Thursday, July 7, 2011

MLP D&D: Fluttershy


Name: Fluttershy
Race: Pegasus pony
Alignment: Neutral Adorable
Class: Druid*

Look, if you don't find Fluttershy utterly adorable there's just something wrong with you. How could this scene not melt your heart and make you go "D'awww"?





Everyone loves Fluttershy; that's her entire schtick. Wild animals love her, trust her, and most importantly obey her; between her massively high Charisma, her druid ability of Wild Empathy, and her having taken every single feat related to that class feature, she exhibits a level of communion with nature that would be frightening if not for her utter lack of ambition aside from wanting to cuddle every living thing.

She's like every hippie chick you've ever met, except she smells better.

Well, every wild living thing. She can face down a manticore but she is terrified of being the center of attention by other ponies. And of course her crippling fear of adult dragons.

But what's important to note is that even though she is terribly afraid of many things (which would indicate a low Will Save, and therefore low Wisdom score) she manages to pull through when the chips are down. Which means that while her Wisdom isn't great, it isn't as low as you'd think -- probably in the 8-11 range. Sure, she isn't going to be casting high-level druid spells any time soon, but that's fine with Fluttershy, because she isn't about conflict at all. She's about healing, nurturing, and empathy. The only reason she goes along with the rest of the Mane Six (i.e. the Player Characters) is to make sure they're all right. She'd feel absolutely awful if one of her friends were to get hurt without her there to make it better.

If this wasn't a children's show, you can be certain Fluttershy would have a marijuana garden behind her cottage. Healing, peace, and love, dude. And if you have a problem with that, well... she'll give you the stare.

In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen!
Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn!
ALL SHALL LOVE ME AND DESPAIR!
This is the Face That Breaks Mortal Men. For when you have angered the incarnation of love and tolerance, she will level upon you a gaze which carries the same weight as a gun. This look has been used to admonish a cockatrice who was turning her to stone as she used it. It has also proven effective against unruly chickens and misbehaving children.

And, oh yeah, a red dragon a hundred times her size.



Pure Pony Pwnage.

To summarize:
  • Charisma is her core stat. 
  • Wisdom isn't as low as you'd think. 
  • Strength is her dump stat (she's only used to lifting birds & bunnies).
  • Loves nurturing & healing animals. 
  • Has tons of animal companions (Pack Lord archetype).
  • Can use Wild Empathy to devastating effect.



Key "Fluttershy is a Druid" episodes:
  • Tames a vicious manticore that defeated the rest of the team in Elements of Harmony
  • Lays the smackdown on a dragon in Dragonshy
  • Wakes up all the hibernating animals in Winter Wrap-Up
  • Out-stares a cockatrice (and defeats its petrifying gaze) in The Stare Master
  • Is seen taking care of animals -- including a very ill phoenix -- in A Bird in the Hoof



* It could be argued that in episode 26, The Best Night Ever, she takes a level in Barbarian....

20 comments:

  1. I really want to see the alignment system you've used for this series staked out at the end of it.  It'll probably leave me in the same condition as that dragon, but it'll be fun.

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  2. It's so true. The first thing I thought when I saw Fluttershy was "D'AWWWWW".

    And in that moment of weakness, my fate was sealed.But, you know. In a GOOD way.

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  3. It is worthy of note that, in certain (non-canon) circles, she is known as Fluttershy Dragonsbane.

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  4. Druid is a better choice than Cleric, you're right.

    Also don't know if you're aware of/care about the soundboard, but here's a link. It amuses me.

     http://kyrospawn.deviantart.com/art/MLP-FIM-soundboard-V4-2-213310684

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  5.  Well that's easily the next hour wasted at the very least...

    Thanks Jeff!  :P

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  6. I'm pretty sure Fluttershy dumped a lot of Skill Points into Diplomacy, Heal and Intimidate. All I know is that I wouldn't want to be on the recieving end of that stare, I'll tell you that much...

    Also, she apparently took a feat that lets her Wild Empathy work on plants; in Applebuck Season when the cast is helping Applejack, she doesn't kick the tree, she looks up at it and the apples fall into her basket: she Stared them down.

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  7. Oh, and as a reference to the Mr. Welch list

    http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/02/100-things-pinkie-pie-is-not-allowed-to.html

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  8. Wow, you're right! I had to go back and see for myself, but yup, she just smiles at the tree and the apples fall down. Good catch!

    Of course, we shouldn't be surprised at this. After all, in Over a Barrel she does say she'd like to be a tree...

    Shy has every Wild Empathy feat ever, which is what makes it so funny when this ability fails at the Great Galloping Gala, even though it makes no sense. 

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  9. OK, the fact that I've gone this far in thinking about it scares me, but shouldn't she be an Oracle of the Nature mystery instead (see Pathfinder's APG, or else d20pfsrd.com)? They're Charisma-based casters, and all she'd need otherwise is just a house-rule to gain Wild Empathy as per a Druid as a Revelation. Or else Skill Focus Handle Animal... and yes, I have put way too much thought into this.

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  10.  I suppose it's possibe, but it seems a bit forced to me, especially when Druid just seems to fit better.

    Also, what would her oracular curse be?

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  11. In the Super Genius Games PDF "Advanced Options: Oracle's Curses", there's one called Provocative. Now normally it's supposed to be for really hot and sexy, distractingly so, but changing it to just that darn cute doesn't seem like too far of a stretch.

    Enemies suffer no penalty to attack and in fact gain a bonus to hit you with nonlethal damage attacks, in return for all sorts of extra uses and bonuses with Diplomacy. Again, perhaps not all that balanced for regular use in a game, but it feels like a good fit for the character.

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  12.  Hmm, well, I suppose you've got a point, but I don't own the product in question, so I can't accurately judge. Sounds plausible, though.

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  13. Clearly, she rolled a critical fail that night. Possibly several in a row.

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  14. Or you could try the Fey Blood feat (by the author of the marvelous gaming content creation boards Giant in the Playground... oh, and he draws a comic too!).

    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10546562&postcount=11

    Of course, maybe you don't WANT her as an effective spellcaster (And she totally traded away earlier access to Wild Shape for early access to Plant forms... when she finally does get it).

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  15. My headcannon is that her Will is substantially higher than average, and that social awkwardness and lack of self-confidence is due to either roleplaying or a separate disadvantage.

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  16. I love fluttershy and she is cute. Maybe cause she is shy, dont mean she cant tame a dragon!

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  17. I actually can't stand Fluttershy. There's nothing wrong with me, she's cute and all, but her, as you put it, lack of ambition to do anything but cuddle everything, is annoying as hell.

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