Collaboration
Find another player and collaborate on a Cutscene! Work together to create a two-post Cutscene that shows a connection between your character and the other player's character! One from one character's point of view, the second from the other character's point of view!
What If? Clan Wars
What if the Clan Wars never ended and the Hidden Villages were never established? Where would your character be if the Clan Wars were still going on? What might be different? What might stay the same? RP at least one scene within this scenario!
Dreams
Everyone has dreams. Some are bright, and some are dark. Some are happy, and some are sad. Some dreams are confusing or even frightening. Some may seem prophetic or deal heavily with present concerns, and yet others may concern memories from the past. The Challenge for this week is to write a Cutscene (or more than one if you need to!) that shows a dream your character is having (or multiple characters if you wish)!
Dreams - Nightmareland
Dreams - Perfect World
Dreams - Hallucinations
Dreams - Kanda Bad Dream
Dreams - Tetsuo Perfect Life
Dreams - Nightmare of a Ghost
Dreams - A glimpse of the future?
Dreams - It's MINE
Dreams - Tsukiko's Dream
Dreams - The Price of a Perfect World
Dreams - Nightmare On Hiro
Dreams - A Heroine's Bane
Dreams - Nausea
Dreams - Akemi's Dream
Dreams - Daisuke's Dream
Dreams - Visions of Time?
Dreams - Dream of Long Ago
Dreams - Once More Into The Void
Dreams - Sisters
Dreams - Diver
Fails and Flaws
Everyone likes winning. Everyone likes looking good and feeling important. But a character that never loses and has no flaws can become very bland and uninteresting very quickly. No person (not even fictional people!) are truly 'perfect'. Go out and RP in one or more scenes that showcase one or more >significant< flaws that one or more of your characters possess! Alternately, take part in one or more scenes in which your character (or characters) >fail< at something. It could be as simple as a Student failing a written test or the performance of a ninja skill, as emotional as letting down a friend or loved one, or as major as failing to save someone's life. It can be >anything<, but the thing to keep in mind is that your character is >not< 'semi-losing' or 'only barely succeeding'. To complete this challenge, your character must >not< succeed at a task that he or she sets out to complete.
Emoting
We are roleplaying in a text-based medium. This lends itself well to describing thoughts and feelings that are ordinarily hard to show in a more visual medium, such as on television, or in a movie, or on a stage. However, let's not forget that other people's characters are generally not able to read the minds of our own characters. We should be doing something physically that shows what our characters are feeling or thinking, at least to some degree, if we want others to respond or recognize our characters' current mental/emotional states. Via a Cutscene, show what your character is thinking or feeling. Facial expression, voice tone, body language, eye contact or lack thereof… All of these are potential ways to communicate to others that your character is happy, sad, angry, afraid, in love, in pain, dislikes another person, or is relaxed around another person, and more!
Remember, the main goal of this Challenge is to >show your character's feelings physically<. While some internal monologuing is acceptable, it should >not< simply be an entire post of your character's thoughts with a couple smiles or frowns thrown in. Think to yourself while writing your post: 'Could another player tell from my descriptions that my character is angry/happy/sad/tired? Am I providing enough detail for another player to respond to ICly?'
Family
Many of us mention our character's family in their background and their wiki page, and sometimes we even refer to them in scenes. It's not very often, though, that they actually play a prominent role in a scene. This is your chance to bring your character's loved ones into the spotlight and display them as people. Haven't thought about what they'd really be like? Now's the time to decide! Remember to make your character's family real characters in themselves, not defined solely by their relationship to your PC. Give them quirks, mannerisms, flaws, strengths, and goals of their own, even if you don't have space to demonstrate all of them.
If you have no living/known family, then you can either do a 'flashback' scene to when you were a child or infant, and show your parents or whomever in that way, or you can use 'family equivalents', such as very close friends, spouses, etc. Please be reasonable when doing this. 'That homeless guy down the street that I sometimes give spare change to' is probably not a 'family-equivalent'.
