paizo.com Favorited Posts by Aaron Bitmanpaizo.com Favorited Posts by Aaron Bitman2024-03-28T22:03:55Z2024-03-28T22:03:55ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=12?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#5842024-03-17T15:11:44Z2024-03-17T01:00:53Z<p>I'm fortunate enough to have <i>X-Men Visionaries 2: The Neal Adams Collection</i> which reprints <i>X-Men</i> 56-63 and 65. There's a cliche about making computers fail with logical paradoxes and like that. But convincing those computers to fly into the sun? I can't think of any other examples of THAT.</p>I'm fortunate enough to have X-Men Visionaries 2: The Neal Adams Collection which reprints X-Men 56-63 and 65. There's a cliche about making computers fail with logical paradoxes and like that. But convincing those computers to fly into the sun? I can't think of any other examples of THAT.Aaron Bitman2024-03-17T01:00:53ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Monsters You Wish Got Stats in Pathfinder?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs43y2d?Monsters-You-Wish-Got-Stats-in-Pathfinder#122024-02-28T14:48:33Z2024-02-28T09:30:21Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Andostre wrote:</div><blockquote> Why can't you just make up stats if you want to use a creature in your game? </blockquote><p>Heh. I was tempted to ask the same question, but then I realized something. I generally run low-level games, so my conversions were relatively easy, such as <a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2oy4o?Tasloi" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Tasloi.</a>
<p>I remember shortly after PFRPG 1e came out, I spent some time converting <i>The Root of All Evil</i> to it. By the time I ran that module a second time, two years later, most of those monsters I had converted had PFRPG stats posted on the internet, making my work worthless. But even before those stats were posted, most of those were low-level monsters. The biggest exception by far was the Guardian Familiar which was CR 9.</p>
<p>The same goes for <i>Night's Dark Terror</i>. By the time I ran it in PFRPG 1e, most of that stuff was on the net. What I did have to convert, such as Hutaakans and Traldar, had low CRs. Again, the biggest exception by far was CR 9 (the Kartoeba).</p>
<p>But on this thread people are discussing Kaiju, oni, and demigods. That's high-level stuff that I feel no desire even to attempt.</p>
<p>But with the smaller CR range... well, yeah, I do wonder why some people can't write up stats themselves. I must have converted dozens of monsters to D&D 3.0 to get stat blocks with low CRs.</p>Andostre wrote:Why can't you just make up stats if you want to use a creature in your game?
Heh. I was tempted to ask the same question, but then I realized something. I generally run low-level games, so my conversions were relatively easy, such as Tasloi. I remember shortly after PFRPG 1e came out, I spent some time converting The Root of All Evil to it. By the time I ran that module a second time, two years later, most of those monsters I had converted had PFRPG stats posted on the...Aaron Bitman2024-02-28T09:30:21ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=12?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#5742024-02-05T13:23:21Z2024-02-04T00:59:49Z<p>Yeah, a few months ago, on this thread, I mentioned reading my friend's comics back in the 1990s, including many of his old Batman issues. I neglected to mention that what drove me at that time to read Batman was Knightfall, Knightquest, and KnightsEnd. I started with earlier issues than that, in case it gave me a feel for the background, but reading that Bane / Jean-Paul Valley story was my goal. And I surpassed that goal; I must have kept reading for a while after KnightsEnd because I remember reading the story where Bruce persuades Alfred to come back.</p>Yeah, a few months ago, on this thread, I mentioned reading my friend's comics back in the 1990s, including many of his old Batman issues. I neglected to mention that what drove me at that time to read Batman was Knightfall, Knightquest, and KnightsEnd. I started with earlier issues than that, in case it gave me a feel for the background, but reading that Bane / Jean-Paul Valley story was my goal. And I surpassed that goal; I must have kept reading for a while after KnightsEnd because I...Aaron Bitman2024-02-04T00:59:49ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102512024-02-01T16:33:58Z2024-02-01T09:31:24Z<p>I'm finally reading a book which I first wanted - badly - to read over 30 years ago.</p>
<p>Back in the twentieth century, I was a big <i>Doctor Who</i> fan. To this day, I've never been crazier about any other TV show. And I wasn't content only to watch; for those times when I couldn't watch TV or video, I collected over 100 novelizations of the original <i>Doctor Who</i> television serials and read all of those that I got. I read the vast majority of them many, many times, in fact. Terrance Dicks wrote over a third of those that I got (and still have). I liked the way Dicks stayed faithful to the original stories, providing the closest thing I could get to watching the original without actually watching TV/video. It seemed to me like only occasionally would he deviate slightly from the original script (sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse).</p>
<p>And more than any of the other <i>Doctor Who</i> books, I wanted to collect novelizations of the missing stories. Many <i>Doctor Who</i> serials (that is, multi-episode stories, each one of which would typically have one corresponding novelization) from the 1960s were missing some of its episodes, the British Broadcasting Corporation having purged them. And my State's public TV station did not show any <i>Doctor Who</i> serial that was missing any episodes (with the exception of <i>Invasion of the Dinosaurs</i>). So the best way to find out about what happened in those stories was the novelizations. And there was just one missing story whose novelization I couldn't find at any of my local stores: <i>The Abominable Snowmen</i>. I tried asking and writing to people, looking for some way to order it by mail, but nothing worked out. It was especially frustrating as I read <i>The Web of Fear</i> multiple times; I generally avoid reading a sequel before the original.</p>
<p>Also, in VHS format, I got a hold of the surviving episodes of the serials I didn't see on TV. At least, I got all of those episodes I COULD get on VHS at the time. That included episode 2 of <i>The Abominable Snowmen</i>. But all I could get for the other 5 episodes was a brief, vague summary that didn't make for fun reading.</p>
<p>After about a decade, I grew tired of <i>Doctor Who</i> and stopped reading and watching it. About a decade after that, I grew un-tired enough to read a few of my old novelizations. By that time, I had started ordering old books through Amazon from third-party sellers. But whenever I looked for <i>The Abominable Snowmen</i>, I only found copies being offered for insanely high prices. I thought that maybe they were rare by that time, and I despaired of ever getting a copy.</p>
<p>Later, I started getting a craving to see - or read the novelization of - <i>The Sunmakers</i>, which was in the minority group of those <i>Doctor Who</i> novelizations (of the 1963-1989 series) that I had never gotten. But again, when I looked on Amazon, I found only prohibitively expensive copies.</p>
<p>But later still, I heard about ThriftBooks.com, from which, last year, I ordered <i>The Sunmakers</i> as novelized by Terrance Dicks. I figured: Great! Dicks always stays true to the original!</p>
<p>Well, maybe not. Granted, I haven't seen the TV serial in roughly 30 years, but as I read the book, I felt pretty sure that the dialogue had many differences between the TV serial and the book. I seem to remember more eloquent lines in the televised version. I still had fun reading it, especially because I had forgotten a lot of the plot points and action scenes. But I can't feel certain that the plot and action are exactly the same as in the original, since I know that the dialogue isn't.</p>
<p>This year, I finally got Dicks' novelization of <i>The Abominable Snowmen</i> from AbeBooks.com! Again, thank you Aberzombie for telling me about that site. I feel fortunate to get this opportunity to read it, after all these years. But while I read the part that adapts the second episode, I felt certain that the dialogue in the novel is different from the televised version, even more so than in <i>The Sunmakers</i>. And I also felt pretty sure that the action happened a little differently. Maybe Dicks was drawing from the original script. Maybe the director, or someone, changed the televised version to make it fit the show's limited budget. Maybe the differences in the book are a GOOD thing.</p>
<p>In any case, I'm glad of the chance to read it at all.</p>I'm finally reading a book which I first wanted - badly - to read over 30 years ago.
