Anonymous asked:

What's the relationship between CMWGE, Nobilis, and Glitch? The bits of understanding I think I've picked up so far are that they're all (diceless?) ttrpgs and are in vaguely the same setting but at least one's setting is an AU of another one's? They sound really cool, but really confusing, but really cool despite and/or because of the really confusing, and continuing to just pick up the random bits that tumbl my way is Not Enough. Help?

Okay!

Let’s talk a bit about publishing for background

In 1999, Jenna Moran (formerly R. Sean Borgstrom) published the first edition of Nobilis through Pharos Press, resulting in what is often called the “Little Pink Book”. This was a small run, and it proved successful/interesting enough to get picked up by Hogshead Publishing in 2002, resulting in the second edition of Nobilis, which is often called the “Great White Book”. This is the one a lot of people think about when they think “Nobilis”, and really put it on the map in the tabletop gamer consciousness. In 2011, the third edition of Nobilis was released through EOS Press. There was a lot of drama involving the publishers and distributors for the last two editions but that’s not relevant to your question. Also, a fourth edition is in the works.

Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine (CMWGE) was released in 2015 after a successful kickstarter, initially through EOS Press and then through Jenna’s own efforts and the support of a generous benefactor due to her separating from EOS for some of the aforementioned publisher drama. Its technically a multimedia project that also has two associated novels, The Fable of the Swan (2012) and The Night-Bird’s Feather (2022).

Finally, Glitch: A Story of the Not was self published in 2022 after another successful kickstarter. This is the most recent of her games within the collective game line, sometimes referred to as “gluubilis” or “the Ash Tree Engine”.

Why’d you tell me all that?

So you’d have context for this.

Mechanically, each of these games represents a development on the preceeding works; every later game iterates and develops on the previous games and concepts. This looks something like this

1e/2e Nobilis > 3e Nobilis > CMWGE > Glitch/4e

in terms of major mechanical divisions and advancements.

All the systems are diceless and there’s a lot we could say here, but probably the biggest single innovation would be the introduction of Arcs and Quests starting in CMWGE, providing a strong narrative xp framework for all the future games to engage with and be built around.

In terms of the setting, all the games except CMWGE take place on the Ash-Tree Earth in which the universe is a big tree in a cup of fire that’s presently at war with the forces of the Void. Nobilis explores play as the Nobilis, individuals empowered by the rulers of Creation to defend it against the Excrucians, the representatives of the Void. Glitch flips this around and has you play as one of those Void beings who used to fight in the war, but is now abstaining from it for any number of reasons.

CMWGE takes place in a world that was drowned in a sort of ontological uncertainty called the Outside. It’s set in a possible future where the war of Nobilis and Glitch doesn’t reach a conclusive end, but rather the world was cast into an interregnum during which any number of things are possible and also you can have slice of life adventures and shit. None of that background is actually necessary to know to play CMWGE, but I think it’s enriching and also it’ll help explain some of the various otherwise insane things we the players and fans will say about it. Again, though, nothing actually like. Holds you to that if you wanna do something of your own. CMWGE is notable for being the most customizable of these systems by far.

What’s next?

A couple recommendations!

First, I’d recommend reading some of these games! Glitch and Nobilis 3e are imo the most accessible of the game books + they’re ones still in use, but CMWGE is also absolutely worth checking out; just be aware that it’s handing you a toolbox, so there’s a lot more big chunks of mechanics to work through. Honestly, don’t be afraid to skip around these books and look at whatever catches your interest. They’re very rewarding reads! If you want to read fiction, The Fable of the Swan and The Night-Bird’s Feather are both also really good starting points.

Next, talk with people about them! The scene is kinda scattered, but you can still find people on tumblr, Twitter, and cohost at the very least who’re talking about this stuff. There’s also an official discord and an older fan discord (you can ask me for an invite to that one) where people are pretty active.

Also, just, try playing the games! A lot of the apparent complications are a lot easier to parse and understand when you actually see them in play, and they’re fun games.

Finally, don’t be afraid to keep asking questions! Given the chance, a lot of us won’t shut up about these games, myself included.

jame7t:

The devil is an enzyme that helps god break down suffering. He can use this to make sea bunnies, and other fun things

Just remember that every time your bike gets stolen, bike cuck, that a sea bunny is born

(via retroactivebakeries)

retroactivebakeries:

Mr. Enemy - Hitherby Dragons

hitherby-dragons.wikidot.com

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glitchlight:

retroactivebakeries:

paxamericana:

absolute worst boomer trait is thinking they can argue or reason with telemarketers. they call you seven times a day because you keep answering dumbass!

it is, on the other hand, very fun to respond to spam emails by linking them to an academic study of a fatal tapir attack, pretending that you sent the wrong attachment, resending the same study, and going back and forth like that until they give up or you’ve had your fill of spite.

John Telemarketers is a strategist dying of (Haddad et al, 2005)

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iraprince:

CALLIST0: ASSISTANT EXTRAORDINAIRE has launched!

i missed questing way way way too much, but all my stuff on hiatus is a little too heavy or labor intensive to pick back up right now, and so instead i’ve started a new comedy/porno doodle romp on questden!

CALLIST0 is a diligent android working as a secretary and personal assistant to a very successful concubus. she loves her job, she loves to keep things neat and tidy, and she loves to solve problems. the problem is that problems love her.

come read along and help guide CALLIST0 as she does her job better than anyone has ever done it (18+/NSFW content, potential blood/gore/body horror.)

FAQ/new-to-quests guide below the cut!

Keep reading

geostatonary:

If your wife asked you to drink deep of her poison, would you? 🥺

Art of Hydra and Sparrow by @zzztlk!

retroactivebakeries:

maternal-extinct:

dogs have gods too and one of them is dogsong and i think the dogsong is sang for anyone who listens and most canids can hear it and sing it and people learn it too and sing it

but like, dog gods are kinda sticky, like they leave a residue wherever they go. have you ever pet a dog and felt is grease? or like how dogs can really dog a place up? if you watch dogs move in a pack they stick to eachothers sides and move a bit like a rolling slime with dozens of pawed legs. toby fox called it dog residue and thats what i call it too. its like ectoplasm for dogs, its like pure dog emotional energy.

this is to say learning dogsong and singing it back tends to leave dog residue behind, itll dog you up even if you dont think it at first, and before long youll start dogging other things up. itll make your hands feel like paws and make your spine feel a bit too short and before you know it youre slapping a ΔΘ in your online profiles

anyways this is why i dont beleive doggirls or traumadogs are a fad, i think theyre learning dogsong and its dogging them up

#the law of dogs is exceptionally strong

Anonymous asked:

Please stop reblogging salt your stink miss 😭

electrificata:

retroactivebakeries:

retroactivebakeries:

plus, seven reblogs is kid stuff. @electrificata, how many did you have in today’s stinking?

Since numbers arent real i usually measure stinkings by how many times i fill an entire window of my blogs archive

averyterrible:

hey, hey! are you flirting with me right now? you have to tell me you’re flirting with me, otherwise it’s entrapment

(via retroactivebakeries)

Tonight in torah study we discuss the life and times of Abraham, geopolitical situations leading to kings in tar pits, the symbolic logics of sacrifices and omens, and do some back of the napkin circumcision logistics

seeyouguyslater:

zaraku:

seeyouguyslater:

@zaraku ITS WAAI FU DAY

Oh my god it’s wednesday….

I got off call w a friend and was gonna send this to you

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