It Happened on the Road To…
This is a fairly simple challenge to help everyone get back into the swing of things. Since inter-village RP is a hot topic lately, we're challenging you to do a scene with somebody from someplace other than your own village (or a not-wanderer if you're a wanderer), someplace out in the big wide world. Despite the challenge name, it doesn't have to literally be on the road to someplace, but it can't be in a ninja village, even one that you're not from! Use some imagination, come up with a reason to be someplace else, and do a scene with somebody foreign, preferably that you've never met before IC. This would be a great chance to find yourself needing to cooperate to fulfill mutually parallel missions, or maybe competing for a prize both of your clients want!
A quick note for if you decide on a competitive scene: it's up to you (and the other participants) how far you take things, but bear in mind that for most ninja villages, failing a mission is not a mark of unendurable shame. Depending on what's at stake, succeeding may not be worth risking life and limb of yourself or your team-mates, or even the ninja competing with you — especially if you're in territory that would frown on altercations. Be smart, stay aware of your priorities, and don't go starting any wars. ;)
Once Upon A Time
There are some stories we're all familiar with; Snow White & the Seven Dwarves, Robin Hood, Aladdin, etc. What would happen if one of the characters from a classic tale was replaced with yours? Your goal is to write a Cutscene to show us the results. You can play this a number of different ways, from a straight acting of the role to showing us how your character would do things differently to spiralling the plot into absolute craziness. The story doesn't have to be a fairy tale or anything, but it should be something that the vast majority of us will know well enough to appreciate — for example, Star Wars might work, but Planet of the Apes would be a bit too niche. You don't have to tell the entire story, just a juicy section that demonstrates how your character fits (or doesn't fit) into that world.
The Musical
This challenge can be completed either as a logged scene >or< a cutscene post. It is up to you! The basic concept is this: A normal scene with any number of people and any number of premises or types of RP… But it's a musical. At the appropriate time, people burst into song and possibly dance and none of this seems at all weird or strange for some reason. Improvise original lyrics, modify existing songs, or set a chase scene, battle, or introspection-laden meeting to instrumentals as per 'Loony Tunes' (or similar). Whatever you do, make certain to actually >participate< in the music. Even if you are not singing or dancing or playing an instrument yourself, you can still show how the background music or whatever 'fits' with what your character >is< doing. If you >do< want to sing, match it to whatever the song is that's going on instead of starting up a completely different one. This is a >collaborative effort< between >all< of the people in the scene.
Want to do a 'The Warriors'-style 'dance-off'? That works too! :D If you have links to the music you are using somewhere, include them in the log if possible!
Also, if you are doing a Cutscene instead of a Logged scene, then you can just do it in a sort of 'songfic'-like manner, if you want, and it is okay to handle it in a way that would not necessarily work in a scene with pose rounds and multiple people waiting on you.
What If? Dead Rising
Remember that plot that was going to involve lots of dead people rising from the grave? We're still not running it as originally planned, but we all liked the idea of finding out how our characters would react to people coming back from the dead. So, we're taking that part and making it into a What If challenge! The events of this challenge take place in their own little plot bubble and do not affect the IC history of the MUSH going forward. You can do this challenge with others and send in the log of your scene, or post a solo scene to the Cutscene board, your choice.
To clarify, this challenge is about what would happen if somebody dead came back to "life" and interacted with your character. They can be somebody you knew, or a complete stranger; they can be completely restored and in their right mind, or a slobbering zombie; it can be just one person, or a massive horde. There's no explanation for why it's happening (unless you care to invent one), it just is.
What If? Dead Rising - Loved Ones of the Kaguya
What If? Dead Rising - Resident Ninja
What If? Dead Rising - Naru's Nightmare
What If? Dead Rising - Warehouse Raid
What If? Dead Rising - All That Remains
What If? Dead Rising - Criminal Intent
What if? Dead Rising - Dog Thief
What If? Dead Rising - Perfection
What If? Dead Rising - Revenge Assignment
What If? Dead Rising - Unforgiven
New Year
The new year may have come for some of you already or is at least in the process of coming, but no matter! This challenge is pretty simple.
