Wind Waker: An abominable hook from Wind Waker.

An abominable hook from Wind Waker.

Hookshot: The hookshot is the main dungeon item in Wind Waker’s Wind Temple. It is primarily used to pull Link to an otherwise unreachable location, but it can also be used to flip switches, grab items, and stun enemies. In addition to these traditional uses of the hookshot, the hookshot has an additional synergy with the iron boots. If Link is wearing the iron boots when using the hookshot he becomes too heavy to be pulled and instead pulls whatever the hookshot strikes towards him. This is especially helpful when you want to pull down heavy stones blocking your path.

Never ask a pirate about their past. Especially when that pirate appears to be the corpses of a few different pirates sewn together and reanimated through the unholy union of forbidden magic and as yet unheard of science. One of this pirate’s three arms ends in a sharp hook that they use as a grapple to reel in the unsuspecting using the chain connected to the hook’s base.

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Neither Pudge nor Stitches, from DotA and Heroes of the Storm respectively, have a pirate skin which I think is a missed opportunity. A Frankenstein’s monster/zombie pirate with a wicked hook and cutlass seems pretty fun.

If I was one of those really crunchy homebrewers, I might go make this monster, but I would just give whatever monster a ranged hook attack that can pull victims near to it. Since it would be that monster's one special thing, I wouldn’t put too much effort into keeping it balanced.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: An unsuccessful fishing trip from Wind Waker.

Wind Waker: An unsuccessful fishing trip from Wind Waker.

Grappling Hook: The grappling hook is a multi-purpose tool that Link can use while adventuring to navigate difficult wide gaps and high elevations, steal from enemies, or retrieve distant objects. While he is sailing in the King of Red Lions, the grappling hook becomes a salvage crane that can hoist up lost treasures from the seafloor. Link is given the grappling hook by Medli in thanks for saving her from capture by Moblins in the caves atop Dragon Roost Mountain

Fishing trips aren’t the same without your lucky fishing pole. When you forgot your lucky pole at home and had to stop at some side of the road general store to be the very last pole in stock, you knew this trip was up to an inauspicious start. At the end of the first day, you haven’t even had a nibble while everyone else is struggling to not catch a fish every cast. It must be this cursed pole.

Iron Boot: The iron boots magically increase Link’s mass when worn. This securely anchors him to the ground, allowing him to slowly navigate gale force winds and pull over heavy objects that would have normally been resistant to movement. When removed, the increase to Link’s mass instantly disappears allowing Link to comfortably navigate the world without having to worry why just carrying the boots wouldn’t slow him down as much as wearing them. Link must complete the trials of Icicle Ring Island quickly enough to avoid being frozen solid by the island's frigid temperature to earn the Iron Boots.

It isn’t unheard of to catch some trash on a cast or two during a fishing trip. Actually catching a boot like some turn of the century cartoon is pretty rare though. Catching a matched pair of boots, on two different casts, in different parts of the river, and catching nothing else the whole trip means your new pole must have been cursed.

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Spring has legally sprung where I am but that doesn’t mean it isn’t frigid today. I can’t wait for temperatures warm enough to enjoy sitting outside in the sun sipping on coffee and reading a book.

The world is full of terrible inequity and great harm is allowed to proceed unchecked. Inject some positivity into the world.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

I'm not an artist: For my 100th post here are five items from Oracle of Ages used during heists.

Five items from Oracle of Ages used during heists.

Switch Hook: While superficially similar to the classic hookshot, the switch hook has one distinct difference that makes in a very interesting item in its own right. When the switch hook strikes an object or enemy, Link switches places with whatever was struck by the hook. Some objects are too fragile to be moved in such a way and break when they arrive at Link’s location. This is a really fun mechanic that could be added to a game, but it would require some finesse as it could be easily abused and isn't very realistic. The switch hook is found in the Skull Dungeon in the current era Symmetry Village. It can only be entered after Link solves the chaos plague the village, but we will cover that when we get to the tuni nut. 

I probably should have just drawn a menacing meat hook ala the Warcraft abomination for the switch hook, but I am only thinking that now. Maybe I didn’t want to be too obvious then, or I really wanted to try to draw a grappling hook with all its internal perspective angles. I no longer remember. 

Where there are walls, there are people looking to get past walls. Grappling hooks have been used for centuries by rogues to slip into manors and estates. While technologically advanced versions of the grappling hook exist, the original is often the most reliable. 

I'm not an artist: Five items from Majora’s Mask owned by the world’s second tourist.

Five items from Majora’s Mask owned by the world’s second tourist.

