Dragonwinged Ram

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254 posts. Alias of Cat Daemon.


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Readerbreeder wrote:
Wicht wrote:
Please give it a little more time for things to be decided.
Of course; I meant no disrespect. I hope everything works out for the best from here.

For those who haven't seen it, there's now a post on the Rite Publishing Facebook page to say that projects currently in progress will be completed, but the long term future is still to be decided.


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Thanks for the review! I appreciate the time you put in.


Thanks for the review B S 207. I'm glad you enjoyed it.


Thanks for the review, B S 207. I'm glad you liked it.


sepik121 wrote:

I'm also excited to see the rest of those "In the Company of..." series. I loved the medusa (got someone using that in a campaign i'm running now!)

Great! Glad you're enjoying it.


In #30 Portable Rooms, one of the rooms is an armoury that lets you don/doff an armour of your choice instantly.


Thank you. I'm glad you liked it, and I appreciate the time you put in.


Thanks for the review, Bwang.


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Kalindlara wrote:


I just wanted to touch on some of this specifically. It's a little narcissistic - I'll spoiler it, just so I'm not polluting the thread with all this.

Spoiler:

(snip)
On top of that, I'm plagued by insecurity - the knowledge, the certainty, that what I'm doing isn't well-written enough, isn't creative enough, doesn't fit the setting well enough, or just isn't good enough.

This insecurity mercilessly kills ideas.

Anyway, that's my self-centered little rant. Sorry you had to see this - every so often I can't bottle it up anymore.

In response to spoiler:

Spoiler:
You're not alone. I'm a published freelancer and I still get that feeling with a lot of the things I write. I've learned to buckle down and finish anyway, but it's hard some days.

Best of luck.


When something is very likely: "Well, that's a dead cert then!"

If asked how he is: "Ok, but I've been coffin a lot recently."

Natural 1: "I suck at this."

"Yes, I got bitten by a new hobby."

"It was a heart-stopping experience. Still stopped!"

"You know, now I'm drop dead gorgeous."


JJ Jordan wrote:


Rejection and feedback are tough for the average person to take, especially with creative works.

You might think you will take feedback well but then emotion takes over.

True, but emotion taking over and attacking the person who gave the feedback are two separate things. Rant and rave as much as you want - elsewhere.

And being able to take feedback without immediately blowing up is an important skill. Think about the RPG Superstar contest. Folk that get through have to take the feedback and say nothing for at least the duration of the voting round, on pain of disqualification.


If you liked the Imager series, try the Recluce books (same author). I think Fall of Angels and The Magic Engineer fit your specifications best.

Also Stuart Hills Icemark Chronicles are fun reads, and some of the battles in it feel very Tolkienish. (Series is basically tiny magical country and allies defends itself against huge technological anti-magic expanding/invading empire)


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Another option might be to talk to the players about spending the promised money on infrastructure instead of personal gear. Perhaps they'd like a base of operations, or a ship, or a business?


Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it.


I have a niggling idea for a village of tieflings - maybe I'll write it up.


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Thank you! I am delighted you enjoyed it.

Ultimate Campaign is one of my favourite PF books too.


Scott Betts wrote:
HerosBackpack wrote:

I look around me and see at least 5 genders, right here in the present world. That's my world, the one I live in. I'd like to have the same chance of seeing all of those genders just having a great story to tell. Without it being hyperfocused on the gender. "This is Danny, he's bashing orcs with a greatsword." "This is Alex, zie's shooting the orcs with a longbow." "This is Qatz, they're guarding Danny's back as he fights."

Even Paizo, inclusive as they are, doesn't really have much that represents me. I like that they are inclusive, but I'd like to see NPCs and characters like me too....

At a certain point, one has to accept that certain aspects of one's own character put them in so small (and so poorly understood) a niche that representing those certain traits or characteristics in something like a Pathfinder iconic simply isn't feasible. I'm all for Paizo introducing characters that make it clear that there is no stigma attached to one's sexual orientation, but the sexuality/gender/identity spectra are so diverse and so (to be frank) poorly organized in terms of vocabulary and consistency (try getting a room full of genderqueer people to agree on a set of neutral-gendered pronouns like zie/zir) that going for even finer granularity isn't something I see happening in the near future.

Yeah, I may have to write it myself somewhere down the line. And I'm not asking for an iconic, I'd just like to exist. (There's a genderqueer NPC in Mummy's Mask, I can wait for an Ace one or an Aro one.)


Quote:
HerosBackpack wrote:

Two blog posts (the racism one and the gender diversity one linked earlier). In one he said I don't exist and should never be included in books, because that could only be "message fiction" and that is a bad thing.