Back in the twentieth century, I was a big Doctor Who fan. To this day, I've never been crazier about any other TV show. And I wasn't content only to watch; for those times when I couldn't watch TV or video, I collected over 100 novelizations of the original Doctor Who television serials and read all of those that I got. I read the vast majority of them many, many times, in fact. Terrance Dicks wrote over a...Aaron Bitman2024-02-01T09:31:24ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: How Did You Find Out About Pathfinder?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs42vkc&page=3?How-Did-You-Find-Out-About-Pathfinder#1352024-01-19T16:17:47Z2024-01-16T23:24:21Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Lord Ebert wrote:</div><blockquote>My Dad got me into it when I was around 7 and by 11 I knew more about it than he did.</blockquote><p>Yeah, I got my son into Pathfinder when he was 6. <a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pa1u?My-6yearold-played-Pathfinder" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">I wrote about it on these boards at the time.</a>
<p>By the age of 9 he knew the game better than I did. I remarked about it in <a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2r5b8?My-Dad-played-Pathfinder#15" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">this post.</a></p>Lord Ebert wrote:My Dad got me into it when I was around 7 and by 11 I knew more about it than he did.
Yeah, I got my son into Pathfinder when he was 6. I wrote about it on these boards at the time. By the age of 9 he knew the game better than I did. I remarked about it in this post.Aaron Bitman2024-01-16T23:24:21ZRe: Forums: Off-Topic Discussions: Did you know...?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2nxcj&page=136?Did-you-know#67802024-01-01T16:31:04Z2023-12-31T21:18:35Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">quibblemuch wrote:</div><blockquote>So what you're saying is... high schools need more grizzly bears in them.</blockquote><p>“Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.”
</p>
- Robert E Howard ("The Tower of the Elephant")</p>quibblemuch wrote:So what you're saying is... high schools need more grizzly bears in them.
“Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.”
- Robert E Howard ("The Tower of the Elephant")Aaron Bitman2023-12-31T21:18:35ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=12?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#5672023-12-31T13:17:42Z2023-12-31T00:15:15Z<p>Wow.</p>
<p>Years ago, when I was high on my Conan kick, I got <i>Conan Saga</i> issues 22 through 25• because they reprinted Roy Thomas' adaptation of <i>Hour of the Dragon</i>. The main reason I wanted that story was that first issue, in which Conan first met Zenobia, the one woman that Conan ever married, and thereby made the queen of Aquilonia. That first issue was definitely the high point of the story; the other 3 parts were kind of slow and dull, in my opinion.</p>
<p>And you went and bought the original printing of that first part? "Just for s$&ts and giggles"? I... sort of... envy you. I haven't bought anything in a comic book store in years; I found it much cheaper to buy comics online. Gone are the days when I just see a comic book on a shelf or in a bin and buy it on a whim. And you went and picked up <i>Giant-Size Conan</i> #1, just like that.</p>
<p>• And the following is more detail than I'd expect anyone to want to hear: I also got <i>Conan Saga</i> issues 26 and 27 because they reprinted Roy Thomas' adaptation of <i>The Treasure of Tranicos</i>, a story that I quoted <a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=10?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#465" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">on this very thread</a> last year. I mention this because my getting those issues proved a stroke of luck; issue 27 reprinted the final page of <i>Hour of the Dragon</i> which was accidentally omitted from issue 25. That was the page in which Conan first announced his intention to free Zenobia and make her queen of Aquilonia.</p>Wow.
Years ago, when I was high on my Conan kick, I got Conan Saga issues 22 through 25* because they reprinted Roy Thomas' adaptation of Hour of the Dragon. The main reason I wanted that story was that first issue, in which Conan first met Zenobia, the one woman that Conan ever married, and thereby made the queen of Aquilonia. That first issue was definitely the high point of the story; the other 3 parts were kind of slow and dull, in my opinion.
And you went and bought the original...Aaron Bitman2023-12-31T00:15:15ZRe: Forums: Forum Games: Wreck a Movie Title by Changing One Letter!Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2umqp&page=15?Wreck-a-Movie-Title-by-Changing-One-Letter#7372024-01-01T06:36:45Z2023-12-30T23:44:03Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">I'm Hiding In Your Closet wrote:</div><blockquote> Ant-Man and the Wash <span class=messageboard-ooc>(the power to become super-small reveals its downside when our hero accidentally gets tossed in with a load of laundry)</span> </blockquote><p>Honey, I shrunk the laundry?I'm Hiding In Your Closet wrote:Ant-Man and the Wash (the power to become super-small reveals its downside when our hero accidentally gets tossed in with a load of laundry)
Honey, I shrunk the laundry?Aaron Bitman2023-12-30T23:44:03ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=205?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102352023-12-20T12:55:23Z2023-12-20T09:16:39Z<p>I'm reading <i>I Am Legend</i> by Richard Matheson.</p>
<p>It's been years since I read <i>The Incredible Shrinking Man</i> by the same author (and at least 5 of his short stories). I felt that book - although it had some good points - could have been written better. At that time, I heard that <i>I Am Legend</i> was his greatest work, but I didn't see the appeal of a vampire apocalypse story.</p>
<p>Years later, I watched <i>Santa Clarita Diet</i>, a silly comedy about zombies. It's arguably the only long-running video series that I watched in entirety TWICE; I liked it that much. Among other things, the heroes work to prevent a zombie plague from getting out of hand and (possibly, theoretically) starting an apocalypse.</p>
<p>That made me curious enough about the genre to make me watch George Romero's <i>Night of the Living Dead</i> (from 1968) and its first sequel, <i>Dawn of the Dead</i> (from 1978). I could go on and on about the weaknesses of those movies, but - after all these years of wondering what the big deal is - I began to understand the appeal of a zombie apocalypse story.</p>
<p>I figured there are so many zombie apocalypse stories out there, there must be some I would like better than those George Romero movies. So I sought out a few others. For instance, I started reading <i>World War Z</i> by Max Brooks, which I was greatly enjoying, and to which I should return soon. (I should also write a post about <i>World War Z</i> on this thread someday soon.) And one of these days I should read the comic book series <i>The Walking Dead</i>, and maybe look into a few other stories like that.</p>
<p>But I started reflecting. When I caught myself thinking that <i>Night of the Living Dead</i> started the whole sub-genre, I thought: Is that really so? Romero obviously must have been inspired by <i>I Am Legend</i>, which goes all the way back to 1954! Maybe I should read THAT to appreciate the sub-genre better.</p>
<p>Also, I was curious. The protagonist of <i>I Am Legend</i> is - as far as he knows - the only human left in a world where everyone has become a vampire. How would that work? How would the vampires feed, if there are practically no humans left? Would they kill and drink the blood of... other vampires? Or animals? Or what? If they kill other vampires, how would they be any more evil than a human who kills vampires? If they kill animals to survive, how would that make them any worse than us meat-eating humans?</p>
<p>So - although not even halfway through <i>World War Z</i> yet - I took an aside to read <i>I Am Legend</i>, which - like all the other Matheson works I've read or seen - has not terribly impressed me. The novel is too vague about what these vampires are like. Every now and then we get a brief flashback of the main character - Robert Neville - with his wife or friend. And I mean BRIEF. When Robert discovers that his wife, or whoever, is undead, we see only a split second of Robert having that revelation. Then the book goes on and on about how horrifying his experience felt. Why can't we SEE what these people are like when they're undead? I feel like the author gave us only the fuzziest picture because he couldn't figure out how to make it scary.</p>
<p>A lot of the time, the book goes on about Robert's feelings of loneliness or despair. Did Matheson really need vampires just to tell a story about that?! Sometimes Robert wonders what's the point of going on with his life, which certainly does nothing to dissuade me from wondering why I'm bothering to read about it. Just let those vampires kill each other! They can apparently do so without Robert's help.</p>
<p>And... I know that horror stories are generally very implausible, but come on! Robert is no biologist, but he just reads books about the subject and suddenly he can discover things that a world full of trained professionals never could? He just looks under a microscope and identifies the virus? How could he know which of the many viruses around is the culprit? And that nonsense isn't even necessary to get the plot moving! Even if it were, the author could easily have written that some scientists had managed to make some discoveries, the results of which got published in newspapers that made it to the public libraries during the final days before the human race went kaput. Like <i>The Incredible Shrinking Man</i>, this book could have been written better.</p>
<p>Now I just want to finish this book already so I can go back to <i>World War Z</i>.</p>I'm reading I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.
