u/MyneIsBestGirl

Not only does it beat a good picking of Scarfs and has access to Growth, just one boost and you beat almost everything, with the only choice being between losing to Corv or losing Heatran (E-Power vs W-Ball), and as a Gen 1 Mon, it just shows such insane prowess and still outputs more strength than newer beasts like Hisui-Liligant or the Protosynthesis. Life Orb Giga Drain ravages so many mons.

I like playing NDOU and it pairs very well with Mega Houndoom eating Fairy, Fighting and Ground hits. Any gen 1 mons you feel have an outsized power to you?

So, I knew by the late game, especially without sun for a big neutral hit for the two via Weather Ball that it was probably cooked. I'd live a Dragon Pulse, kill before it could hit again, and get 2 hit KO'ed by Earth Power.

It went as expected and I killed Archaludon at 43%/. Trade Draco for Earth Power, but I do get lucky with a crit stab Thunderbolt, but I was still realistically dead...until they pulled the quad resisted, Special vs AV 75 bp Giga Drain and got killed by a Draco highroll.

Genuinely the most WTF turnaround I have ever seen, and only because they chose the worst possible move out of like, aura farming purposes. At 1/2ed special attack, sitting at 1 HP, I somehow broke through.

He got flattened after I brought in Venusaur, mostly because the thing Slowbro has that Pyukumuku doesn't is Heal Pulse. Once I broke out, all it took was positioning right, resetting Sun to maximize the Growth, and then steamrolling what he had left.

Retrospectively, I have no clue what the team was for. It was very easy to kill after Pyukumuku failed, so I can only assume a troll who couldn't figure out how to stall out the most time.

While I only noticed it in ORAS, but Mega Houndoom is really good. Not only coming off 140 SpA, it also gets a Specs boost in Sun, which stacks on top of the boost to Fire moves. With this, it also moves at 115, outpacing the crucial 110 to bit very hard against a lot of meta staples. With just one Nasty Plot, Mega Houndoom in sun one shots bulky Alolamola. It also can put in some work to halt Ceruledge exploiting your sun with boosted Bitter Blade by running Flash Fire in its base form, KOing in Mega with Dark Pulse.

The two reasons it is not seen on almost any NDOU sun teams is fairly obvious of course. The Zards are of course very strong in their own respects, able to set sun for themselves and micromanage their weaknesses with the Dragon typing. Weather Ball in sun or boosted Flare Blitz hit insanely hard, no denying that. There is also the presence of OU Fighting types that outpace 115 like I-Val and Zama, although if you eliminate them almost nothing can live even plain Fire Blast. I have tried to mix Sun + Webs, but its hard to stuff in those and good sun abusers on top of setters, so I usually just run Tusk and Raging Bit-Bolt to exploit the big boosts.

Any megas you almost never see but think earn more usage?

PS. I found out how much I liked it when it outsped and OHKO'd my entire team, it was how I found out Solar Power wasn't just a Heliosk and Base Zard game.

These sound dumb but I just need the answer to know ahead when to move in. Which building is PEPR-4 and would a room like 435 be on the fourth floor or not?

A bunch of good flinches and reads, combined with a crucial miss, kind of hard to handle. Even Alolamola would've been food with Giga Drain getting me back up to full.

Basically, when I used to click on a multi-image post before, it would open up a new viewing that had the arrows to the side to scroll through, with sizing to match the window. But now, whenever I click on it, the first image brings me to a whole new page with just the image, or on the subsequent pictures, reloads the page and it won't allow me to see them, which sucks because it doesn't sit in the image frame right. I can do this normally on mobile, but can't anymore on PC. Can I fix it?

TLDR: Multi-image posts only open snippets as new page or reloads whole post, no inbetweens on PC. Can do this usually on mobile, any fix?

