fungal Horror – League of Legends Champion Design

Role: Mage/Support

Hugarfen is a manaless champion from the Plague Jungles who uses its health as its casting resource. I’’ve written a short introduction that I highly recommend you read before moving on to the champion description.

Appearance

hungarfen

This image is not owned by me and was sourced from here.

Lore

When writing Hungarfens lore I choose to be unconventional. My intention was to craft something with little less hand holding. I want to challenge the reader to make inferences while giving them the ingredients to do so. I want the reader to not just read, but think and discover. Hopefully I made that possible.

Lets get started, shall we!

Continue reading Hungarfen, The Fungal Horror – League of Legends Champion Design

A House For Two

“Sir?”

John roused himself; he had drifted off after the clerk had emphatically given her unwelcome opinion. “Just give me what I want” he’d said bluntly. Disheartened the clerk slowly retreated.

A brawl ago, John declared to his wife that he despised these delusions; but she scarcely listened anymore. Had she ever? Could it change? Was it him?

She insisted that every weekend he drag himself to a store. Sentenced to collect the next latest and greatest distraction. He blamed her, she blamed him. A house for two strangers.

Today would be different.

Trudging home there were bridges to cross.

house_for_two

Unpacked

Writing this I wanted to experiment using ‘vagueness’ with implications in the confines of a drabble. Since both are a challenge to an amateur such as myself, from the vacuum that is my consciousness, my greatest concern is whether the balance is right to allow for those implications. Perhaps it’s about time I unpack it a little.

The subject matter is hollow marriages, with three main ‘topics’.

The first is the store. It is intentionally vague/generic to convey the view that the stores are an analogous collection of material distractions that they use to ‘fill’ their hollow marriage. The protagonist is at the point where he is disconnected and can’t make distinctions anymore.

The second is around the state of the marriage. I very lightly touch on concepts like self-blame, blaming the other, breakdown of communication, delusions between the couple, and the delusions they sustain for society.

Finally the last, is the final sentence designed to allow room for interpretation, where the two main factors are the concept of ‘house’ vs ‘home’ (up until that point I’ve only made references to a house) which requires some cultural understanding, and the second is the bridge.

The bridge serves for interpretation in either/both a literal and metaphorical sense, it’s up to the reader. In an attempt to put it concisely, I see the final sentence as touching on the struggles of dealing with a hollow marriage. Will he or will he not cross the bridge(s) to home? Is the essence of the question though there are a variation of other states that a reader might consider. Such as, despite his will, can he? Does the bridge have to lead to her?

Euler, Golem of The Great Library – League of Legends Champion Design

Major Faction: The Desert Empire
Minor Faction: The Enlightened

Role: Tank/Support

When reading the following champion description please keep in mind that this champion has three forms. To get an idea of what the forms are when reading his abilities, read his W ability description first.

Additionally this champion has no mana or energy rather his abilities cost health. This works from a lore point of view since it’s Euler’s spirit that is the source of amulet’s power, and mechanically as it helps offset his passive ability.

Appearance

A hulking humanoid figure, The Golem is a mountain of perfectly muscled sand standing several heads taller than any man. On its neck a pulsing amulet, an ancient artifact, a vessel containing the essence of a spirit. Euler’s spirit. The source of the amulets power.

GolemSandI do not own this image, it was taken from this website.

The amulet design is based off of the concept of Ancient Egyptian scarab amulets. Imagine the following as a base:

scarab_amulet

I do not own this image, it has been adapted from its original posting here.

The primary colors of the amulet are obsidian black, with gold lining that traces the outlines of the amulet’s key features. Namely the ankh and its patterns, as well the scarabs body, wings and its patterns.

The amulet’s major chain would follow the design of the scarabs wings. The major chain would be made up of two minor chains, one for each wing of the scarab. Each link of the chain would be a single part of a scarabs wing. Once the two minor links are connected they would form a chain of two complete connecting wings, the links mechanically functioning in the same manner as the links of watches metal strap.

The amulets head is the scarab, its body a golden lined ruby the size of a mans head. From within the ruby onlookers would behold brilliant rays of gold and white through the carvings on the ruby’s face.

Continue reading Euler, Golem of The Great Library – League of Legends Champion Design

Chowder the Storm Crab – League of Legends Champion Design

Hey everyone this is my first time posting a champion on the forms. So here is an idea of mine and I’d really like to know what the community thought of it. Any and all feedback is welcome!

Chowder, The Storm Crab v3.2

Index

1. Appearance
2. Lore
3. Characteristics
4. Abilities
5. Abilities Notes
6. Capabilities
7. Countermeasures
8. Change-Log

1. Appearance

Here’s this great art by radiationboyy. It captures the bulky, powerful, yet lumbering sea crab style that I envisage for Chowder. As a small addition though I would add some chains to his claws for a better fit with his lore and Q.

phalanx_crab_concept_by_radiationboyy-d25fk1h

I do not own this art, for the original posting please follow the link below.

2. Lore

Worth their weight in gold, the deadly Storm Crabs of the Guardian Sea were a short-lived Noxian delicacy. Taken from the depths of the Guardian Sea to the bustling Ivory Ward Marketplace, such a prize brought Noxus’s lowly fisherman much needed respect.

Some say the crabs had learnt the ways of the storms when Runeterra was young, that’s why they lived in the heart of a seemingly endless one. Hearing the tales of the Storm Crab hunters, a promising young Noxian saw an opportunity to magnify his strength and end an indulgence that he saw as a sign of weakness. Arranging two ships he set off, and after two perilous weeks on the sea the storm was in sight.

He brought death, overseeing the systematic destruction of the Storm Crabs. When all the crabs were either slain or captured, he left, leaving the remaining petty work to his crew of weaklings. The crew gorged themselves on crab. Arguing amongst themselves about how to cook the last Storm Crab one dish stuck, Chowder, that crab took it as his name and as a reminder.

Having watched the annihilation of everything he knew and held dear drove Chowder insane, a mighty storm was brewing. With new found strength Chowder broke free of his chains, and with maddened frenzy shredded whatever was in his path, including the ship.

With nothing left Chowder roamed the seas indiscriminately destroying, soon becoming a threat to the trade routes of Blue Flame Island. Fizz the savior of Bilgewater sought out this new menace. On finding the it Fizz was capable enough to stave off its attacks long enough to communicate with the monster.

On Hearing Chowders tale and learning of his desire to find the young Noxian soldier, Fizz informed Chowder that what he sought could be found on the fields of justice. Thus Chowder joined the League of Legends to find and destroy that young soldier that started it all.

Continue reading Chowder the Storm Crab – League of Legends Champion Design