It's been years since I read The Incredible Shrinking Man by the same author (and at least 5 of his short stories). I felt that book - although it had some good points - could have been written better. At that time, I heard that I Am Legend was his greatest work, but I didn't see the appeal of a vampire apocalypse story.
Years later, I watched Santa Clarita Diet, a silly comedy about zombies. It's arguably the only long-running video series that...Aaron Bitman2023-12-20T09:16:39ZRe: Forums: Off-Topic Discussions: Did you know...?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2nxcj&page=135?Did-you-know#67352023-11-29T19:22:25Z2023-11-08T00:56:10Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Ed Reppert wrote:</div><blockquote>Read Larry Niven's "Unfinished Story #1". It will tell you the •real• origin of Maxwell's Demon. :-)</blockquote><p>In one of my all-time favorite novels, <i>Master of the Five Magics</i> by Lyndon Hardy, the main character summons Maxwell's Demon to freeze water in the thumb of a glove (at the expense of heating up the water in the rest of the glove).Ed Reppert wrote:Read Larry Niven's "Unfinished Story #1". It will tell you the *real* origin of Maxwell's Demon. :-)
In one of my all-time favorite novels, Master of the Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy, the main character summons Maxwell's Demon to freeze water in the thumb of a glove (at the expense of heating up the water in the rest of the glove).Aaron Bitman2023-11-08T00:56:10ZRe: Forums: Television: Matthew Perry - R. I. P.Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs43wbh?Matthew-Perry-R-I-P#22023-11-01T18:04:52Z2023-10-29T09:37:11Z<p>I thought Matthew Perry was the funniest person on the show.</p>I thought Matthew Perry was the funniest person on the show.Aaron Bitman2023-10-29T09:37:11ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=11?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#5472023-10-09T12:09:04Z2023-10-09T01:56:14Z<p>I got a couple of big surprises this weekend. But to set up the context for those, I should reprise a few points from earlier in this thread.</p>
<p>Two months ago, Aberzombie mentioned getting a lot of issues of <i>The Uncanny X-Men</i> from the 1980s, including #160. I waxed nostalgic, reminiscing about how, back in the 1990s, I used to visit a friend regularly and read his old <i>X-Men</i> material. I cited #160 in particular as the issue where Illyana Rasputin spent 7 years in Otherplace, hence aging 7 years, while only seconds seemed to go by on Earth.</p>
<p>Last month, the <i>Kitty Pride and Wolverine</i> limited series also came up on this thread. Reading about that stuff made me curious to read the 2 issues that I have of that title. I remarked on my surprise that I had no memory of reading one of them previously. It seemed ridiculous that I would buy an issue without reading it, but I can't imagine not remembering anything from it either, even if I should have read it over 20 years ago.</p>
<p>Anyway, I felt intrigued enough to add the remaining issues of <i>Kitty Pride and Wolverine</i> to my wishlist (meaning that maybe one of these months I'll order something from Mile High Comics or Lone Star Comics, and add a few issues of that series to my order, once I'm paying for shipping anyway). And I thought: While I'm at it, what about other X-titles of that era? For instance, I have the first 3 of the 4 issues of <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> (starring Dazzler and the Beast from <i>X-Men</i>). Maybe I should complete my collection and find out what happens.</p>
<p>On Friday, after work, with such thoughts in mind, I dug out the bag containing my issues of <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>, so easily accessible from my bookcase. And in that bag I found... ALL FOUR ISSUES!!!</p>
<p>This weekend I read the whole limited series. I had memories from the first 3 issues, but none whatsoever from the fourth!</p>
<p>Could I, twenty-some years ago, have gotten some issues (one of <i>Kitty Pride and Wolverine</i> and one of <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>) and forgotten about them to the point where I forgot even to read them? How could that have happened?!?</p>
<p>Anyway, I began to wonder what other X-Titles might interest me. I noticed a few about whose existence I had never known back in the 20th century, like the <i>Magik</i> limited series and the <i>Iceman</i> limited series.</p>
<p>Also this past weekend, I happened to run into that same friend, from whose <i>X-Men</i> collection I had so greatly benefitted decades ago. I brought up <i>Magik</i> and he surprised me by saying that series described what happened to Illyana during those 7 "lost" years. That sounds intriguing!</p>
<p>I didn't bring up <i>Iceman</i> though. I'm not aware that anything interesting happened in that limited series. For that matter, I never thought Iceman was an interesting character outside of the movies.</p>I got a couple of big surprises this weekend. But to set up the context for those, I should reprise a few points from earlier in this thread.
Two months ago, Aberzombie mentioned getting a lot of issues of The Uncanny X-Men from the 1980s, including #160. I waxed nostalgic, reminiscing about how, back in the 1990s, I used to visit a friend regularly and read his old X-Men material. I cited #160 in particular as the issue where Illyana Rasputin spent 7 years in Otherplace, hence aging 7...Aaron Bitman2023-10-09T01:56:14ZRe: Forums: Off-Topic Discussions: Weird News StoriesAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se2f&page=15?Weird-News-Stories#7272023-10-05T06:35:38Z2023-10-05T00:48:01Z<p>After all these decades, I still keep thinking of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR09HaMtrx0&start=95" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">this scene.</a></p>After all these decades, I still keep thinking of this scene.Aaron Bitman2023-10-05T00:48:01ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=11?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#5422023-10-03T12:26:50Z2023-10-03T05:22:57Z<p>I had originally intended to begin this post differently, but it's funny that Aberzombie recently brought up <a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2nxcj&page=134?Did-you-know#6697" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Plague of the Zombies</a>. I dislike horror movies in general, for several reasons, not the least of which is that I see no appeal in being frightened out of my wits. The real world is scary enough. So I have no intention of ever watching, say, <i>Night of the Living Dead</i>, but I acknowledge that movie's importance in forming the popular image of zombies, used in stories that I've enjoyed. Because some people have used those cliches to write some other kinds of stories... like FUNNY stories that made me laugh, such as <i>Santa Clarita Diet</i>. Yes, even murderous, flesh-eating ghouls can be funny.</p>
<p>I mean... I read and watched SOME horror stories. For instance, I read Bram's Stoker's <i>Dracula</i> and saw one of the movie adaptations of it, but one nifty thing about the popular vampire mythos is that it opens the door to so many FUNNY stories on the subject.</p>
<p>And that brings me to the topic I REALLY wanted to discuss here, <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>.</p>
<p>For many years, I wanted to watch that show, but I wasn't in a position to watch much video. When I did have some leisure time, I could generally only read. So I tried to seek out a novel that imitated Buffy's show. But those imitations had problems. Most of them weren't even SUPPOSED to be funny. What was worse - and I remember griping about the problem on these boards, years ago - was that most of the heroines were pathetic. "Help me, friends! Save me from those scary vampires; I'm helpless against them!" Reading that stuff, I realized that one of the appeals of Buffy was that she was a strong, tough, kick-butt vampire slayer, and few imitators captured that.</p>
<p>Well, I'll admit to one major exception: <i>Blood Song</i> by Cat Adams. But I couldn't get far into the first sequel, <i>Siren Song</i>, because after a while that one got into the mundane day-to-day details of the business the heroine was running, which got boring.</p>
<p>The bottom line was that there was no substitute for Buffy. And I expected that the vast majority of the Buffy books and comics assumed at least some familiarity with the show. And my video-watching habits were such that it typically took me a week to get through one movie. Forget about watching 144 episodes of an hour-slot show!</p>
<p>But then in 2019, my life changed. In 2020, I found I was able to watch a lot more video. So I started on Buffy. And this year, I finally finished the show!</p>
<p>To me, it was quite an accomplishment. I've never completed such a big video-watching project before. And now I'm reaping the rewards! During those times when I may read for entertainment but not watch video - because such times still exist in my schedule - I'm free to read Buffy novels and comics.</p>
<p>My first thought - after finishing the 7 seasons of the show - was to read the "Season 8" comic series. And in fact, I HAVE ordered the first volume of the trade paperbacks which reprint that series. But as I was browsing those Buffy trade paperbacks looking for that stuff, I happened to find something that I bought first, and read over the weekend: the <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus, Volume 1</i>. That Omnibus series compiles Dark Horse's original 1998-2003 Buffy comic book series... but in chronological order.</p>