I’m doing a long summer of labor out in the parks and only get Saturday off. I thought I’d have enough downloaded to last me the summer, but I’m quickly running out of downloaded shows and have barely enough connection to post out here. Any places in Sonora I could just sit in for 20-30 minutes to download stuff? I’m willing to pay at the business if necessary.

I made a post a few days ago and was riding the love I felt when I first watched it and posted the content with more firm language than intended.

Qualifiers:
My main message is: Slime Tensei is basic to the max BUT it actually tries where it matters and is a blueprint I consider to be the best example of a normal isekai story. Other isekai are absolutely better and many I personally prefer, but most isekai stories that stand far above the rest are twists on the genres and far more unique to the premise, which for a genre as monochrome as isekai makes them hard to define as good because of their isekai elements. Mushoku Tensei could also qualify here, but I'd rather die than try to discuss that show here.

1. Beginning - Most isekai keep the method of transfer simple and split on two categories, instant transport or reincarnation. Both are pretty simple, but divide MCs on the lines of 'just normal Japanese teenage boy surrounded by women who needs guidance' and 'knowledgeable to the world and has own identity' types. I find reincarnation is a bare minimum to make an interesting protagonist for an isekai story to explicitly avoid verbalizing all worldbuilding and at least reducing self-insert vibes. Slime Tensei's intro to isekai is pretty great because it provides a few necessary ingredients, notably a view on who Satoru was before, his inherent heroism, a bit self-serving attitude, and his strong desires and regrets as he fades. Next, by making him a slime, it promotes the chance for a non-human face and allows us to explore his personality before he assumes human form, which for once actually has narrative consequence compared to other stories where losing their interesting base form is natural and irreversible.

2. Character Distinctions - Typically, most basic isekai focus entirely on female side characters to form harems with, usually by mixing in characters who have known the MC forever, have been beaten into submission or are drawn by their unique presence, but they also all fail to acknowledge any personality traits worth desiring in him but strength and kindness, leading to all of them being very flat and interchangeable. Slime Tensei routes around this issue by expanding the potential side cast and keeping the ratios balanced by different motiving factors. Expanding on this, each incident tends to produce new sets of people who join his nation, with each having representatives known by name and unifying reasons for fealty. The goblins of course swore loyalty for protection and love Rimuru for the comfortable lives he elevated them to. The Tempest Wolves appreciate the strength he demonstrated and chance to serve the strong via their hierarchical structure. The dwarves and Vesta value Rimuru getting them out of a bind and allowing them to fully exercise their expertise for the benefit of all. The Kijin find his ability to host them, name them and help beat the Orc Lord for personal losses aspirational. The Orcs (who I love the most) deeply value Rimuru for hosting them (ending their famine) and giving a peaceful means to pay for the blood they spilt. Not only this, but each representative have their own flaws that compliment their people's reasons for fealty. Rigurd finds it difficult to displease Rimuru at all, often trying to shoulder burdens he shouldn't and perhaps overindulging on their recent growth. The wolves and dwarves tend to have little problems as they operate mostly in the background. Each of the Kijin are easily identifiable and each feels they are inadequate in their own ways which they learn to embattle. I find the fact that the Orcs feel out of place when not working because of their past, and Geld's constant attempts to demonstrate himself completely admirable and nice. Slime Diaries expands into all of them better of course. Of course, they suffer the criticisms of harem having and making the ladies more human, but to counter that, I firmly believe its part of the tropes and charms of isekai, and breaking those conventions would undermine them being a basic isekai done amazingly.

