art by AssasinMonkey

Well, this Afterthoughts has been delayed far too long, and I apologize for that. There were numerous elements that converged to cause the delay. Work-related stress caused by the start of the busy season and the newest change in management combined with a mild depression due to the change in temperature and weather. Additionally, I became engrossed in a new game (Deus Ex: Mankind Divided) and a couple of very dear friends of mine got married. With all of this, I just couldn’t get into the proper frame of mind to write down my Afterthoughts.

In addition, “Dungeons and Discords” was an unusually difficult episode for me to decide how to examine. It was a good episode, a great one even. But “Dungeons and Discords” played out a generalized moral circumstance rather than having a singular moral lesson. There were a great many ways you could view what the episode was trying to teach or what it was about.

For example, take a look at how Dr. Wolf approached the episode. He has some wonderful insights on how Spike’s and Big Mac’s characters were reflections of their own desires and insecurities.

Dr. Wolf looks at how Discord is self-promoting and self-centered in his actions, attempting to hijack Guys Night to conform to his own ideas of fun. This is definitely a major element of the episode, and deserves the focus that Dr. Wolf gives it. But as he says, that is merely the stronger lesson that he finds.

Likewise, we can look at the episode in terms of a lesson on giving people a chance. And even a second chance. However, this is a lesson that we have already seen just one episode before with “The Times They Are a Changeling”. Spike has clearly already learned this, and “Dungeons and Discords” makes that fairly clear. The episode serves as a reminder of this previous lesson, but doesn’t dwell on it. These two characters already know, and really only hesitate long enough for the collective sigh before agreeing to call Discord back in.

It is worth pointing out that Discord had not apologized at that point, but he had shown signs of regret and the potential to change. This is important. As I mentioned before, there is a limit to giving people chances. If they have no intention or ability to change, then all you do is become an enabler. Giving people chances when they aren’t going to use them to improve is actually harmful to them.

More thoughts after the break.

art by DashieSparkle

It is no secret that I am a tabletop roleplaying enthusiast, both running and playing such games both locally and online. Currently, I am running two games, one of which is the “Fallout: Beyond Equestria” game that I have talked about often in my blogs, and the other is an Exalted campaign. I also play in two other games each week.

(Although not so much last week, as the DM of one of those games was busy getting married. )

I want to take a moment to comment on how excellent a Dungeon Master (/Game Master/Storyteller) Spike is here. Not only does he take the time to invite the awkward and difficult-to-like new guy in, and not only does he give the guy a second chance when the first time goes disastrously, but he first clears both decisions with the rest of the group.

Granted, the rest of the group consists of only one, Big Macintosh, who is an equal contributor in these decisions. But I want to point this out because the DM is usually the one to make this call. There is more to being a Dungeon Master than just creating a setting and a story and NPCs and adventures… And the DM is responsible for maintaining an enjoyable atmosphere in the game.

art by KarmaDash

The DM must weigh the impact of inviting a questionable new player in regards to how doing so might lessen the game for everyone else. This is an investment of everyone’s time and energy, and it isn’t fair for the DM to arbitrarily introduce an element that makes the game socially unpleasant for several people just out of a desire to extend the hand of friendship to another. Clearing this with the other member of the group and making sure that everyone is on the same page shows an uncommon level of maturity from Spike as a Dungeon Master.

As a side note, I want to answer the question I’m sure many people asked at the beginning of this episode: yes, it is absolutely possible to run a tabletop RPG with just two people. Spike’s method actually works very well.

Personally, I am a proponent of DMPCs – Dungeon Master-played characters – so long as the DM does it right. I lot of people really dislike that idea, often because they have had negative experiences with DMs who made the game about their own character, or who allowed that DMPC to outside the others in a very similar way to how Discord was throwing the spotlight on himself.

Instead, in order to do this right, the DM has to create a character who is useful and interesting, but who doesn't outshine the PCs (player’s characters) or step on anyone's toes. Having a DMPC is very useful, especially in smaller parties as the character can take on a vital role (such as the healer) that nobody else wants to play, allowing the players to craft the characters they wish to play instead of feeling obligated to fill a required role.

art by Tartifondue

And at least for me (since I lean towards roleplay-intensive games), in an adventure where the party will be on its own, it is good for the DM to have a character with them through which he or she can interact with the other characters.