<p>What most made me want it was that it told the story of the 1992 Buffy movie as Joss Whedon intended it. Well, I was disappointed to find that version wasn't so different from the actual movie after all (at least in my view). But that volume had some other interesting stuff, like the reason Pike left.</p>
<p>But without a doubt, my favorite part of the volume was "Slayer, Interrupted", which relates how Buffy's parents (before their divorce) had sent her to a mental institution (as she briefly mentioned in the episode "Normal Again"). One highly controversial design decision of these prequel issues was their inclusion of Dawn. Surely, she wasn't supposed to exist in the original timeline; the past got rewritten to include her. But clearly, the writers wanted Dawn, so why not? After all, that's how Buffy (and everyone) REMEMBERED the past.</p>
<p>So as I read the story, I pondered. In the comics, 10-year-old Dawn read Buffy's diary, which talked about being a slayer. Dawn then told her parents about this, which is why they had Buffy committed. As I read this, I frowned. It looked like Buffy would never have been committed if not for Dawn, so why did Buffy get committed in the ORIGINAL timeline? And for that matter, in the episode "Becoming, Part 2", why did Joyce act like the "vampire slayer" stuff was completely new to her, if she had had exposure to the idea from Buffy's diary?</p>
<p>And all of a sudden, an answer came to me. Maybe, in the original timeline (without Dawn) Buffy NEVER WAS COMMITTED! After all, she had never mentioned the matter until AFTER Dawn's arrival! I think one of the fun aspects of fantasy is its ability to make me think in ways I never would outside of a fantasy context.</p>
<p>Another cool part of "Slayer, Interrupted" was Giles' backstory of how he qualified to be Buffy's Watcher... but I've probably talked about that story for too long already.</p>
<p>One day, I'd like to read "A Stake to the Heart", Dark Horse's story of Buffy's reaction to her parents' divorce. I'd like to see how she learned to cope.</p>
<p>Ah, there are so many Buffy stories available to me, now that I know enough to get the references!</p>I had originally intended to begin this post differently, but it's funny that Aberzombie recently brought up The Plague of the Zombies. I dislike horror movies in general, for several reasons, not the least of which is that I see no appeal in being frightened out of my wits. The real world is scary enough. So I have no intention of ever watching, say, Night of the Living Dead, but I acknowledge that movie's importance in forming the popular image of zombies, used in stories that I've enjoyed....Aaron Bitman2023-10-03T05:22:57ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=11?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#5412023-10-03T12:26:53Z2023-10-03T05:14:41Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Aberzombie wrote:</div><blockquote>On a whim, I’d decided to look for some old Doctor Fate issues. Lo and behold! They had issue #1 of the the old DeMatteis and Giffen. I can remember seeing an issue of this miniseries (either #1 or #4) when it first came out. Couldn’t afford it at the time. I’ve wanted the series ever since. So now, after 36 years, I have the first issue.</blockquote><p>It's funny that you should mention those two issues - #1 and #4. Those are the two issues of the miniseries that I have.Aberzombie wrote:On a whim, I’d decided to look for some old Doctor Fate issues. Lo and behold! They had issue #1 of the the old DeMatteis and Giffen. I can remember seeing an issue of this miniseries (either #1 or #4) when it first came out. Couldn’t afford it at the time. I’ve wanted the series ever since. So now, after 36 years, I have the first issue.
It's funny that you should mention those two issues - #1 and #4. Those are the two issues of the miniseries that I have.Aaron Bitman2023-10-03T05:14:41ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=11?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#5372023-09-27T09:18:45Z2023-09-26T12:21:15Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Aberzombie wrote:</div><blockquote> Picked up some more old X-Men comics - #95 (when Thunderbird dies), #99 (first appearance of Black Tom Cassidy), and #120 (I think the first of Alpha Flight, as a cameo).</blockquote><p>Yeah, I touched on the subject in this thread last month, but maybe I should provide a few more details.
<p>The first mention of Alpha Flight was in <i>X-Men</i> #109 in which Vindicator (who, at the time, was only called "Weapon Alpha") made his first appearance and tried to capture Wolverine. When more X-Men joined the fight, Vindicator fled, thinking "...next time, to equalize the odds, I'll bring Alpha Flight with me." That's the first mention we hear of the name.</p>
<p>But as you say, Alpha Flight's first appearance was in <i>X-Men</i> #120-121.</p>Aberzombie wrote:Picked up some more old X-Men comics - #95 (when Thunderbird dies), #99 (first appearance of Black Tom Cassidy), and #120 (I think the first of Alpha Flight, as a cameo).
Yeah, I touched on the subject in this thread last month, but maybe I should provide a few more details. The first mention of Alpha Flight was in X-Men #109 in which Vindicator (who, at the time, was only called "Weapon Alpha") made his first appearance and tried to capture Wolverine. When more X-Men joined...Aaron Bitman2023-09-26T12:21:15ZRe: Forums: Off-Topic Discussions: Weird News StoriesAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se2f&page=15?Weird-News-Stories#7142023-09-20T19:30:24Z2023-09-20T18:55:06Z<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A8WTI7fuIE" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">"...they have donuts. DONUTS!!!"</a></p>"...they have donuts. DONUTS!!!"Aaron Bitman2023-09-20T18:55:06ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=11?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#5332023-09-15T20:19:27Z2023-09-15T13:39:26Z<p>Yeah, that's why I got a lot of "Chronicles of Conan" trade paperbacks. (Dark Horse printed them, but they're reprints of the original Marvel series.) Without "Chronicles of Conan", collecting all those old stories would have been quite impossible for my budget!</p>Yeah, that's why I got a lot of "Chronicles of Conan" trade paperbacks. (Dark Horse printed them, but they're reprints of the original Marvel series.) Without "Chronicles of Conan", collecting all those old stories would have been quite impossible for my budget!Aaron Bitman2023-09-15T13:39:26ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=11?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#5312023-09-15T20:18:13Z2023-09-15T09:23:27Z<p>On this thread (and elsewhere on these forums) I've talked about my favorite Conan writer, Roy Thomas. I must have collected hundreds of the Conan stories he wrote for Marvel Comics.</p>
<p>I'm not so much a fan of Robert E Howard, Conan's creator, but because of Roy Thomas, I read most of Howard's Conan prose stories to get an appreciation of the origin of the character. And one of the few Conan prose stories that I liked enough to read twice was "People of the Black Circle" which had a few interesting plot twists. But even that had its weaknesses.</p>
<p>One gripe I have about Howard is that unlike Thomas, Howard fails to give me a good sense of continuity. For instance, some Howard stories start Conan off as a leader of men very different from himself, but fail to explain how he achieved that position; Roy Thomas would fill in those details, making the story seem more real. Even in "People of the Black Circle" Howard starts Conan off as the Hetman of a tribe of Afghulis in Vendhya. The first time we see those Afghulis, they were quick to turn against Conan in distrust; how had they come to accept this foreigner as their leader in the first place? I never found any explanation of this, even in Roy Thomas' stories.</p>
<p>Until now.</p>
<p>I was in a public library, looking for some (unrelated) recreational reading material when I happened to find <i>Conan the Gambler</i>, a trade paperback reprinting some 2019 "Savage Sword of Conan" issues. And 2 of the 6 issues that volume reprints were written by Roy Thomas. Like I mentioned earlier in this thread, Thomas is no longer the writer of the bulk of Marvel Conan stories, but he still does a good job writing what little of Conan he does write. So I took that out.</p>
<p>Even before the Roy Thomas material, I found those stories interesting. Even the blurb on the back cover made the stories intriguing (and that sort of thing usually fails to interest me). That "Conan the Gambler" story had some twists on the usual cliches, although the ending disappointed me.</p>
<p>But then I read Thomas' contribution, which had a weak spot or two, but I found it satisfying overall. After all these years, I finally got a story of how Conan became Hetman. And it wasn't quite as straightforward as it might have been.</p>On this thread (and elsewhere on these forums) I've talked about my favorite Conan writer, Roy Thomas. I must have collected hundreds of the Conan stories he wrote for Marvel Comics.