That is neither what he said, nor what he meant. He said that including transgender people in books shouldn't be mandatory, and that they were rare. He also said a fair bit of fairly ignorant stuff on the subject...but not what you just said.

He said 1. that gender was binary

2. that books should only show his assumed norms (binary) unless you were making it specifically about the multiple genders.
Quote:

male and female ... is a biological norm for all the higher life forms

what with all this BS with made up pronouns to get rid of Him and Her,

readers are going to assume that everything in your book is similar to the world they currently live in,

if it doesn’t play into the story at all, then why bother? And every time you change something to be different from the expected, there had better be a reason for it

I look around me and see at least 5 genders, right here in the present world. That's my world, the one I live in. I'd like to have the same chance of seeing all of those genders just having a great story to tell. Without it being hyperfocused on the gender. "This is Danny, he's bashing orcs with a greatsword." "This is Alex, zie's shooting the orcs with a longbow." "This is Qatz, they're guarding Danny's back as he fights."

Even Paizo, inclusive as they are, doesn't really have much that represents me. I like that they are inclusive, but I'd like to see NPCs and characters like me too....

Quote:
HerosBackpack wrote:

In the other he called me a psychopath for caring about such things as - for example - wanting to use a public bathroom without the risk of being beaten unconscious for it (and yes, in my demographic, that's a real risk, that he blows off as being a humorless "SJW")

Uh...much as Correia says some potentially unpleasant stuff on transgender issues, can you give me a quote? Because I remember nothing remotely like this.

He didn't give that example, but not having to worry about being beaten up over that is one of the "invisible privileges" he dismisses, and I can't.

He said:

Quote:

you SJWs are the boy who cried wolf. When every unconscious action or event is somehow racist, after a while we tune you out. Real racists disappear into the tall grass of micro-aggressions and invisible privilege.

...

SJWs can even suck the fun out of Guardians of the Galaxy, so it is up to us people who aren’t total psychopaths to invite more people,

SJWs have their sense of fun surgically removed


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Deadmanwalking wrote:
HerosBackpack wrote:
Larry can afford to not see things because he doesn't have to see them. Unfortunately, I can't afford to do that.
What doesn't he see? He acknowledges the disparity in numbers between white people and people of minorities. He prefers to chalk it up to economic inequalities as opposed to active racism on the con staff's part...and that seems a reasonable argument.

*sigh*

Quote:
Did I see unconscious micro-aggressions and invisible privilege? Beats the hell out of me.

I wasn't there. I can't tell for certain, but I very much doubt it was free of micro-aggressions. Almost nowhere is. It clearly wasn't free of "invisible privilege".

Quote:
HerosBackpack wrote:

And intent doesn't necessarily translate onto the page. You are welcome to disagree, or to read it differently, but that is what I get from his blog.

Except that you're not just saying "He's wrong." You're saying "He's racist, sexist, transphobic bigot, and says I have no right to exist." (an almost direct quote from you) That's...a lot to get from one blog posts which, perhaps overly harshly, points out a number of legitimate problems with George's argument.

Two blog posts (the racism one and the gender diversity one linked earlier). In one he said I don't exist and should never be included in books, because that could only be "message fiction" and that is a bad thing. In the other he called me a psychopath for caring about such things as - for example - wanting to use a public bathroom without the risk of being beaten unconscious for it (and yes, in my demographic, that's a real risk, that he blows off as being a humorless "SJW")

And I said he gives that impression. Maybe he didn't mean it, any more than someone who accidentally stands on someone else's foot means to hurt them, but it hurts all the same.

Quote:
HerosBackpack wrote:

I'm also not American, or upper-middle-class, for what it's worth.

Noted. I'm really not clear on why exactly you bring this up.

Divided by a common language and all that. Maaaybe I hear things differently from you because I don't speak quite the same language as he does. Not banking on that.

I'm not giving George a free pass either, but there are more things that strike danger bells from Larry's blog writing, for me.


Deadmanwalking wrote:


HerosBackpack wrote:
All I'm hearing from Larry is "you don't exist, you should never exist, you should never want to see anyone like you in books you enjoy, or in a hobby you enjoy, and I am going to mock eveything you have to live with and say if I don't see it, it isn't here."

I strongly disagree that this is either Mr. Correia's intent, or indeed a reasonable response to his words. He goes on a lengthy rant about economic inequalities and other issues that have to do with why there are fewer minorities than might be hoped for at GenCon...that's actually an outright acknowledgement that there's economic inequality along racial lines...he just prefers not to use 'racism' as a term for that sort of thing, and doesn't believe GenCon is any guiltier of this sort of thing than any other upper middle class hobby involving a fair bit of disposable income.