Your characters are bringing in the new year the way they want to! So, what do they do? Get drunk? Have fun? Reflect on the past year? Make resolutions? Whatever the case may be, they're doing /something/ about this new year and they feel absolutely compelled to just go out there and RP about it! So, go do that now! :P
What If? Self-Insertion
What if a character of yours had been involved in the canon Naruto series? What would be different? How would your character react? How would the other characters react to them? Write a cutscene to illustrate this. Your character can be inserted into the plot or they can take the place of a canon character. To minimize spoilers, please restrict your choice of scene to pre-Shippuden.
For those who really want to give a gold performance on this one, remember to consider not only how your character would change things, but how the circumstances of the canon world would change your character. Would they have developed in the same way if they had been born into a world where the Great Shinobi Villages had already been in existence for several generations? If they were an orphan jinchuuriki shunned by everyone around them, how would they respond? If their clan had been wiped out by their elder brother, how would their personality be altered? If their team consisted of their crush and an annoying knucklehead with a crush on them, how would they cope? How would all of these factors affect their attitude, their goals, and their specialties as a ninja?
What If? Self-Insertion - Uchiha Jon in the Valley of the End
What if? Self-Insertion - Different World, Not so Different Iga
What If? Self-Insertion - Path of Revenge
What if? Self-Insertion - My Power is Yours
What If? Self-Insertion - Chuunin Exams
What If? Self-Insertion - Farewell?
What If? Self-Insertion - War Council
What If? Self-Insertion - Out of Self Exile
What If? Self Insertion - Named after an ancestor
Ninja's Best Friend
We see a few shinobi both in canon and in our own character roster who have animal companions which aid them in their ninja duties. Not all pets of ninja have to be ninja tools, however. In this challenge, RP about interacting with an animal, preferably in a non-combat-oriented way. For those characters who don't happen to have pets, don't worry, there are plenty of ways to go about this. You could make the scene a what-if scenario about a version of your character which /does/ have a pet. You could have your character tasked with taking care of somebody else's pet, perhaps even as a mission. You could even have your character acquire a pet which will become a permanent part of your RP arsenal.
Alignment Chart
This challenge is not strictly a cutscene, but it can go on the Cutscene board. Your mission is to select characters from the MUSH to represent the various D&D alignments. For a good example of this sort of thing, take a look at:
You do not have to completely fill the chart, although of course it's better if you can. You also do not have to come up with images, though I'd be mighty impressed if somebody managed to do so for every char they use. Feel free to use both your own chars and other players', although I recommend focusing on your own as much as possible—nobody knows your chars better than you do, after all. Please let's not get too hung up on whether a given char really fits an alignment, even if it's your own char, although civil discussion is always welcome. Finally, bonus points if you can come up with a quote from each char, or perhaps a brief description of something they've done, which illustrates how they fit your chosen alignment.
What If? First Kiss
Exactly what it says on the tin. Do a scene, whether cutscene or regular scene, which involves your character's first kiss. As implied by the What If, this can be an entirely fictional scene even in the context of the MUSH, so there's no need to randomly declare somebody your beau just to fulfill this challenge. ;) The scene can be set in the past, the future, or an entirely alternate timeline. And of course, please don't get too explicit about it! X) Let's keep it PG, folks.
What If? Role Swap
In this challenge, you must find a willing partner (or several) and do a scene in which everyone plays somebody ELSE's character. Think you know your friend/neighbor/enemy? Let's find out. ;) Will you pull off a perfect mimicry, or will you all fall in a heap laughing hysterically at your bizarre portrayals of each other? This challenge is listed as a What If so that the actions taken by a character under another player's control will not affect MUSH history (unless everyone involved wants it to).
Spare Time
Everybody's got a hobby, right? In this RP challenge, which can be done as either a regular scene or a cutscene, give us a glimpse into what your character does for fun. Do they collect something? Go to the theater? Read comics? Write poetry? Maybe something totally geeky like taking part in role-playing games? :o If you've never thought about it, start now — your characters have lives too, y'know. ;)
What if? Final Performance
This one's a heavy subject. In this RP challenge, which can be done as either a regular scene or a cut-scene, show us what your ideal DEATH SCENE would look like. Does your character go down fighting in a blaze of glory? Make a heroic sacrifice for others? Slip away with a final philosophical insight? Look back on all they've done and feel quiet satisfaction, or irreversible regret? As implied by the What If, this scene will not actually happen in the IC history of the MUSH.