I'm not so much a fan of Robert E Howard, Conan's creator, but because of Roy Thomas, I read most of Howard's Conan prose stories to get an appreciation of the origin of the character. And one of the few Conan prose stories that I liked enough to read twice was "People of the Black Circle" which had a few...Aaron Bitman2023-09-15T09:23:27ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=11?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#5212023-09-03T11:56:40Z2023-09-03T02:33:50Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Aberzombie wrote:</div><blockquote>So….turns out not only did they have Wolverine #1 (the ‘82 limited series, not the original ongoing series), they had the other three issues as well.</blockquote><p>Oh! When you mentioned Wolverine #1 a week ago I assumed you meant the ongoing series.
<p>Yeah, I have a trade paperback reprinting that 4-isssue 1982 series. When Wolvie first joined the X-Men, he just seemed a cantankerous berserker psycho-killer, with no more depth or complexity to him than that. But someone who's been around as much as he has, with as many years of experience as he has, could become many, many things, including a Samurai.</p>
<p>Yeah, I do think Wolverine is one of the more interesting X-Men characters... but not nearly interesting enough to deserve the hype and popularity he got! What with all that overexposure, I sometimes grow tired of him and feel greater interest in Professor X, the Beast, and maybe Cyclops.</p>Aberzombie wrote:So….turns out not only did they have Wolverine #1 (the ‘82 limited series, not the original ongoing series), they had the other three issues as well.
Oh! When you mentioned Wolverine #1 a week ago I assumed you meant the ongoing series. Yeah, I have a trade paperback reprinting that 4-isssue 1982 series. When Wolvie first joined the X-Men, he just seemed a cantankerous berserker psycho-killer, with no more depth or complexity to him than that. But someone who's been around...Aaron Bitman2023-09-03T02:33:50ZRe: Forums: Comics: Ramblin Man 3D: Comic Book EditionAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ueu2&page=22?Ramblin-Man-3D-Comic-Book-Edition#10522023-08-28T06:13:01Z2023-08-28T00:47:25Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">AceofMoxen wrote:</div><blockquote>You can't save coming cs with things that appeal to comic book poeple. To save comic books, we would need to move eyes off of tictoc and video games. (This is of course impossible, comic books are going to die.)</blockquote><p>Does "cs" mean... counter-strike? Comic... something?
<p>I might not understand the topic of discussion well enough to make my argument hold any weight. I certainly don't know about new comics like the other participants of this discussion do. I CERTAINLY certainly don't know the realities of the comic book business.</p>
<p>But I'm sure there are those who would argue against the notion that "comic books are going to die." Some people have been predicting the death of the comic book since the mid-1940s. Social change was going to kill them. New media and technologies were going to kill them. Television was going to kill them. Censors were going to kill them. The Video Cassette Recorder, the internet... well, you get the idea. And yet here you are, discussing the latest comics.</p>
<p>I remember in 2018 Buddy Saunders, the owner of Lone Star Comics, describing his (and his colleagues') trip to the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo. I'm now copying a quote from his description of his experiences there, posted on April 17 of that year:</p>
<div class="messageboard-quotee">Buddy Saunders wrote:</div><blockquote>Next morning, Saturday, we saw Steve <span class=messageboard-ooc>[Geppi]</span> again, this time when he spoke at the Diamond Retailer's Breakfast (Diamond fed us very well!). Speaking from the heart, the heart of a longtime comic fan, Steve spoke without notes or a teleprompter, making a paramount point at the very beginning that "Comics cannot be killed!" He knows that. I know that. The retailers in the room with 10, 20, 30 years' experience in their comic stores know this. We've all seen the ups and downs of the industry over the years. We all heard the Cassandras among us, predicting the demise of comics—certain to be killed by one thing or another—new formats such as the graphic novel, digital comics, the larger popular culture, the air freight wars, the B&W glut, the caused-by-death-of Superman-glut. The lowly comic book survived all this and more. That's what Steve Geppi reminded us. And that's what we all needed to hear, especially store owners newer to the business than us old dogs.</blockquote><p>AceofMoxen wrote:You can't save coming cs with things that appeal to comic book poeple. To save comic books, we would need to move eyes off of tictoc and video games. (This is of course impossible, comic books are going to die.)
Does "cs" mean... counter-strike? Comic... something? I might not understand the topic of discussion well enough to make my argument hold any weight. I certainly don't know about new comics like the other participants of this discussion do. I CERTAINLY certainly...Aaron Bitman2023-08-28T00:47:25ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=11?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#5122023-08-18T14:45:11Z2023-08-13T10:14:47Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Aberzombie wrote:</div><blockquote>Then I couldn’t resist - also picked up copies of X-Men 132 - 134, 137 -139, and the one shot crossover with X-Men and New Teen Titans.</blockquote><p>I was a big Teen Titans fan back in the 1980s. I collected over 100 issues (if you include related titles) at a time when I had never collected more than 4 issues of any other title. It would be roughly a decade before I got that deeply into any comic book series again.
<p>Then in the 1990s, I used to go to a friend's house and read his X-Men comics. That was when I had the chance to read the X-Men / Teen Titans crossover. It had some good moments, but I didn't think it a highlight of either title.</p>
<p>But even some people who hate X-Men have told me that they took exception to the Dark Phoenix saga.</p>
<p>And it's funny that you got 139. Back in the 20th century, I took an interest in Alpha Flight (for reasons that had nothing to do with X-Men) and got a few issues, including #1. And to read X-Men at home, I got a few "Essential" volumes (the black-and-white reprints). Just a few months ago, I felt my interest in Alpha Flight return, so I re-read its first appearances in X-Men 109, 120, 121, 139, and 140, and finally my coveted copy of Alpha Flight #1.</p>
<p>Hungry for more, I wrote up a wish list of Alpha Flight issues (and also Iron Man issues, but that's another story). At first, I planned to order only a few issues from Mile High Comics, but then I realized I wouldn't be content with only a few. If I had to pay for shipping, I should take better advantage of that and get more issues that I knew I would want. And the total came so high that - with great reluctance - I gave up on the idea and decided to content myself instead with getting a certain old prose novel from ThriftBooks, and with a certain computer game, the two cheapest things on my wish list at the time.</p>
<p>I tell you, it's not easy being a cheapskate when budgeting for entertainment. I (sort of) envy your drive to collect.</p>Aberzombie wrote:Then I couldn’t resist - also picked up copies of X-Men 132 - 134, 137 -139, and the one shot crossover with X-Men and New Teen Titans.