So it's not that he denies there are fewer people of several minorities there, he's just arguing definitions and why there are fewer such people.

HerosBackpack wrote:
And yes, I believe he sounds like a racist, sexist, transphobic bigot, and the more I hear the stronger that impression gets.

I don't get that impression at all. And I rather despise all the things you just listed and can generally spot them.

His published work strongly argues against this conclusion as well,...

Larry can afford to not see things because he doesn't have to see them. Unfortunately, I can't afford to do that. And intent doesn't necessarily translate onto the page. You are welcome to disagree, or to read it differently, but that is what I get from his blog. (yes, I read all of both articles, though I could barely get through Larry's.)

I don't know his books. After reading his blog I don't want to know his books.

I'm also not American, or upper-middle-class, for what it's worth.


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Personally, George's definition of racism rings very very true, and that truth rings even louder if I substitute the word 'racism' for any of the isms I experience every day.

All I'm hearing from Larry is "you don't exist, you should never exist, you should never want to see anyone like you in books you enjoy, or in a hobby you enjoy, and I am going to mock eveything you have to live with and say if I don't see it, it isn't here."

And yes, I believe he sounds like a racist, sexist, transphobic bigot, and the more I hear the stronger that impression gets.


I'm sorry to hear that, and my condolences to family and friends.


One fluff piece, sent.


Nice to see Paizo mentioned positively, but Larry's article put me right off getting any of his books, and I agree with mechaPoet about the dismissiveness.

Larry claims that the first article was just childhood butthurt?
To me Larry's article comes across as "I am butthurt that you don't like a thing that I like, so I am going to ridicule, disparage, and dismiss everything you said." I've seen that sort of attitude far too often on the -ist side of arguments to want to deal with it elsewhere.


Music helps sometimes (at least for me).

Revise something you already wrote, until the new-writing end of the brain kicks in?

Maybe stretch a different corner of the writing brain by writing something you woud never normally write?

Try and make sense of something randomly generated?


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Ack, my bad. (Lesson learned: trying to proofread while preoccupied is a bad idea)

Should be Backflash hp 18 and Gold Lancers hp 44


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Thanks!

And thanks for the review too, I'm glad you liked it.


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Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you liked it, at least in part.

I hear you on the high level companies, but I also wanted to make it usable at as wide a variety of levels and worldsas I could.


Paul Watson wrote:
There is a Rite Publishing's In the Company of Medusa which, if you allow it as the GM, gives rules for Medusa PCs.

It also has a template for half-medusas (which have the looks, but not the gaze). The medusa PCs have a 1/day temporary petrification effect at 1st level, increased/enhanced as they gain HD/levels.


SRS wrote:

But, alternate sexualities are interesting. One that is often overlooked is the estimated 1% of people who have no sex drive at all. People call this "asexuality" although I am not a fan of the term because asexual creates can reproduce with themselves. Since humans are dimorphic I suppose I can see the term making sense, but it seems odd. I think nonsexual is better, personally.

I disagree. Asexual is not being sexually attracted to any gender. Nonsexual relegates asexuals like me into being objects, not people.

Quote:
One of my hypotheses is that nonsexual people are responsible, in part at least, for a lot of the religious prohibitions regarding sexual appetite. If someone has no sex drive it's not as difficult to look negatively upon what seems like an unhealthy appetite, particularly given all the fighting, jealousy, insecurity, and such that can accompany it. Creating celibacy regimes and so on seems par for the course for someone who is nonsexual.

Yeah - no. From my side of the fence that makes about as much sense as banning coffee shops from existing because I disike coffee. I can't understand what coffee-drinkers see in it, but I can see that they do like it, so why should I get in the way of something they enjoy?

I'd theorise that the prohibitions arise from jealousy and a desire to control. (As in: 'I'm not going to be cuckolded into raising another man's children', and 'If I can't have that person in that way, then no-one else should be able to either.')

I could see that attitude becoming more prevalent in Cheliax, but most of Golarion seems to be more live and let live (which I like.)


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Mavrickindigo wrote:
RadiantSophia wrote:
JiCi wrote:

Why? Because you might not be aware of it? Dude, just because you know your players for games, it doesn't mean that you know them entirely outside of live. Granted, you pick buddies as players, but sometimes, you don't know.

Also, I'm a guy looking for a girlfriend in real life... so if it offended some people, I would like to know why.