What If? Get in the Game
Time for a quirky challenge! In this challenge, which can be done as either a regular scene or a cutscene, you must show us how your character would deal with being in a major role in a video game. Will you become an acrobatic plumber? A space-faring bounty hunter? A summonertrainer of mythical creatures? AN ODDLY-SHAPED BRICK FALLING FROM ABOVE?! Naturally, this scene has no impact on the continuing IC history of the MUSH, and can be played as serious or silly as you like. ;)
What If? Costume Party
In this challenge, which can be either IC or OOC and done as a regular scene or a cutscene, you must put your character in a costume for fun! What will they dress up as, and why? How will they act out their chosen role? Will their ninja-ness add a new flavor to the costume, or maybe the other way around? How will they interact with the other party-goers?
Additionally, we plan to run a specific scene for a COSTUME CONTEST! This scene will be semi-OOC, meaning that costumes based on things that don't exist in the Narutoverse are fair game, and everyone from different nations can come together with no regard for current IC politics (well, at least to the degree there won't be any serious stabbings ;) ). Rumor has it there will be Kage present as celebrity commentors/judges! Be sure to plan ahead and write up a pose ahead of time for your moment on the stage (solo or team). In fact, if you don't think you can make it to the contest scene, feel free to post what you would do as a cutscene. Acts will be judged on costume description, thematic appropriateness (or irony!) of costume to character, entertainment value of (brief!) act, and any other factors the judges feel like. ;)
What If? Ibiki's Exam
Bit of a spoiler alert here, though it's hard to imagine there are many of us who haven't already seen the part of the canon story which this challenge references. Remember the first part of the Chuunin Exams Arc, in which everyone was subjected to a psychological test by examiner Morino Ibiki? In this Cutscene Challenge, you must show us how your character would handle being part of that test. How would they attempt to get the answers to the difficult questions in the paper test? What would be their choice when presented with the all-important 'final question' and the risk of being stripped of all rank as a ninja, and why? Do your best to answer as your character would not knowing the trick behind the test, and keep in mind that a Naruto-esque 'win' will not necessarily make for the best cutscene. ;)
Resolution
It's time for the New Year, and for some of us, that means New Year's Resolutions! How about your character? Are they going to make a resolution? What is it? Why have they chosen it? What obstacles will they face, and how might they overcome them? Write a cutscene to demonstrate this for us.
Nemesis
Some would say that every great hero needs a great villain, or vice-versa. In this challenge, your goal is to play as somebody else's nemesis. That can mean a serious good-guy vs. bad-guy clash, a competitor for some prize, even a rival for a love interest; as long as it stirs up some hard animosity in an interesting way, it qualifies. You don't have to shoehorn your existing character into the role or make up a new PC for the purpose; spoofing somebody is fine. It can be just for one scene, but this has the potential to provide long-lasting returns in RP and XP as you bring the nemesis back again and again.
What If? Future Me
In this challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, your goal is to portray your character at least twenty years from now. What goals have they reached, and what do they still have yet to achieve? How have their circumstances changed? Has their personality matured, or taken an unexpected turn? Remember that this is a What-If challenge, so it doesn't necessarily have to show your character as you expect or want them to actually become. Come up with some interesting developments for them, and think later about whether they'll come true. ;)
What If? Other World
In this challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, you must portray an alternate version of your character who exists in an alternate world. How are they different, and how are they the same? What are their friends and family like? How have the differing personalities of this other world shaped its circumstances, or vice-versa? The differences can be as subtle or as wild as you like, so long as they're interesting.
Movie Trailer
* Orchestral swell, flying shot over ASCII-art cityscape *
Narrator: In a world where wizzes write self-demonstrating RP challenges…
* Shot of Clary in a dark room with text from a glowing monitor projected on his face *
Clary: The only question left is whether the world is ready for this challenge. :|
* Panning shot of many NMR character faces *
Narrator: …YOU are called to demonstrate the ultimate talent…
* Shot of Fulgur standing at a podium overlooking the amassed MUSH population *
Fulgur: I'm counting on every one of you to give this your all!