I was a big Teen Titans fan back in the 1980s. I collected over 100 issues (if you include related titles) at a time when I had never collected more than 4 issues of any other title. It would be roughly a decade before I got that deeply into any comic book series again. Then in the 1990s, I used to go to a friend's house and read his X-Men...Aaron Bitman2023-08-13T10:14:47ZRe: Forums/Gamer Life: General Discussion: Best one-liner that made the whole table laugh?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2mahp&page=38?Best-oneliner-that-made-the-whole-table-laugh#18742023-08-11T23:44:34Z2023-08-11T13:36:47Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">quibblemuch wrote:</div><blockquote>Lessons learned...</blockquote><p>The one time my party faced a "perfectly average balor" the PCs killed it and took its weapon. One PC took some practice swings with it (which was the standard practice in those campaigns) to determine that it was just a +1 greatsword. "Nothing special." The party just stashed the sword away, never bothering to test it further nor to sell it. The campaign ended without the PCs ever finding out that this "nothing special" was a vorpal weapon. I guess I could learn a lesson from that.quibblemuch wrote:Lessons learned...
The one time my party faced a "perfectly average balor" the PCs killed it and took its weapon. One PC took some practice swings with it (which was the standard practice in those campaigns) to determine that it was just a +1 greatsword. "Nothing special." The party just stashed the sword away, never bothering to test it further nor to sell it. The campaign ended without the PCs ever finding out that this "nothing special" was a vorpal weapon. I guess I...Aaron Bitman2023-08-11T13:36:47ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=10?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#4972023-07-29T19:32:56Z2023-07-26T21:13:53Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Aberzombie wrote:</div><blockquote> I…..may have spent a wee bit of money on back issues today. Picked up more Uncanny X-Men. Numbers 116-119 and 127. </blockquote><p>Ah, 117! There's a well-used cliché of portraying telepathic battles by having each combatant picture himself as powerful and duke it out in a surrealistic - yet still physical-looking - way, in an illusory setting. The trick is to summon all your willpower to achieve the greatest offensive force. And in my mind, X-Men 117 was the prototype for that kind of battle.
<p>(Well, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe someone better versed in comics than I could list 10 similar battles in the comics that predate that issue.)</p>Aberzombie wrote:I…..may have spent a wee bit of money on back issues today. Picked up more Uncanny X-Men. Numbers 116-119 and 127.
Ah, 117! There's a well-used cliché of portraying telepathic battles by having each combatant picture himself as powerful and duke it out in a surrealistic - yet still physical-looking - way, in an illusory setting. The trick is to summon all your willpower to achieve the greatest offensive force. And in my mind, X-Men 117 was the prototype for that kind of...Aaron Bitman2023-07-26T21:13:53ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=204?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#101782023-07-25T12:16:03Z2023-07-24T18:16:53Z<p>Last month, on this thread, Bjørn Røyrvik, Aberzombie, Limeylongears, and I discussed alternatives to Amazon for finding used books. For instance, Aberzombie mentioned Abe Books. (Hey, I just noticed that there's an "Abe" in "Aberzombie"!) That discussion made me consider Abe Books. So I ordered something from it and got my book 5 days later. Now I'm 80 or 90 percent through it.</p>
<p>But what with the title of this thread, maybe I should talk about the book from Abe Books I'm currently reading. It's <i>Invasion of the Body Snatchers</i> by Jack Finney.</p>
<p>I expect anyone reading this has heard of at least one of the movie adaptations (and probably more than one). There were 4, altogether. I remember when I was young someone described the 1978 movie (the second version) to me, particularly its famous ending. Over a decade later, I saw the 1956 movie (the first one) and the ending shocked me; it was nothing like the 1978 movie ending! I never would have guessed the movie would end that way! About 2 decades after THAT, I watched the 1993 version (the third one). As I did so, I felt real suspense. Would it end like the first movie, or like the second? Well, the answer was... neither! Again, I never guessed the movie might end that way, despite the hints. And I read a synopsis of the 2007 version, which had yet ANOTHER ending! Not only that, but I heard that the 1956 movie's original script had yet ANOTHER ending! Finally, I read a brief description of the original novel and learned that it had yet ANOTHER ending! That makes SIX different endings!</p>
<p>Well, I heard that the 1978 movie was the best version. I hope to see it someday. (I also heard that the 2007 version was bad. I have no plans to see that one.) But in the meantime, I decided to read the book.</p>
<p>I got a surprise just from looking at the copyright page of that book. It seems that when the 1978 movie came out, Dell Publishing put out a revised and updated edition. The very first page mentions that it takes place in 1976. Some of the references in the book, such as one to President Carter, obviously must have been changes to the 1955 edition. I got the impression, though, that other than superficial changes like that, the book wasn't substantially revised. But I haven't a scrap of evidence to prove that belief.</p>
<p>Anyway, the first 30 or 40 pages of the book are VERY similar to the 1956 movie. Then a lot of details change. Sometimes the plot diverges from what I expect, based on that movie, but then gets back onto the same track as the movie... which I actually find disappointing. I guess I don't regard <i>Invasion of the Body Snatchers</i> as a sacred text. Getting surprise variations of the story is a major part of the fun of it.</p>Last month, on this thread, Bjørn Røyrvik, Aberzombie, Limeylongears, and I discussed alternatives to Amazon for finding used books. For instance, Aberzombie mentioned Abe Books. (Hey, I just noticed that there's an "Abe" in "Aberzombie"!) That discussion made me consider Abe Books. So I ordered something from it and got my book 5 days later. Now I'm 80 or 90 percent through it.
But what with the title of this thread, maybe I should talk about the book from Abe Books I'm currently reading....Aaron Bitman2023-07-24T18:16:53ZRe: Forums: Off-Topic Discussions: I'm still fading, but not gone yet.Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs43t49?Im-still-fading-but-not-gone-yet#42023-04-27T06:25:10Z2023-04-27T00:12:51Z<p>Thanks for the replies. It's good to get to interact with you again...</p>
<p>...particularly with you, Dungeonmaster Cal. A week or two ago, I was browsing the forums and saw a thread called <a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs43sw6?Whats-the-most-anticlimactic-boss-fight-youve" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">What's the most anti-climactic boss fight you've ever had?</a>. It made me think of when I ran <i>Saga of the Shadow Lord</i> in BECMI, back in the 1980s. Seeing the main boss, looking all tough and evil, on the front cover picture made my players feel a sense of dread. They were saying stuff like "I'll bet he has a million hit points and a ton of devastating magical attacks!" When they finally got up to him, they actually felt disappointed at how easily they destroyed him.</p>
<p>But then I thought: Who would want to hear a story that old? This thread was in the "Pathfinder First Edition" subforum.</p>
<p>When I saw <a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs43sw6?Whats-the-most-anticlimactic-boss-fight-youve#10" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">your post in that thread,</a> talking about D&D 2e, I felt a bit encouraged to post my story. But I didn't see that anyone else went that far back in time. And besides, I don't remember details of that encounter. But still, I regarded your post as the most noteworthy one in that thread.</p>Thanks for the replies. It's good to get to interact with you again...
...particularly with you, Dungeonmaster Cal. A week or two ago, I was browsing the forums and saw a thread called What's the most anti-climactic boss fight you've ever had?. It made me think of when I ran Saga of the Shadow Lord in BECMI, back in the 1980s. Seeing the main boss, looking all tough and evil, on the front cover picture made my players feel a sense of dread. They were saying stuff like "I'll bet he has a...Aaron Bitman2023-04-27T00:12:51ZRe: Forums: Music & Audio: Classical MusicAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2koyk&page=9?Classical-Music#4122023-02-12T02:36:33Z2023-02-09T23:17:26Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">On July 12, 2017, Aaron Bitman wrote:</div><blockquote><p> As I've mentioned before, my piano-playing lately has been mostly show tunes. But I can't play music of my own choice for long without choosing Bach. Once again, I'm playing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkkR1BNuLIo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">a Sinfonia from one of his Cantatas,</a> only this time it calls for only two hands.</p>
<p>Which is lucky, since that's the number of hands I have.</p>
<p>I have to comment, though, that playing this has not been fun. So often, I listen to a piece, love it, and say "I want to play that!" It's easy to say, but I find some pieces - like this one - to be harder than they sound. I got tired and frustrated with this Sinfonia, and my performance didn't come out sounding so great. (Well, speed it up to 1.25 and it sounds better.)</p>
<p>It's a pity. Oftentimes I wonder if I could manage certain difficult pieces. I'm curious to know. Maybe I'd discover that some of those pieces aren't as hard as they sound. But times like this, I get so frustrated that it doesn't seem worth the time and effort.</p>
<p><sigh> I'm going back to show tunes now.