3. Enemies - A lot of isekai like to minimize the complexity and motivations of outside forces that act against the protagonist. Of course you have your standard Demon Kings or big evil mages, but a lot do a lazy subversion where the Church or human royalty are really to blame for the hero's woes. To add insult to injury, a lot minimize the effect of factions on the world down to the good faction and the bad faction, one populated by ugly bastard nobles who are obviously corrupt and will be dealt with in embarrassing fashion. In Slime Tensei, each and every force that opposes Rimuru has good reason to do so that is explored in the narrative. The wolves wanted territory now that Veldora vanished, the Orc Lord was a long-planned scheme to control a Demon Lord, Charibdys was a means to test Tempest as it was a close threat to Distave, etc. Falmuth knew they would lose an economic war if the Jura Forest was suddenly, easily passible, and crushing it would mean preventing their biggest monopolistic boon would vanish. But, despite understanding their reasonings, we can still despise them as they operate within their limitations compared to thoughtless hateful slaughter. As we later learn of Mariabel (won't spoil much since current season), but seeing the parallels between her and Rimuru, as well as the fact that their conflict wasn't in self defense but a provocation on both sides will make their conflicts delicious.

4. Rimuru Himself - Isekai MCs tend to fall on opposite sides of a spectrum, too bland to be likeable and too foreign to be relatable. For examples, The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar's MC who is so boring I couldn't be damned to remember the name, who is so bland that his sole defining trait is looking up battle formations on Wikipedia. On the opposite side, you have the MC of Re:Monster, the psychic cannibal who becomes a goblin predator who Stockholm's women into his harem. I strongly believe that on the monster to normal person spectrum, Rimuru finds the sweet spot where his slime physiology comes up often enough including in transformation that it's pertanent without being unrelatable. He also has a good amount of change occur to him, something rare for other isekai, as the Falmuth incident does end up forever changing him in ways which brings him into conflict with Mariabel.

Now, I've loved this series for a good while, but with the uptick in stuff to enjoy in the newest season, I reflected on it and realized its very close to the most wholly satisfactory isekai. I just wanted to point to a couple of reasons as to why [light spoilers ahead]:

1. The MC, Rimuru himself - Of course, Rimuru is one of if not the main attractions of the series itself. A bit of a basic death (no Truck-kun but still), but the first hints at the quality come in the first episode where we experience the rebirth and growing understanding of the world around him, why he had the specific skills he attained, and really get to understand him as a person from the get-go. As the story develops, he may not struggle in fights often, but the point is less in the struggle and more in the challenge to defend and apply pressure where needed. Such becomes more apparent in S3 onwards where politics, give and take, as well as other means of handling non-violent conflicts arise. We also get to see him make mistakes, change his shape often, grow as a person and actually feel beyond what is completely justified. And, on a shorter note, while he does often present as human, his agender presentation and the often times he reverts between forms ensures it isn't a stepping off point from his origins, as even his human form carries significance and plays a major role in the story.

Tldr: Rimuru is a layered, relatable yet entertaining character who remains completely unique and while talented does make mistakes in line with his character.

The Failings of MCs - Most often, the MC in isekai stories are the bargain bin Japanese young man who allow the side characters to cling onto for marketing purposes. To be considered good often requires a few more traits tacked on which make them different, and often what divides the notable isekai from season to season filler. But this sometimes leads to stagnation where the MC is strange or different but doesn't really change outside of minor episodes usually towards the finale. Even for longer shows like Overlord which might fill most of the qualifications, Ains doesn't noticeably change, instead exploring his static existence as he is challenged. Rimuru is a very different person between seasons as his journey changes his point of view and priorities, evading the trap of a basic MC>

2. The Side Characters Grow Aside and In Their Own Obligations - This one is a bit more complicated, but each set of characters in the show have their own origins, connections and their own values to hold within the nation of Tempest in relation to Rimuru. The Kijin began their way as seeking revenge, but came to understand Rimuru's dream and wish to support it, while giving respect to their lost past. The Lizardmen started as slightly antagonistic jerks, but quickly found their true purpose in cultivation and are able to hold their own pride while serving Tempest. The most fascinating come down to the Orcs. Driven to starvation, cannibalism and tyranny, being freed gave them immediate guilt and good reason to hold Rimuru in high respects, especially since he effectively saved them twice (from the >!Orc Disaster!< and by providing food). While the main series suffers a bit to explore these things, Slime Diaries perfectly delves into the characters and gives little moments to best demonstrate their traits. Despite such a large cast, just the main anime alone would likely let you remember each named character's motivations, personality and flaws, because while most are in common agreement to serve Tempest, they all get enough spotlight for their own contributions to shine through. I especially like the growth Gobta shows and the distinct sense of guardianship Geld offers. Gabiru is also a nice treat. One valid criticism is how many of the girl characters turn mostly humanoid, but some guys do as well so I don't think its too big of a swing.