Narrator: …in creating…
* Close-up shot zooms out to reveal a video camera *
Narrator: …a MOVIE TRAILER.
* Screen whites out, THUNDERCLAP, orchestra plays dramatic music, fade in on rapid-fire montage of scenes from MUSH history *
Narrator: This summer, past campaigns will be given homage…
* Shot of Sousa agonizing over a Chess game played with the lives of Suna nin against Death *
Death: IT IS YOU WHO MUST CHOOSE WHOSE TIME IS SACRIFICED, AND YOU MUST DO SO NOW.
Narrator: …future plots will be teased…
* Shot of Raili and Aburei contending with an assault of clockwork soldiers inside a wooden chamber *
Voice over comm system: When you're done with that little warm-up, we can begin the real test. >)
Narrator: …and real life movies will be spoofed.
* Shot of a juiced-up Tadashi lifting Jon-in-a-batsuit by the neck *
Tadashi: WHEN KUMOGAKURE IS ASHES, YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO DIE! >#
* Montage of memorable RP moments *
Prepare for laughs, tears, and over-the-top thrills in…
* Impressive title text slams into center view, orchestral climax *
NMR: THE MOVIE TRAILER
COMING SOON TO A WIKI NEAR YOU
Just to make sure the challenge is clear, you need to write a cutscene showing the trailer for a movie starring your characters. It can be from something you've done in the past, something you'd like to do in the future, something you wouldn't actually play out but would like to see the trailer for, or even a trailer for a RL movie with your characters as the actors. You don't have to follow the same format I used here, it's just to give you an idea what it could be like.
What If? Body Swap
In this RP Challenge, you must get together with at least one other player and portray what might happen if your characters switched bodies! The explanation for this isn't particularly important, since this is a what-if challenge. Maybe a ditzy Yamanaka did an accidentally on you. Maybe you're pursuing a rogue ninja who uses this strange ability to throw their enemies into confusion. Maybe you're exploring some bizarre ruins and activate an ancient machine. Maybe there's no apparent reason whatsoever, it just happens! The important thing is, you're stuck with someone else's physique and abilities and you have to deal with it for a while.
What If? Examiner
With everyone preparing for the chuunin exams and the entrants submitting their written exams answers, we thought it would be interesting to look at the exams from the other side. Imagine a future scenario where your character is entrusted with overseeing some portion of the chuunin exams. What sort of test will they put the examinees through? Note that this doesn't necessarily have to be the written exam portion. It can also be some variation on the survival test or the tournament matches, or something entirely new. Will you subject examinees to a crafty psychological ordeal? Present them with straightforward but challenging strategic puzzles? Task them with a hazardous and difficult trek for an elusive prize? Pit them against each other in some sadistic zero-sum game? Give us an eloquent picture of the ideal chuunin examination through the eyes of your character.
What If? First Day of Class
In this challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, you must show your character on their very first day in a ninja academy, or a close equivalent. This challenge is a what-if to allow for interactions between characters who hadn't met yet that far back, not to mention allow participation by characters who were past academy age before the ninja academies were created. X) Will you declare your dreams for the future to your classmates? Establish yourself as the class clown or the top student? Make friends or rivals?
What If? Stars of Spooky
In this challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, you must cast your characters into the roles of a scary story. It can be from a folk tale, a book, a movie, a video game, whatever, just remember to keep it PG-13 (meaning your scene, the source material can be otherwise). How will your characters react to the situation? What will they do the same, and what will they do differently? Will they bust out ninja skills and turn the scary situation into a comical coup, or will we get to see their personalities as regular humans in a vulnerable position? Or maybe THEY ARE THE MONSTERS?!
What If? Switching Sides
In this challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, you must show your character on the opposite side of the good vs. evil fence. If they're good now, show them as evil, and vice-versa. What changes to their personality would be necessary to make this transformation viable, and what will stay the same about them? Is this an incarnation from an alternate reality, or a possible future self they really could become? How will old enemies interact when their personal morals and reasons for fighting have changed?