<br />
</blockquote><p>In the years since I wrote that, I gained enough confidence to make a lot of my performances public on YouTube. And I decided to upload some more stuff. For instance, I keep listening to that recording of myself playing that Sinfonia mentioned above, speeded up by 30%. So I figured: Why not make that public? So here it is:
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGjBc_1xVr0" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Bach Cantata 35, part 5: Sinfonia</a></p>
<p>(I also uploaded recordings of myself playing showtunes and such, but those would be off-topic in the Classical Music thread.)</p>On July 12, 2017, Aaron Bitman wrote:As I've mentioned before, my piano-playing lately has been mostly show tunes. But I can't play music of my own choice for long without choosing Bach. Once again, I'm playing a Sinfonia from one of his Cantatas, only this time it calls for only two hands.
Which is lucky, since that's the number of hands I have.
I have to comment, though, that playing this has not been fun. So often, I listen to a piece, love it, and say "I want to play that!" It's easy to...Aaron Bitman2023-02-09T23:17:26ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: How to date a dragon?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs43q88?How-to-date-a-dragon#182023-01-05T11:02:38Z2023-01-03T20:04:37Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">DRD1812 wrote:</div><blockquote>And now I find myself trying to figure out what courtship would look like between this selfless paladin and his secretly-a-dragon maid.</blockquote><div class="messageboard-quotee">Azothath wrote:</div><blockquote>The paladin as a class has restraints. He should go and talk to a cleric of his faith and discuss the situation and his options and/or pray about it.</blockquote><div class="messageboard-quotee">VoodistMonk wrote:</div><blockquote>I think the marriage will last. They are absolutely made for each other.</blockquote><div class="messageboard-quotee">RainOfSteel wrote:</div><blockquote>It's the wrong character types, but I am having flashbacks to Donkey and Dragon from Shrek.</blockquote><p>I'm having flashbacks too... to Huma from <i>Dragonlance</i>. In case you don't know the story, here's the general (though inaccurate) idea: The paladin and the dragon fall in love. Meanwhile some great crisis involving an invasion of an army of evil dragons arises. The paladin prays to his deity asking what to do and gets an answer: "You have two choices. The dragon could turn humanoid permanently and marry you. Or - as a dragon - she can provide valuable help dealing with the dragon-army crisis. You can't have both."
<p>Well, you know what a paladin has to choose.</p>DRD1812 wrote:And now I find myself trying to figure out what courtship would look like between this selfless paladin and his secretly-a-dragon maid.
Azothath wrote:The paladin as a class has restraints. He should go and talk to a cleric of his faith and discuss the situation and his options and/or pray about it.
VoodistMonk wrote:I think the marriage will last. They are absolutely made for each other.
RainOfSteel wrote:It's the wrong character types, but I am having flashbacks to Donkey...Aaron Bitman2023-01-03T20:04:37ZRe: Forums: Comics: Aberzombie's Comic Book ReminiscingAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=10?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#4652022-12-09T04:33:11Z2022-12-08T17:01:46Z<p>Six years ago, on this thread, I wrote about my reading Roy Thomas' Conan stories. <a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2se9f&page=6?Aberzombies-Comic-Book-Reminiscing#265" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Here's a link to that post.</a></p>
<p>Since then, I read a lot more Conan comics by Roy Thomas and by others. I still maintain that no one can write Conan like Roy Thomas can. Occasionally someone else can write an INTERESTING Conan story, but in my mind, Thomas is the authority on Conan.</p>
<p>That's not to say I like every one of his stories, of course. I remember reading a note L Sprague de Camp wrote about Conan joining a group of Picts. I thought that was intriguing. In that thread I linked to above, I even commented:</p>
<div class="messageboard-quotee">Aaron Bitman wrote:</div><blockquote>And you know what else I'd like to see? I heard that after Conan escaped from Numedides, before he came back to conquer Aquilonia, he befriended some Picts. I wonder if anyone ever wrote a story about that?</blockquote><p>Since writing that, I bought a copy of Roy Thomas' adaptation of "Treasure of Tranicos". I'm looking at it right now, to make sure I get the quote right. Conan tells of his adventures since since his difference with Numedides and mentions that he came from the woods. Count Valenso says "What? You have been living with the Picts?"
<p>Conan rushes up to Valenso, bearing down so close that Valenso cowers back from him. With a snarl on his face, Conan replies "DOG! Even a Zingaran ought to know there's NEVER been peace between Picts and Cimmerians, and NEVER WILL BE! Our FEUD with them is OLDER THAN THE WORLD. If you said that to one of my WILDER BROTHERS, you'd have found yourself with a split head!"</p>
<p>That scene disappointed me when I first read it, although in the back of my mind, it occurred to me that theoretically, Conan might have been lying. I mean... we HAD just seen him fighting Picts, but maybe he had allied with a different group of them earlier and just acted angry and blustered to avoid admitting that he would have anything to do with any Picts.</p>
<p>Since reading that, I have, of course, read many more Conan comics. Like I said, no one can do Conan like Thomas, but some people can write an interesting story... like Jason Aaron, for instance. I picked up a book printing some issues he wrote. I couldn't finish it, but the few issues I read had some interesting stuff; I got the impression that Jason Aaron had always wanted to write some of those stories. And in one of them, Conan has to ally with the Picts for a time, and even bonds with them.</p>Six years ago, on this thread, I wrote about my reading Roy Thomas' Conan stories. Here's a link to that post.
Since then, I read a lot more Conan comics by Roy Thomas and by others. I still maintain that no one can write Conan like Roy Thomas can. Occasionally someone else can write an INTERESTING Conan story, but in my mind, Thomas is the authority on Conan.
That's not to say I like every one of his stories, of course. I remember reading a note L Sprague de Camp wrote about Conan joining...Aaron Bitman2022-12-08T17:01:46ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=202?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#100672022-11-12T02:04:33Z2022-11-10T22:46:59Z<p>Heh.</p>
<p>"That's what a dose of reality does for you... Never touch the stuff myself, you understand. Find it gets in the way of the hallucinations."</p>
<p>- The Joker (in <i>The Killing Joke</i>)</p>Heh.
"That's what a dose of reality does for you... Never touch the stuff myself, you understand. Find it gets in the way of the hallucinations."