1. I'm not a "Dude"

2. I do know the sexuality (or lack thereof) of my players. I wouldn't game with people I don't know well.
3. You stating you are "looking for a girlfriend" is blatantly heterosexual. Why do you think that behavior is fine, but people (or Paizo) should care about those "irritated by homosexual content"?
the term "dude" can be gender neutral, you know

Only if you assume that male=neutral.


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LordSynos wrote:

JiCi wrote:
As for the TD;DR thingy, the topic is active since 2008... which is a long time.
This is also true. An evolving discussion that changes with the times and the latest publications about the world of Golarion. Exciting, no? :) Maybe that's just me. :P Someone used to do a thing, every so often. Let me see if I can't find it...

Something like this one?


You can also split logs to make basic planks (triangular cross-section rather than rectangular) with just an axe, wedges (bone/stone/antler are fine) and a hammer. Maybe look for Scandanavian log houses or clinker-built houses/ships to get an idea of what's possible, there have been wooden houses in that area for upwards of 7000 years.

You can also use wattle and daub to make a house or inner walls with just a cutting tool (weave thin supple branches to make a wall and then apply the 'daub' - a plaster of mud, straw and similar materials - to keep the wind out).


In 3.5, Commoners started with 5d4 gold of gear, averaging out at 12 gp, 5 sp.

Have fun, whatever you decide.


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cmastah wrote:
There was a book I read (science fiction) that may have been the third in a trilogy (I missed the first two). It featured a guy who for some reason or another needed to (tame? civilize?) a band of barbarians(mongols/tribal/whatever) on another planet, he takes a tribe of (humans?) who are friends to him from a different planet (this planet apparently features strong gravity and massive insects that frequently attack and kill people, due to the strong gravity the people are also naturally strong) and brings them to this one. The guys dress up as barbarians and pretend to have their own tribe. Eventually the native tribe start adopting much of the newer folk's ways and their own (violent?) ways dissolve (which was the intent).

To me, that sounds like Deathworld 3 by Harry Harrison.


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Thank you End for all the time, effort and work you put into your reviews. I really appreciate and look forward to them, and they help me improve as a writer.

Even (or perhaps especially) a critical review is good feedback and helps me improve.

Thank you!


shaxberd wrote:

This is probably a dumb question, but I was wondering if there was any kind of specialized equipment for carrying around drinking beverages and having them on-hand? I'm playing a Drunken Rager Barbarian, and it seems to me there has to be something more efficient than multiple waterskins carried around in a Handy Haversack.

Just wondering if there isn't a magic item that creates alcoholic beverages or some kind of special dwarven bandolier for it or something. Thanks.

The distillery access-item in this is a mug that refills itself with alcohol.

There was also a non-spilling tankard among the RPG Superstar entries a few years back.


This is just a rough ballpark figure, but the old Arms and Equipment guide says that a professional mercenary officer should be paid 4 times the rate that their soldiers are paid.

The PRD says that a rank and file mercenary soldier earns about 3sp a day, so maybe an officer would earn about 12sp a day?

Is that any help/use at all?


I'm in. :D That's 5 in a row!


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Start writing, even if it doesn't get sent anywhere. The more you write, the better you get.

Send things out. Watch for Open calls.

Here's some links you might find helpful/interesting:

Raging Swan's freelancer advice series
JBE Open Call
Adventure Quarterly
Adventure a Week
Monarch of the Monsters contest
Wayfinder (current thread)


Hmm, if you use the piecemeal armor rules, you might be able to get up to medium...

*checks prd*

Yes,

Scale arm armor 10gp +1 armor

Hide leg armor 3gp +1 armor
Kikko leg armor 10gp +1 armor
Scale leg armor 10gp +1 armor

Hide torso armor 10gp +2 armor

Then
Heavy wooden shield 7gp +2 armor

Not brilliant, but better than leather armor.

You'd still have slings as a projectile option, or thrown weapons, but no bows or crossbows


Looks like you're going to be limited to light armour, very limited ranged support, and potentially no spellbooks (depending whether it rules that you have to pay for it or that you start with one free).

In that situation, I'd be inclined towards something along the lines of Barbarian, Ranger, Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Summoner.


Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it.

Liz


Thank you. I'll keep it in mind.


Regarding flowery language: If I'm talking about something slightly obscure, would you prefer the specific term or something more general - for example, canopic jars or burial jars?

I tend to default to the specific myself, but I'm flexible.


I'm interested, as a writer.


There are multiple workshops among the 30 Portable Rooms, but that's 3rd party. :(

Another option is to buy a set of Ring Gates, put one in your home workshop and carry the other with you. Use Reduce Person on yourself to get through the gate. It only works up to 100 miles though, and you'd have to get your constructs out a different way.

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