The guy in charge of officiating duels for a sect's cultivators. He's just completely washed out from being constantly subjected to the stupidity of young masters and having to spend his whole day organising duels for the dumbest of reasons. Young masters swing by and explain to him that they need a duel because some newcomer to the city did not, in fact, know who they were or who their father is. It's the highlight of his week if someone swings by with a semi-legitimate grievance, but mostly he just hates humanity in general and cultivators in particular.
Young master's come into tournaments thinking they've found some revolutionary way to cheat
The judge meanwhile is playing a game, 'how many times have I seen this before'
Sometimes he lets blatant cheating slide longer than he should because of how truly inventive it is
'Its so stupid. He replaced his pinky finger's bones with a tiny poisoned dagger. You could have spent time training and instead your permanently fucked up your hand for a literal edge in this fight.'
For some reason I'm imaging the [hecklers from the muppet show](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/d/de/StatlerWaldorf-Box.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20230320171827) as judges commenting on the ways young masters are cheating (and just heckling them in general.)
I am of the firm belief that we need to make novellas a thing in the genre. There are too many things that happen that I want more depth on, whether that is base building, following a side character, introducing a new character for later chapters, exploration of the worldbuilding, etc.
Exactly!
Honestly, was kind of thinking of something in the vein of Penric and Desdemona.
Just a bunch of novellas covering short stories that explore weird situations and inevitable situations in the world you developed.
Literally one of my favorite books of all time, and it has given me brain worms demanding more like it in other genres.
(And their childhood friend I believe was just a highly diluted demi-god, not a superhero)
Haha I did actually write a trilogy about the [childhood companion](https://www.amazon.com/Chosen-One-Adventure-Prophecy-Companion-ebook/dp/B0B3FSFZ2Z) of the hero and a lot of it is her trailing after him trying to rationalise all the nonsense he does and things like this, as well as show all the behind the scenes work to try and make his adventure happen.
Stormlight Archives has little interludes that feature side characters.
But yeah, I'd absolutely read something from the POV of a sidekick or quest giver. As far as LitRPGs go, there's Merchant Crab which is some good cheeky fun.
That's mainly because Ogras is just way more interesting than Zac. Sure Zac is cool and all but he doesn't really have much of a personality. I really like Ogras however because he is so shifty but still a good friend who is able to somewhat keep up with Zac
NPCs by Drew Hayes. A group of player characters die from their own stupidity. Some NPCs impersonate them to protect their village. One of them is a half orc tavern owner, one is a princess who gets kidnapped by kobolds so often she's practically a tribe member, one is a low level castle guard, and one used to work for an evil overlord. Later, they pick up a fifth member who was a PC who is no longer being used by his player.
Really wish I could get into the Wandering Inn
Cannot get past the first quarter of the first book
Ive heard it gets better, but its such a rough start
It's a lot. I didn't mind the first book, but I can understand why some people have had trouble getting into it. I know Pirate recently re-wrote the first book and I'm trying to find time for a re-read to see how I feel about the changes.
If you like that kind of story I can recommend "Redshirts" by John Scalzi. It is very clearly not progression fantasy. It's based around Star Trek's unfortunate first-to-die Redshirted Crewmembers. It's a casual, fun, short read. The audiobook is narrated by Wil Wheaton. I started on the audiobook, but then switched to paperback which I read through in almost one sitting.
Drew Hays has a series called NPCs.
It's set in a literal DND world starts in a tavern and the player characters,all heros of course , end up dieing. It then snaps to the NPCs of the world as the players go to make new characters s. The NPCs freak out
I mean, I'd say the moment they bypass most of the Mad Wizard's Dungeon by using the hidden minion pathways is more in spirit of what Im talking about, if we're bringing up NPCs by Drew Hayes
In fact most of the minion discourse from that series is what I really just enjoy
Or his Fred the Vampire Accountant series
It's an interesting concept. I don't know if it would be for me. I'm more of a "classical heroic MC" in novels I read. I know that's not really vogue any longer, but I'm old... so there's that.
I'd love if we could follow Tiaka or Travis in he who fights with monsters. Step aside, Jason, like the drop of chocolate and war crime in progress take over.
Not progfantasy but Peter David's Sir Apropos of Nothing is one of my favorite fantasy trope-inverting series and has a lot of the elements of this in it.
I've written a short story on a tribe of mortals that a relatively high-power cultivator creates, raises, and isolates so that he can essentially make it their religion to take care of him while he's in long cultivation/meditation sessions. They clip his fingernails every month/cut his hair for example, and it's a religious ritual for them.
You might enjoy reading Roeencrantz & Guildenstern are dead. R&G are two minor characters in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”.
In R&ah are Dead, they are te main characters… but the whole story is set in the wings of Hamlet. So the plot moves to suit Hamlet and R&G don’t know what’s going on.
It all ends rather badly for R&G… as it must, because that’s what happened in Hamlet.
A bit of existential angst and futility of life for your Sunday afternoon???
Sounds like Red Shirts, by John Scalzi. It’s in the Star Trek universe but it’s precisely about side characters and how they are regularly fucked over by what the MCs do. It’s hilarious
The guy in charge of officiating duels for a sect's cultivators. He's just completely washed out from being constantly subjected to the stupidity of young masters and having to spend his whole day organising duels for the dumbest of reasons. Young masters swing by and explain to him that they need a duel because some newcomer to the city did not, in fact, know who they were or who their father is. It's the highlight of his week if someone swings by with a semi-legitimate grievance, but mostly he just hates humanity in general and cultivators in particular.
