InvidiaRed

Contrasts also work great. If the world is pessimistic but the character is staunchly optimistic. Or in a world where everyone doubts themselves. That one character just straight up loves themselves. Humanity is so wonderfully diverse. having characters answer existential stuff can provide that blissful breath of life that makes your character far more real. A microcosm in an macrocosm. Do we shape existence as existence shapes us? Are we alone in the universe because we perceive ourselves to be alone in the universe? What if death is as limited as life? The question of I The ramifications of the meaning of life being different for everyone What if there is no glory in war? The massive implications of single individuals decisions helping shape history. Why is apathy worse than death? Etc...

Finally, someone else referenced Hamlet.

So truckstop?

It could also be this. “Yes, Operator can you connect me to Olenna Penticrest? Why yes I’ll gladly pay the long distance charge. Yes, That is the account I want you to charge it to. Yes, You have a lovely day as well.” One must be nice to the operators only the uncouth could be rude as the common folk. Like that plan wrecker adventurer Taven Clearwater. The mirror shimmered and a wizened woman appeared dressed the only way a rich dowager could. Her white hair expertly braided and interwoven with satin ribbons. “Olenna Penticrest?” “Who is this?” Olenna asked as she peered into her mirror and attempted to squint. “I merely wanted to congratulate you for raising Taven. Did you hear the news? Taven helped end that dreadful kobold infestation. You did a wonderful job taking in your grandson.” He gushed awhile on the superb upbringing she provided. He waited patiently watching as the tension in her shoulders dissipated. It was a treat to watch that wizened old face light up in joy. After all, She was the handmaiden who picked up the baby and ran as the princess was slain in her own rooms. He so disliked his plans being fucked over by scion of that princess. Ignorant of the dangers that was all around him. Taven was strong. but were those around him? When one trod on the toes of dragons… The resulting talons were an inevitability. He lamented the loss of this mirror but mirrors were replaceable. “I have intruded upon your time long enough. So I shall take my leave.” “Die” The mirror cracked from the sheer force of his magic. The shards flying in all directions. But not before his spell thundered through. snuffing out her life with a single word. The look of surprise was delightful. The mirror network had enabled certain possibilities. He had merely discovered the ability the network had to transmit high powered spells… Provided they were vocal. But he was experimenting with the Symbol spells to see if those worked just as well. He scratched a mark on the wall. There were half a dozen similar marks. How many connections did Taven have to his mother? One less. “Servants I require another mirror” They cowardly provided. Truly, He lamented sending that assassin. He should have gone himself. Sometimes one had to manually prune withered branches and this was no different. Let Taven have his extraplanar adventure. There would be no connection anchoring him to this world when he returned. The dragon smiled. He’d make sure of that.

Absolutely true. But there is an element of horror as well. It would mean at the basic level an antagonist would target the switchboard operator analog first. The headquarters would have to be heavily defended.( Adventurers heroically holding off the orc army while the operators do their best to call for reinforcements. ) And not to mention now the antagonist now has the means to go after not just you. But your family, your loved ones and your friends. And while your PC can shrug off DC 15 saving throw(such as suggestion.) granny ain’t making it. Especially from something like power word kill through the phone analog. I.G. (modern threats confronted in a fantasy medium can help people deal with said new threats.)

<3 see you thought of it and that what is important. As society gets more comfortable long-range comm will make it into fantasy as well. Think like the start of a new age type thing.

Well just imagine magic users having access to the internet analog while the rest of the mundane world is barely out of the middle ages. No wonder regular people think the magic users are crazy or eccentric. When it just turns out they have their own Webspeak(Mirrorspeech) Sorta like how your grand parents don’t really know the internet. But just the entire nonmagical population in general. Now it makes more sense. Magic users would have their own complete culture to themselves. Like redditors arguing the ethics of using animate dead to create tireless servants. Or the arguments of Divine vs Arcane… And then Psionics get involved cause why not.

Well its even more confusing now cause now. The MTG verse is part of the D&D with the addition of Ravnica as a plane.

I’m a 3.5 fan myself. Edition 4 was attempting to make the RPG too much like a video game… Without graphics. And I’m still up in the air about the edition five since all they seem to do is have Mystra get hit with a bus at the end of every edition.

Yes. This is one of the best ways. They/Them could work. You don’t want to use the word “it” . Cause it a dehumanizing in a sense but also the least informative word to give. Unless the character isn't human at all.

Always assumed Deneir with his metatext was the closest to what is essentially coding. It would be Cyric and Vecna developing viruses. For sure and Bane with the rest of the Dead Three causing chaos. And giving Mystra another notch on her belt of regret for giving mortals magic. Haha.

The Palantiri would have made the war much simpler. There were seven but Sauron had acquired one. Stopping everyone on middle earth from utilizing them.( Since putting your mind into direct contact with evil incarnate is a dumb idea but then we aren’t talking about Denethor the 2) Without that one. The LOTR would have been a single book and over halfway because long-distance communication is OP

Its depends on the setting. But people don’t realize that D&D, pathfinder. They wouldn’t ever develop phones. Because it would be redundant and not nearly as effective as what they have now. Yes. Technically the magic casters technically have social media. (complete with sound and sight.) All you’d really need is a minor artifact to power a main hub and just start selling books on how to connect your mirror to it and bam. instead of phones, they’d have compact mirrors. For adventurers and the nobility. The fact that its never brought up is a failure of imagination.

“Oh god, We’re gonna die.” Said Pam bleedingly heavily. The pack of Wendigo had been a nasty surprise. The sun was setting and somewhere in that dark forest those things waited. “But look on the bright side. We have full bars.” Jon stated morbidly content as he showed her his phone screen though cracked to hell in back the bars were fully visible “Nobody’s dying tonight ya dipstick.” Came a third voice. “Thank god your phone still has those third-party apps installed.” They both turned to see a group emerge looking wary but unbowed. The End had come and gone and they remained. “Jon, You owe me a keg even at the end of the fricking world your bad taste in apps saved us.”

Creation has always been messy. In some small manner we’re just channeling it in a fashion different than most.

You’ll know. It can be pretty telling that the first scene of a character is them in a sex scene and the purpose of it. Its kinda like IRL the pacing can be important. Some people click and go straight to the adult fun because they’re comfortable enough with each other to do it. Bonding through pillow talk and the second round. Others require time and effort. Cultivating the relationship as you would with an exotic flower and hoping desperately you didn't kill the fricking thing with too much water or not enough shade. There's the romantics who have to do the whole fricking song and dance number. there's the antiromantics who just look at each other and go “we’re together now.” followed by a “O.k” life continues as normal types. Let the characters decide when to smoosh naughty bits together.