She did dispel Nightmare Moon's fearsome illusions with Giggle at the Ghosties, and cheered up all of Ponyville at once with Smile, Smile, Smile which has to be an Epic Level performance.

The only other series I've seen with such powerful Performance demonstrations are Tangled, where Rapunzel charms a barful of rough men by joining in to I Have A Dream, and the Macross Series, where ladies with pop idol tier performing skills could reach out and WOW Zentraadi people who only knew war until Mankind unleashed pop music at it, in particular Macross Frontier where Ranka and Sheryl could placate Zent Separatists and even reach out to Vajra aliens.

edited 28th Nov '12 12:58:47 PM by AceOfScarabs

The big question is whether Pinkie is actually using perform, or if she's just using charm, and just happens to use intstrument.s I mean, we think she's a bard, but for all we know she could be a social rogue. She's got a high enough sneak stat for it.

Considering her stealth tactics in the comic, I'd have to say that she's leans more towards the Social Rogue side of things.

Pinkie's a bard/ninja who spends all her abilities on Perform and Sneak and Intimidate (Foreeeeever!). She also has very good perception/spot check, so good it manifests as her Pinkie Sense and let her see through a Changeling pretending to be her. She also took Exotic Weapons: Artillery for her Party Cannon, and has Concealed Weapons for stashing all her party kit.

She also uses a Charm Animal:Parasprite song in Swarm of the Century.

edited 28th Nov '12 1:31:25 PM by AceOfScarabs

The comic also shows Rarity using offensive magic for the first time I believe. She usually just uses magic for telekinesis and gem finding, while sticking to good ol' hooficuffs for fighting creatures.

I guess last year's fashion was truly horrific.

She's been learning new things from Twlight, I guess. Light Show Magic -> Unicorn lasers!

This. Besides, it's not like you don't get stealthy bards.

Rarity would be a social rogue if not for her magic. So she's a beguiler.

edited 28th Nov '12 1:18:35 PM by Sereg

Her offensive magic seemed to still be distinct from Twilight in that hers is more of of a wide-spread energy blast compared to Twilight's focused beams, and seemed to have a lot less force behind it overall to balance the fact that it hit multiple targets at once. It's that kind of attention to detail that I just loved about the comic.

Rarity's technically been shown using offensive magic before in Adventure Ponies (just the same lasers as Twilight); however, that time doesn't really count since The Hub's commercials treat it as an in-universe video game.[[/pedantic]]

Rarity is a social rogue, her Disguise ability used for her fashions, and she prefers to Persuade and Charm Ponies than Intimidate (Not to mention her subtle combination of Charm Person and Intimidate and Perform that she used to wrap the Diamond Dogs around her hooves and become Empress Rarity of the Underdark!).

Her magic is primarily Detect Gems, but she also knows some illusion and transmutation spells (Allowing her to turn a stage curtain into a crude dress and fashioning straw into an impromptu hat while at the Crystal Kingdom, and reducing the tree branch that interrupted Twi's sleepover into decorative carvings!), and she knows improved Unarmed Strike or its hoof equivalent (just watch her use right hooks and kicks when she has to! Where Applejack resorts to rodeo-style lassoos and brute-force kicking, she does martial arts and punches Changelings in the face!)

Looks like the comics have her learn something like a Laser Spreadgun attack from Twi.

edited 28th Nov '12 1:28:53 PM by AceOfScarabs

@Sereg: Maybe, but still. IF you were a social rogue, wouldn't you want everyone to think that you were a harmless bard(For certain definitions of harmless of course)? They're all laughing, having a good time you you sing your little songs and then BAM they're in the poor house and your in a mansion.

let her see through a Changeling pretending to be her

Is, um... the joke that this isn't impressive? Because it's not all that impressiv.e I mean you'd have to really fuck up a spot chekc to miss someone disguised as you

No, she specifically was disappoint that the Changeling couldn't even match her smile.

Oh, right, the "I've seen Better" line. Makes sense, I guess.

In other news, I have to work overtime to do a thorough check of our first milestone candidate.

The build won't be ready until an hour and a half after I normally leave. Tonight's gon' be fuuuuuuun

edited 28th Nov '12 2:09:10 PM by kegisak

but if they just made their saves they wouldn't think the performance was awful, they would just be unaffected. Pinkie must have rolled a Nat 1.

Pinkie might also have a level in artificer to create the flying machine, welcome wagon, and party canon.

Actually, you know what I think? I think Pinkie's playing a different system. Everyone else is playing D&D, but she's playing some classless game with a point-buy system, letting her break the rules and build herself however she pleases.

I'm pretty sure that Pinkie is actually a GMPC. It allows her to violate all the rules, but thankfully the GM is experienced enough so she's not gamebreaking. Usually.

edited 28th Nov '12 2:29:44 PM by Mio

Nah, the GMPC is Celestia.

Nightmarish griffin OC.

Holier than thou.

The GMPC is Derpy.

Meatspin got ponified in a SFW way

Wow she sure wants to play lol

Treasure Map

Best. Present. Ever

Princesses with Milkshakes

edited 28th Nov '12 2:56:58 PM by AceOfScarabs

Vinylspin is better.

@Ace: At least link to the thing.

@JT: Did you click the ad?

Yup; I laughed my head off when I first found that.