Pen & Paper Mario - FanArt

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Here's a look at the game's menu. The GUI in most TTRPG-inspired video games is designed to immerse you in the fantasy, but since this is Paper Mario, the game is instead themed around "above table" skeuomorphisms like character sheets, dice, etc.

Shylene is the first partner to join Mario, and the pause screen is implied to be her own notes. She's the standard "tattle" partner you've come to expect, but each tattle treats you to a poem and a unique doodle.

One stormy evening, Mario and Shylene encounter a guilt-ridden undead knight named Sir Dryhard. Together they explore a giant, fortress-like windmill and face off against the fearsome Whomp spirit who has possessed the structure's every brick.

In an attempt to earn the support of the Chargarians, Mario decides to compete in their "Trial By Sport" ritual. He finishes in second-place in every event but does well enough to befriend the new first-time champion, Chargin' Charlotte, along the way.

I feel like an important staple of the TTRPG is the "shocking backstory of drip-feed twists", but that's pretty hard to pull-off in a purely hypothetical game... I was going to just spoil it for you, but character limit prevents me, so...any guesses?

It takes a special kind of evil for a Toad to betray his kind and enlist under their oppressors. This secret, optional partner can appear as a foe alongside Magikoopas in a random encounters but will start stabbing them in the back if certain criteria is

He may be the most 3-dimensional character Mario meets on his journey (literally), but Whittaker is also prone to letting people wall all over him (literally). Mario can grab his 3D head and throw it as a physics object while Whittaker's 2D limbs flail.

Bowser heard that Peach is playing some nerdy imagination game, so naturally he wanted to be a part of it too, but a princess’s schedule is tough to work around, so he keeps just missing her and isn’t clear on what character she’s playing.

Above the main storyline, there's a second narrative layer implied, where this whole story exists as a TTRPG campaign being played by Mario and his friends. Mario lacks creativity so his character is just himself, but Peach is here to ROLEPLAY.

Tallyhoo is the nerdy game master running this TTRPG for Peach and her friends. He also regularly inserts himself in the story as a mischievous and powerful imp. His storytelling is VERY immersive. Almost as if Mario and co have been sucked into the game.