While I could say a lot more, my brain is fried and I just wanted to say this.

The main villain of my next campaign (set in an ancient Egypt inspired kingdom) is planned to be an ooblex or something like it with a lot more fun powers to prevent it being stomped.

Concept: All oozes are made from the 'white cells' of gods, with most coming from the god of the earth Geb whose body is said to compose soil, causing most wild variants to flow up from caves as they escape the sublayers and through mines. The BBEG would be formed from a similar substance, a piece of an evil god's power that managed to escape as a formless glob. Slowly, it consumed latent power of the lands until it gained a personality and could speak to its former host. It's end goal is to unleash the god and eat him, super ceding his power and becoming the deity he felt he deserved to be.

Powerset Ideas:

Hands - Basically, minibosses peppered around lairs of his organization which provide unique challenges (one blocks healing with Psychic damage, another drains HP, etc). The final fight would have them all revealed to be part of him, reformed to assist the ooblex in battle.

'Possession' - More loose, but the slime infects and consumes people from the inside, body snatching them and allowing him to be a greater DIO style threat that may go unnoticed for a while. Just wondering if it should be horrific (bodysuit style) or more 'fixable' (antennae that can be removed).

Pact of Chain Warlock - No actual statblocks, but his public facing personality is a Goliath who provides charity to people who've lost their livelihoods and faith due to an archaic mind breaking storm (which the party may have set in motion in the previous campaign). On the backend, he is a Warlock to his own god who does not recognize his origin, which gives him the chance to use a familiar and EB as a more fanciful villain before pulling out the bigger stuff.

Clones - Just disposable pawns with decent stats he can use as the 'stand in' at meetings or events that the party chase him to, allowing him to gradually grow in power alongside them (since his goal is to bait them into breaking the god free accidentally), so he commits more resources to each clone until the party finally finds the real being at the end of the line. Let him 'be there' without reasonably crushing them.

Eat Memories - Acts functionally similar to the real one, but it also lets him remove witnesses without just killing them, producing a Feeblemind kind of effect on NPCs that the party may like to motivate them into action.

Final Goal - To unleash the god, he'd manufacture a crisis where a mass in worship of the false idols he produces causes people to begin losing their souls to unlock the barrier the 'wrong way', while giving the party clues on how to open it the 'right way' and leading them on to gather the resources for it. The only way to stop people from dying here? Open it themselves and cancel his ritual. A weakened god would shamble out, and when below a certain HP, he traps what remains into a sort of fridge to fuse with him later. The party's final battle is interrupting the ooblex from fusing the god into himself (using the Hands and his established moveset), which if they do, causes him and the evil god to be dragged into the Void by the various beings they tricked into assisting.

Reasoning: My last campaign was my first, and I had no grand idea what was happening, tried and half-succeeded introducing a final goal, but there was no central schemer to crush for a satisfying ending.

Questions:

1. Any other ideas for an ooblex warlock?
2. Does it work as a concept?
3. Any good ways to slowly introduce him to the party without making them beeline to his headquarters?

As the title reads, I want to have a player use a Wisdom Sorcerer but I don’t want to make a whole class HB. Is there any other way?

I plan to use a Highway Rider Rogue in a coming campaign but, playing as a fairy, nothing really fits good. I don't need one, but having something to use the spell for would be nice. I would love a giant insect, which I can reflavor for, but I'd wanna know if there's better alternatives beforehand.