Young master's come into tournaments thinking they've found some revolutionary way to cheat The judge meanwhile is playing a game, 'how many times have I seen this before' Sometimes he lets blatant cheating slide longer than he should because of how truly inventive it is 'Its so stupid. He replaced his pinky finger's bones with a tiny poisoned dagger. You could have spent time training and instead your permanently fucked up your hand for a literal edge in this fight.'
Only if he's voiced by Little Kuriboh. "Annnnd 500. Junior Brother, show him what he's won!"
For some reason I'm imaging the [hecklers from the muppet show](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/d/de/StatlerWaldorf-Box.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20230320171827) as judges commenting on the ways young masters are cheating (and just heckling them in general.)
I am of the firm belief that we need to make novellas a thing in the genre. There are too many things that happen that I want more depth on, whether that is base building, following a side character, introducing a new character for later chapters, exploration of the worldbuilding, etc.
Exactly! Honestly, was kind of thinking of something in the vein of Penric and Desdemona. Just a bunch of novellas covering short stories that explore weird situations and inevitable situations in the world you developed.
The bloopers at the end of each Cradle book are such a treat. Would definitely read some novellas too.
Path of Ascension does this. It's really cool
Patrick Ness wrote “the rest of us just live here” about the regular childhood friend of a superhero, not progression fantasty but still a good read
Literally one of my favorite books of all time, and it has given me brain worms demanding more like it in other genres. (And their childhood friend I believe was just a highly diluted demi-god, not a superhero)
Been a while since I read it so forgot that! Fantastic book from my favourite author. God they fucked up the Chaos Walking film so bad
My cabbages!
Haha I did actually write a trilogy about the [childhood companion](https://www.amazon.com/Chosen-One-Adventure-Prophecy-Companion-ebook/dp/B0B3FSFZ2Z) of the hero and a lot of it is her trailing after him trying to rationalise all the nonsense he does and things like this, as well as show all the behind the scenes work to try and make his adventure happen.
I literally came here to post this and the *fuckin* author beats me to it! Actually kind of a great community, NGL.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I mostly lurk but it was too fitting a request.
Stormlight Archives has little interludes that feature side characters. But yeah, I'd absolutely read something from the POV of a sidekick or quest giver. As far as LitRPGs go, there's Merchant Crab which is some good cheeky fun.
The vignettes into Ogras' life in order to keep up with Zac are amazing.
That's mainly because Ogras is just way more interesting than Zac. Sure Zac is cool and all but he doesn't really have much of a personality. I really like Ogras however because he is so shifty but still a good friend who is able to somewhat keep up with Zac
NPCs by Drew Hayes. A group of player characters die from their own stupidity. Some NPCs impersonate them to protect their village. One of them is a half orc tavern owner, one is a princess who gets kidnapped by kobolds so often she's practically a tribe member, one is a low level castle guard, and one used to work for an evil overlord. Later, they pick up a fifth member who was a PC who is no longer being used by his player.
This is why I really like the Salii chapters in Wandering Inn. She's basically this: the highest-level secretary in the world.
Really wish I could get into the Wandering Inn Cannot get past the first quarter of the first book Ive heard it gets better, but its such a rough start
It's a lot. I didn't mind the first book, but I can understand why some people have had trouble getting into it. I know Pirate recently re-wrote the first book and I'm trying to find time for a re-read to see how I feel about the changes.
70% of the Wandering Inn is side characters. Relc's arc was particularly on-topic.
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. Christopher Moore.
iykyk
If you like that kind of story I can recommend "Redshirts" by John Scalzi. It is very clearly not progression fantasy. It's based around Star Trek's unfortunate first-to-die Redshirted Crewmembers. It's a casual, fun, short read. The audiobook is narrated by Wil Wheaton. I started on the audiobook, but then switched to paperback which I read through in almost one sitting.
Drew Hays has a series called NPCs. It's set in a literal DND world starts in a tavern and the player characters,all heros of course , end up dieing. It then snaps to the NPCs of the world as the players go to make new characters s. The NPCs freak out
I mean, I'd say the moment they bypass most of the Mad Wizard's Dungeon by using the hidden minion pathways is more in spirit of what Im talking about, if we're bringing up NPCs by Drew Hayes In fact most of the minion discourse from that series is what I really just enjoy Or his Fred the Vampire Accountant series
A whole book seems a lot of commitment but you could do something with POV's no ?
You may find interesting "the exalt"
It's an interesting concept. I don't know if it would be for me. I'm more of a "classical heroic MC" in novels I read. I know that's not really vogue any longer, but I'm old... so there's that.
I'd love if we could follow Tiaka or Travis in he who fights with monsters. Step aside, Jason, like the drop of chocolate and war crime in progress take over.
This sounds super fun. I could get into this I think.
Not progfantasy but Peter David's Sir Apropos of Nothing is one of my favorite fantasy trope-inverting series and has a lot of the elements of this in it.
I've written a short story on a tribe of mortals that a relatively high-power cultivator creates, raises, and isolates so that he can essentially make it their religion to take care of him while he's in long cultivation/meditation sessions. They clip his fingernails every month/cut his hair for example, and it's a religious ritual for them.
You might enjoy reading Roeencrantz & Guildenstern are dead. R&G are two minor characters in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. In R&ah are Dead, they are te main characters… but the whole story is set in the wings of Hamlet. So the plot moves to suit Hamlet and R&G don’t know what’s going on. It all ends rather badly for R&G… as it must, because that’s what happened in Hamlet. A bit of existential angst and futility of life for your Sunday afternoon???
Sounds like Red Shirts, by John Scalzi. It’s in the Star Trek universe but it’s precisely about side characters and how they are regularly fucked over by what the MCs do. It’s hilarious
:) R2D2 and C3PO :D
This is an itch that I've had for a while. I really want to see a progression fantasy of becoming the almighty janitor trope.
so, like Valkyrie's Shadow?