On the other hoof, I'm not a big proponent of adventure books and modules. I prefer setting books, and DM-crafted stories. I was disappointed to see Spike establishing the scenario by reading out of an adventure book. I can accept this from Spike however, as he is a relatively new DM, and because he does so many other things so impressively.

Personally, however, I find that adventure modules tend to be at best a crutch for DMs who lack either the free time or storytelling imagination to come up with adventures of their own. At worst, they are used by arduous groups like the Pathfinder Society to actively stifle creativity and enforce uniformity of experience. I would be hard-pressed to think of anything more detrimental to the wondrous potential of tabletop roleplaying.

And on a complete tangent, I think Spike got lucky. Having Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash join in the fun is an amazing boost to his game. But imagine having to try to explain “Smarity” if Rarity had joined in. At least he has a seasons-old Pinkie Promise to rely on, and I’m sure Pinkie will help keep Rainbow from making too much of that.

art by luminaura

However, there is another aspect of the morality play of “Dungeons and Discords” that I feel deserves even more focus, and that is Discord’s humbling lesson that he is not a better person than the “sidekicks” he was putting himself above.

Discord is more powerful. He is more versatile. He has boundless potential for what he could do. But none of that has any influence on his quality of character. Having greater skill than someone else makes you better at that skill, not simply better objectively.

Being a skilled fanfiction writer or a “horse-famous” musician or artist does not in any way put you on a pedestal above the rest of the community, save in the specific and extremely limited arena of what you have acclaim for.

Treating others like they are beneath you through a misplaced idea of superiority is not only wrong, but actively works towards the opposite effect of making you a less admirable and respectable person than they are. Morals and behavior, not talent and accomplishment, is the measure of a person as a person. Simply put, if someone acts like a snob or an asshole, no matter what they may be better at, they are worse at being a person than someone who does not.

At the end of “Dungeons and Discords”, Discord comes to this crashing realization. Even still, his first instinct upon being invited back is to self-glorify. This is understandable, as this realization is a brutal shattering of a false self-image, and it is to Discord’s credit that he quickly shifts from trying to cling to the broken pieces of that.

Secondary Stats:

As much as I could have eaten up an entire episode of just the three of them (or even better, the five with Pinkie and RD added) playing Spike’s game in Discord’s altered reality, I’m glad we got to see Discord’s non-chaotic ideas for fun. Jazz and zoot suits! I’ll admit, the first time I saw a zoot suit was in the movie The Mask, so I kept having flashbacks to it in that scene. Which was oddly fitting.

I loved the dogs playing poker. Nice one, Discord.

In my Afterthoughts for “Stranger than Fan Fiction”, I quoted a line from the Nostalgia Critic’s review of Space Jam. And now, a few episodes later, Discord pulls off a Space Jam reference. That feels… a bit awkward, considering.

I loved the PCs for each of the cast involved. Especially Rainbow Dash as a rogue! Perfect! And Pinkie Pie is whatever Ogres and Oubliettes has for a jester or bard class. I also love that they ported Ogres and Oubliettes from the comics into the actual cartoon canon. That’s so awesome!

I’d comment more on Big Macintosh’s and Spike’s choice of characters, but honestly, I cannot add any insight that Dr. Wolf didn’t already express in the linked video.

"Opposite Fluttershy"!

There was some nice continuity, both with Spike and Big Mac hanging out while the Mane Six are off on adventures, and Pinkie's knowledge of Yakyakistan. "Did I forget to mention there's a pony-eating yeti?" Yes, Pinkie, yes you did.

In fact, the entire train station scene was fun, from the "mysterious" change of the route into an active volcano (and Fluttershy's perfect expressions) to Big Mac shoving his sister into the train, to Spike's painfully nerdy comment to Rarity (and the well-earned eyeroll response). I got a kick out of Spike's comment "I do like basking in things." (And was Applejack making a dig at Rarity about the boots?)

There was some great designs and animation in this. The alternate reality created by Discord had many wonderful touches. The cardboard bad guys with their amusingly blocky running animation was hilarious. And all the arrows cards on sticks was brilliant. Fluttershy had some wonderful expressions. And the jazz lounge ponies had some classy new designs. I love the effort that the animators put into bringing this episode to life.