Best Gift
'Tis the season for giving! In this challenge, recount what your character regards as the best gift they've ever received. It can be something that's actually been RPed in the past, a part of their background, or even something in the future. It can be a favorite childhood toy, a tool that's saved their life, a gracious favor, or anything else you can imagine.
What If? Genderswap
In this challenge, you must do a scene in which everyone has the opposite of their normal gender. How will this affect your character's personality, beliefs, and attitudes? How would growing up as the other gender make them a different person, and what would remain the same? What will be different about your relationships to each other?
Shinobi Games
In this challenge, you must portray your characters playing a sport with a ninja twist. Imagine stealing a base by leaving a substitution at the previous plate, or shooting hoops with wind manipulation, or using boulders and logs to go bowling. Get creative with your abilities and show us how they can be used to create interesting (but still fair and fun) new dynamics in your favorite games. If you're feeling really ambitious, you could even try inventing a new sport which you think ninja would use to hone their prowess and enjoy themselves.
Spring is Here
In this challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, show us how your character responds to the arrival of spring. Do they have any special traditions or personal indulgences? Does their family participate in a big spring cleaning? Are they smitten with spring fever, or maybe hay fever? ;)
What If? Critter Character
In this challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, you must portray your character as a non-human animal. They could be a summoned animal brought in to help with a difficult battle, or they could be an ordinary critter with an amusing personality, or they could exist in a world where there are no humans and the ninja villages are populated by talking, ninjutsu-flinging beasts. Show us the animal that best matches your character's personality, or one that's an ironic divergence. Find out how their interactions with others change when they're cast as natural enemies or close symbiotes.
What If? Alt Meeting
Generally, doing a scene which involves more than one of your characters is frowned upon, especially if the combat system is involved. For a cutscene, though, it doesn't matter so much, since you're the only player anyway. In this challenge, show us what happens when two (or more) of your alts bump into each other IC. Perhaps we'll get to see a side of them even you didn't realize existed.
You're a Chuunin! Now What?
Several characters are anticipating becoming chuunin right now, and many more have the potential to become so eventually. If your character does become a chuunin, what's the first thing they'll do? Celebrate with friends and family? Immediately register to experience a B-rank mission? Pay their respects to a fallen comrade who wasn't able to make it this far? If your character already is a chuunin or higher, you can give us a flashback to the time when they did attain the rank.
What If? This Is a Job For — !
Zounds! The Imagination Force has warped our reality into that of comic-book super heroes! In this RP challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, you must portray your character as a star of a good ol'-fashioned power fantasy — yes, I know, it's not really that different from the Naruto theme on a basic level, but you know what I mean. ;) What powers will your super hero (or villain) self wield? You needn't restrict yourself to having similar abilities to your ninja self! What will their hero name be, and what does their costume look like? Do they have a mild-mannered alter-ego? Who or what do they fight for? Do they work alone, or team up with other heroes?
Zombie Apocalypse Team
When the outbreak hits, who do you want on your side? In this challenge, show us which characters you think would make the best survival team for the zombie apocalypse. All of the characters you use should be actual NMR characters, and at least one of them should be your own. You do not need to make an actual image, especially since not every character on the MUSH has an established picture, but you can do it that way if you want. You might consider digging up a pose from an old scene for each character which demonstrates why they're ideal for their chosen role.
Example:
Clean template:
What If? Bingo!
In this RP challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, your character is at the top of somebody's bingo book. You could come up with a backstory for why this occurs or just treat it as a crazy fluke, but either way you're being hunted. Show us how your character would deal with this problem. Would they use their stealth and disguise skills to try and disappear? Would they stand their ground and fight against any who come to claim the bounty? Would they call on allies to help them, or has EVERYBODY turned on them? Special thanks to Reina for this challenge idea.
What If? My Own Worst Enemy
In this RP challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, show what would happen if your characters had to face off against…themselves. It could be an offshoot of the Crawler imitating their body and moveset (which wouldn't necessarily have to be a what-if scenario), a twinkhax jutsu that creates a hostile doppelganger (more what-iffy), an evil twin you never knew existed, or have no visible explanation at all. Just show us how you'd deal with an opponent who can match your every move. If you decide to go the Crawler route, note that the Hitokage absorb chakra to assimilate abilities.
