RPHQ May Spotlight

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ART SPOLTIGHT

Art by Allen Geneta. See more here!

CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT

Thomas Edward DeLafonte-Sharpe

RIFT, Guild Wars 2, Star Trek Online

What inspired you to create Thomas?  

“I’ve spent a lot of time in game (RIFT) … I adore watching so many different folks in the Glades of Silverwood. Between Lycans, Vampires, Kitsune, Strong folks, and even many troublemakers; I have never met a soul with a real tangible flaw. ... Thomas is extremely different. Here is a man, fear ridden. A pantophobic… which means the fear of everything. Here is a soul that should not be able to step out the door let alone be able to step foot in a place like the Glades.”

What do you like and dislike about him?

“He is by far one of the hardest characters I play. He actually has a very strong inner strength, but it is hard to see it. He trembles in fear, all the time. He is heavily timid and down right submissive. This makes him fun and terribly difficult to play. I love to be involved with others and their storylines… but a man scared of his own shadow, a man that has a bigger reputation of peeing his pants then to fight… this makes it one: hard to join in a DM function, and Two: Either you love him and feel for him, Or you just want to hate and make his day worse.”
Art by Vieye

Art by Vieye

What makes Thomas unique?

“There is a lot that defines him unique. With him being as phobic as he is, he stands out quickly. Refusing to wear black, or anything that is remotely scary in his eyes. He is a tall fellow, but because of his fear, looks much smaller then he is. He stutters, oh boy does he stutter. Not many in the Glades, speak as timidly as he does. Oh, and he loves to carry a plush with him from time to time.

And the man isn’t by himself. He has a pumpkin named Stickers, that is a character in his own rights. The pumpkin cannot defend Thomas, but there are times the pumpkin glares threateningly to those that threaten to make Thomas cry.”

What is your favorite part about roleplaying Thomasr?

“My favorite… that is so hard. I adore the man. He tries so hard to be normal. He tries to prove he is capable to fight. He makes me smile when I play him. He is one of those child-like souls, that I cannot help but feel rather motherly with him. I cannot control much around him… and when I RP with him, he kinda is on his own.”

What has been your worst rp experience with him?

“My worse has honestly been his breakups he has gone through. The poor man goes through such a difficult time to be brave enough to hold a relationship with someone, always fearing something to go wrong… or demanded of him, and to have it after a time to end so suddenly. He has a bad history of trying too hard, and not saying the correct things.”

What was a defining moment in Thomas' history?

“Oh I really love this one. In so many reasons. Thomas finally got a chance to prove himself with the Vaiyuu. They were searching for one of their own, before he became a part of the guild, a sister that was captured to the Storm Legion. It sort of hit home for himself, because he lost his sister prior to his ascension to Telara. He timidly asked to be involved, tagging and lagging to the back of the group. With his sharp eyes and quick responses with his bow, Thomas was able to keep the party going from the back. He stayed close to the group and after a long battle was able to rally the group to keep fighting. They saved her, and Thomas got a job as the Vaiyuu’s bartender.”
Elizabeth Short, a graduate student in industrial-organizational psychology, poses in front of her World of Warcraft character. Sam O’Keefe/Missouri S&T

Elizabeth Short, a graduate student in industrial-organizational psychology, poses in front of her World of Warcraft character. Sam O’Keefe/Missouri S&T

“This man has been playing massively multiplayer online role-playing game Asheron’s Call since it launched in 1999, sharing adventures with friends from around the world. But Asheron’s Call is closing at the end of the month, and it’s time to say goodbye.”
— Mike Fahey
HONOR OF KINGS

HONOR OF KINGS

“Honor of Kings, a role-playing game for smartphones, has attracted 50m active daily users, after adding 5m a month since it was launched by internet company Tencent last year — making it more popular than Nintendo’s global sensation Pokémon Go. ...

Honor of Kings is essentially a mobile version of the world’s most played game, League of Legends, which was created by US developer Riot Games. ”
— by: Tom Hancock in Shanghai

MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

“THE 1970S WERE a golden age for fantasy dorks. Sure, you might’ve been pulverized after school on a regular basis, but even as your bruises were swelling, the line between cool and uncool already was blurring—Led Zeppelin was singing about the Misty Mountain, while Sabbath was paying homage to a certain gray wizard. And perhaps most fundamental to the evolution of nerd culture, Dungeons & Dragons was born. ...

The result is a collection of rare, awesomely lo-fi songs that run the gamut of epic fantasy themes, from sorcery to necromancy to the All-Knowing Eye himself.”
— DEVON MALONEY

RP ADVICE SPOTLIGHT

Rise of the Dungeon Master

Rise of the Dungeon Master

“Rise of the Dungeon Master is a masterful telling of the story of Gygax, his co-creator and collaborators, but it is done in service of the almighty DM. Today is the age of the player, and we are a vital part of the history of Dungeons & Dragons sorely missed in histories such as these.”
— Cecilia D'Anastasio
“Chris Avellone (the writer behind games like Fallout: New Vegas, Planescape: Torment, Pillars of Eternity, etc) has been quite busy since his departure from Obsidian Entertainment. The veteran designer and writer has announced a new RPG, titled simply Pathfinder: Kingmaker.

As the name implies, it’s the first computer RPG set within the popular pen-and-paper Pathfinder universe, and will be developed under a new studio named Owlcat Games. ”
— Brandon Orselli
“... a celebration of a more traditional form of turn-based RPG with its 2D, paper-craft heroes, procedurally-generated dungeons that look as if they’ve been painstakingly put together block by literal block and its all-round perilous uncertainty on what may lie in the player’s wake as they tackle the game’s assortment of one hundred dungeons.”
— Jordan Helm
“Simply titled The Mage’s Tale, it’s an immersive, first-person dungeon crawler RPG that takes place in the same universe as The Bard’s Tale. Stylistically, it brings back Ultima, Wizardry, Might & Magic, and Elder Scrolls 1 & 2 vibes. We can only hope for something with that same level of quality and creativity. At least visually, we can clearly tell that it’s aiming to keep that breathtaking and beautiful style intact.”
— DAVID JAGNEAUX

- LARP

“Like Cole, freshman Maya Ziv ‘20 has experienced a range of reactions to her own interest of Live Action Role-Playing or LARPing, for short. ... “It’s a huge part of my life. A ton of my time is spent either writing games or planning LARP events. A lot of people are very curious about the mechanics and how it actually works, so those questions generally come up. People often relate it to their experience with fantasy or games, [specifically] their favorite video game or novel. Occasionally, people will be weirded out or confused, but most respond [with positivity],” she said. ”
— Emily Schmidt
Maya Ziv '20, right, counts LARP among her favorite hobbies (MAYA ZIV/The Stanford Daily)

Maya Ziv '20, right, counts LARP among her favorite hobbies (MAYA ZIV/The Stanford Daily)