Pictobox: Link is given the pictobox so that he can participate in the Swamp Tourist Center’s photography contest. The pictobox can only hold one monochromatic, or full color in the 3D remake, photograph at a time. This means Link must choose what he submits to the contest specifically. Based on the content of Link’s submission, he can earn anything from five rupees all the way to a piece of heart.

Having been a page on the ship that the first tourist took home, the world’s second tourist was inspired by the vivid images captured by the first tourist’s camera. Ever generous, the first tourist gave the page their pictobox, seeing in them the same spark for adventure that took them to the very ends of the world. The young page had a gift for photography, and their first collection of photographs, entitled Frozen Waters: Life at sea, catapulted them to stardom and earned enough money to pay for a tour around the world.

I'm not an artist: Five items from Ocarina of Time you could see during ajourney to the shining temple.

Five items from Ocarina of Time you could see during journey to a shining temple.

Light Arrow: Link’s arrows are empowered with the goddesses’ light after he frees all seven sacred sages. The arrows allow Link to dispel magical barriers and strike lethal blows against Ganondorf. As an added bonus, monsters slain by light arrows almost always drop a bunch of rupees. Mechanically it is a nice way to provide the player more rupees in the endgame, but I also think that the hero of time being able to abuse the sacred power for personal gain is an interesting unspoken complication to the narrative.

From atop the temple of the triple goddess, a ceaseless light shines out onto the lands of the people. Even during the darkest night, the lands of the people are held in a twilight by the presence of the sacred light. The light shines from the crystal head of a spear that was once wielded by the greatest evil to ever rule over the people. The Hero of Song, the greatest of all the people’s heroes, defeated the great evil by securing three blessings from the three-that-are-one. Only after the hero received all three blessings were they able to defeat the great evil. Modern incarnations of the Hero’s Song tell that the hero slew the evil with their own spear and then triumphantly sang the three blessings into the once accursed weapon. Placing the newly hallowed spear atop the greatest temple on the highest rise so that its light might act as a ward against suffering for the people and their lands. The hero than left the lands of the people to pursue the corrupting force of evil in far off lands and have many great adventures. Recently rediscovered verses written down long ago say the hero defeated the great evil, but was reluctant to partake in the people’s revelry when they learned of the victory. The last act of the hero was to sing a mighty barrier around the spear's resting place that could withstand almost any force. The effort robbed the hero of their voice and led them to a life of solitude hidden away from the people.

I'm not an artist: Five dangerous toys from Link's Awakening

Five dangerous children’s toys from Link’s Awakening.

Mermaid Scale: The scale of a mermaid given to Link after he has returned the mermaid’s missing bikini top, or her necklace in the tamer US release. This scale opens a secret passage hidden behind a statue of amournful mermaid. Theoretically, the mermaid is morning the single missing scale that holds it back from being a perfect masterpiece.

Emira and Malik were sad when they had to leave their friends behind when they moved to a new town. Nothing could have prepared them for finding a magical dragon scale hidden inside a hollow wall of their new home. This prismatic dragon scale pulled Emira and Malik into a world inhabited by tyrannical dragons and their groveling servitors. Only the boldest or most guileful dragons are able to maintain control of their fiefdoms for long. The draconic overlords constantly play a brutal game for supremacy of the Dragonlands, where their underlings are the disposable pieces. Quetzal, a devious dragon of minor influence discovered Emira and Malik just after they arrived in the Dragonlands. After learning about Emira and Malik’s pastoral home, Quetzal is more than willing to help the siblings discover a way back, if only so they might come to that world as a conqueror.

I'm not an artist: Swords and stuff from A Link to the Past

Three swords and some useful items from A Link to the Past. 

Magic Mirror: This magic mirror can show you your true self. Unfortunately, it does that by teleporting you to a dark reflection of reality where everyone is a caricature of their true self. The only way to avoid being transformed into an impotent reflection is to carry a powerful protective ward.

This mirror does not have to be a link to another dimension. This mirror could be the hand mirror of fey royalty. Allowing any who gaze at their reflection to change their appearance by shrouding their true self in a glamour. To ensure any would be thief is punished, the item carries a curse. Any user other than the true owner runs the risk of becoming so enamored with their own reflection that they are unable to look away. Adventurers finding a mirror locked in the decaying fist of a skeletal corpse should be wary of looking into the mirror lest they fall prey to the mirror's enchantments. 

This could also be a device that allows access to Spyke™, the fantasy video calling service that connects you to the entire world, and many others, for secure and reliable communication over the high speed ley line connections. Terms and conditions apply. Void where prohibited.