My Lucky Day
Do you feel lucky? In this challenge, show us your character having a particularly lucky day. Do they find something rare and valuable/useful? Show up in just the right place at just the right time? How do they react to their good fortune?
What If? NMR In Space
Everything's better IN SPACE, right? :D In this RP challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, show us how your characters would fit into a space-themed fiction. Will they be the captain and crew of a starship boldly going where no man has gone before? Will they be monks practicing the usage of an energy field that binds the galaxy together? Will they be grizzled stellar marines locked in a hunt-or-be-hunted contest of survival against deadly alien life-forms? This can be hard sci-fi, dramatic space opera, or even something bizarre and silly, just as long as it involves OUTER SPAAAAAACE.
My Ninja Way
In this RP challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, show us your character's nindo. Do they ascribe to a rigid creed passed down through generations, or do they respect no-one's opinion but their own? Do they consciously strive toward some ideal, or do they act on impulse and frequently change their goals? What do they value? What do they despise? You can tell us what their ninja way is using explicit words if you think it's needed, but it's more important to illustrate it through your character's actions.
Costume: Cartoon Movie
It's the time of year for costumes, and NMR is taking part with the best of them! This year's theme: cartoon movies!
In this RP challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, dress your character in the part of a cartoon movie character, and show us how they fit into that character's story. Will they be a magical princess, a charming hero, or a dastardly villain? Will they stick close to the role and choices of the cartoon character, or just let it go? Don't hold back! ;) (Primarily we're thinking of a certain ubiquitous animation company which shall remain nameless to avoid copyright infringement dangers, but don't feel restricted to use only their material anyway, just go in that general vein that they're famous for.)
What If? Pokemon
Okay, we've already had a what-if involving animal selves, and a what-if involving video games, so in a way this is cheating a little, but what the hey, it seems to have fired some imaginations. ;)
In this RP challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, portray your character as a pokemon. Obviously the most important aspect of this is choosing WHAT POKEMON BEST REPRESENTS YOUR CHARACTER, but try to go a bit beyond this. Is your poke-self wild, or part of a team? How do they interact with the other 'mon around? Why does this pokemon species fit your character, and what does your character add to it?
Since it was asked, yes, legendary pokemon are fair game, although nobody's going to be impressed if you choose to be one just to look awesome. ;) If you want to get in on the action without actually being a pokemon, you might also try seeing if anyone wants to do a scene with you as a trainer.
What If? Super Sentai GO!
Ninja Rangers assemble! For those who may not know, super sentai is a genre of shows about teams of heroes who FIGHT FOR JUSTICE using martial arts skills augmented with magic powers and often gigantic robots. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers is the most well-known example in western culture.
In this RP challenge, band together with other ninja to form an unstoppable and over-the-top-dramatic fighting force! What will be the theme of your awesome team!? What kind of fearsome titan will their vehicles combine into!? Who will claim the coveted Red Leader spot, and who will be stuck as the Pink Ranger!?!? TUNE IN NEXT TIME TO FIND OUT!!!
What If? Edo Tensei
In this RP challenge, which can be done as a regular scene or a cutscene, your character has been summoned back to the world of the living by the Edo Tensei technique. This can happen in the future or an alternate timeline, in either case it's a what-if scenario so you can potentially have abilities different from what you have now. Who has summoned you and for what purpose? How much free will do you still have, and how do you use it? Will you use what influence you have to subvert your summoner's goals, or will you purposely cooperate? If you want to be stopped, who would you like to do it?
What If? Kage for a Day
In this challenge, give us a portrayal of your character as the Kage of their local Ninja Village, or something close to that. Will they be buried in administrative work, or still taking a personal hand in daily matters of life? Perhaps you could reflect on the events which elevated them to this position or their motivation for achieving it. Maybe they built an organization of their own to rival the Great Ninja Villages. Or maybe this is something that could never believably happen and you just want to show the topsy-turviness that would ensue if your character suddenly was in charge. ;)