- The Joker (in The Killing Joke)Aaron Bitman2022-11-10T22:46:59ZRe: Forums: Off-Topic Discussions: Recommended Fantasy Novels?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs43mti?Recommended-Fantasy-Novels#192023-01-03T21:47:29Z2022-11-08T00:34:27Z<p>My four all-time favorite novels are all of the fantasy genre.</p>
<p>When I was a very young child, it was <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> by L Frank Baum - and its 13 sequels (<i>The Land of Oz</i>, <i>Ozma of Oz</i>, et al) - that first made me the fantasy freak that I've been ever since. In my mind, this was the first modern fantasy series, with all its trappings: a motley crew travelling through a fictitious, high-mana land, overcoming dangers to complete a quest. Even though the books were for children, I still keep reading them; I recently finished my fifth reading of the series. But that first book was particularly special; I couldn't possibly have kept count of how many times I read that as a child. It was my gateway drug for fantasy fiction. So <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> definitely needs mention.</p>
<p>Then there's <i>The Anubis Gates</i> by Tim Powers. I wish I could explain what's so great about it. I WISH I could. But I can't without giving away the most major of spoilers. So what CAN I say about it? I first read that book at the impressionable young age of 13, and it deeply, DEEPLY influenced my opinion of how a time-travel story should be written (which may have poisoned my mind against other time-travel stories). In addition to time travel, it has Lovecraftian elements (although I wouldn't classify it as a horror novel). It's got ancient Egyptian sorcerers, one of whom gravitates toward the moon instead of toward the center of the Earth. It's got a body-switching werewolf. It's got magically-created artificial life forms. And yet, no matter how weird the novel gets, the author somehow makes you believe it. I don't know how he did it.</p>
<p>And one author wrote TWO of my four all-time favorites, <i>Master of the Five Magics</i> and its first sequel <i>Secret of the Sixth Magic</i> by Lyndon Hardy. First of all, I should clarify that I'm talking about the original editions that came out in 1980 and 1984, not the revised editions of 2016. I don't dare look at those revised editions; they couldn't possibly have improved the originals and I have reason to believe that those newer versions did away with Hardy's distinctive prose style, which is one of the secondary reasons I liked those books so much. Somehow, Hardy used language in a way that sounded quasi-antiquated but not stilted. But it seems that people criticized him for that style so he did away with it in the 2016 editions.</p>
<p>But the best part of those two books is the coolest magic system I've ever seen. Even I found the system easy to remember, and seeing the "laws of magic" applied in the story made me feel like I understood them, as I do few other magic systems.</p>
<p>And another great feature of those two books is that they're so concentrated. <i>Master of the Five Magics</i> is divided into 5 1/2 parts and <i>Secret of the Sixth Magic</i> into 4 parts and into each part Hardy manages to concentrate as much plot and action as many authors put into an entire novel!</p>My four all-time favorite novels are all of the fantasy genre.
When I was a very young child, it was The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum - and its 13 sequels (The Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, et al) - that first made me the fantasy freak that I've been ever since. In my mind, this was the first modern fantasy series, with all its trappings: a motley crew travelling through a fictitious, high-mana land, overcoming dangers to complete a quest. Even though the books were for children, I still keep...Aaron Bitman2022-11-08T00:34:27ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Favorite Dragon Encounter?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs43kww?Favorite-Dragon-Encounter#102022-02-23T17:30:18Z2022-02-22T21:39:12Z<p>Running Pzyruxal from "Green Lady's Sorrow" was an incredible experience. I wanted so badly to tell that story I wrote <a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2jojh&page=2?Paladins-are-Lawful-Stupid#63" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">my first post on paizo.com</a> about it. And it remains my favorite dragon encounter after all these years.</p>Running Pzyruxal from "Green Lady's Sorrow" was an incredible experience. I wanted so badly to tell that story I wrote my first post on paizo.com about it. And it remains my favorite dragon encounter after all these years.Aaron Bitman2022-02-22T21:39:12ZRe: Forums: Music & Audio: Classical MusicAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2koyk&page=9?Classical-Music#4052022-02-08T02:33:20Z2022-02-07T21:04:05Z<p>I never cared much for Scarlatti, but the biggest exception is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mICCTTqNfo0" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">this sonata.</a> Only recently, when hearing it on the radio, did I finally find out the Kirkpatrick number so I could locate it.</p>
<p>I don't go to many concerts, but once - about 15 or 20 years ago - my wife and I went to see a pianist perform at a local community center. He was incredible. He played all 4 of Chopin's Scherzi wonderfully well. (I know of one incredibly talented pianist who didn't quite manage to pull off the Scherzo #2 musically.) He also played Beethoven's entire Sonata Appassionata... and two Scarlatti Sontatas, including the K 113 to which I linked above. He made a show jumping around with that left hand; I could never manage to play it that well, I'm certain.</p>I never cared much for Scarlatti, but the biggest exception is this sonata. Only recently, when hearing it on the radio, did I finally find out the Kirkpatrick number so I could locate it.
I don't go to many concerts, but once - about 15 or 20 years ago - my wife and I went to see a pianist perform at a local community center. He was incredible. He played all 4 of Chopin's Scherzi wonderfully well. (I know of one incredibly talented pianist who didn't quite manage to pull off the Scherzo #2...Aaron Bitman2022-02-07T21:04:05ZRe: Forums: Music & Audio: Classical MusicAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2koyk&page=9?Classical-Music#4042022-02-01T01:24:57Z2022-02-01T00:36:15Z<p>Yes! I love that fantasy! Back in 2010, on this thread, Treppa first made me aware of imslp.org. In 2011 and 2012, I downloaded a lot of sheet music from that site and played many pieces thanks to it. One of those pieces was that fantasy. (Unfortunately, I didn't start recording myself until 2014, so I can't prove I played it.)</p>Yes! I love that fantasy! Back in 2010, on this thread, Treppa first made me aware of imslp.org. In 2011 and 2012, I downloaded a lot of sheet music from that site and played many pieces thanks to it. One of those pieces was that fantasy. (Unfortunately, I didn't start recording myself until 2014, so I can't prove I played it.)Aaron Bitman2022-02-01T00:36:15ZRe: Forums: Music & Audio: Classical MusicAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2koyk&page=9?Classical-Music#4022022-01-31T04:20:55Z2022-01-21T01:40:53Z<p>I've loved Bach's second violin Partita for many years, particularly the Chaconne. Recently I found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOHiI_5yycU" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Hélène Grimaud's performance of Busoni's arragement of it.</a> Wow! I never heard anyone give such a breathtaking performance, not even Evgeny Kissin!</p>I've loved Bach's second violin Partita for many years, particularly the Chaconne. Recently I found Hélène Grimaud's performance of Busoni's arragement of it. Wow! I never heard anyone give such a breathtaking performance, not even Evgeny Kissin!Aaron Bitman2022-01-21T01:40:53ZRe: Forums: Forum Games: Wreck a Movie Title by Changing One Letter!Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2umqp&page=12?Wreck-a-Movie-Title-by-Changing-One-Letter#5662021-11-03T07:05:51Z2021-11-03T00:29:13Z<p>And for the first time since 2017, a post on this thread made me laugh (well, chuckle anyway). And it's the third time on this thread that "I'm Hiding In Your Closet" wrote the post responsible.</p>
<div class="messageboard-quotee">I'm Hiding In Your Closet wrote:</div><blockquote> The Bobbit <span class=messageboard-ooc>(a traveler finds something precious to another by the side of the road)</span> </blockquote><p>And for the first time since 2017, a post on this thread made me laugh (well, chuckle anyway). And it's the third time on this thread that "I'm Hiding In Your Closet" wrote the post responsible.
I'm Hiding In Your Closet wrote:The Bobbit (a traveler finds something precious to another by the side of the road)Aaron Bitman2021-11-03T00:29:13ZRe: Forums: 3.5/d20/OGL: Anyone still playing D&D 3.0?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tlkl&page=3?Anyone-still-playing-DD-30#1132021-09-13T12:12:10Z2021-07-12T22:01:32Z<p>On March 13, 2017, in this thread, while I was running a 3.0 campaign with my son (and my father) I posted the following:</p>
<div class="messageboard-quotee">Aaron Bitman wrote:</div><blockquote>...I often feel conscious of the relative merits of 3.5 and PF, but all in all, I still feel I like 3.0 the best. My son made it clear he prefers Pathfinder, and he once made arguments about why we should switch back to it by pointing out some of its merits at some length. I responded "I know that PF has some advantages, but I'm sticking with 3.0." He wasn't terribly happy with me for a while after that, but we continued playing all the same.</blockquote><p>In fact, my son prefered PFRPG so much that he GMed it for me later, as I related in the thread <a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2v35e?My-son-GMed-Pathfinder" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">My son GMed Pathfinder</a>.
<p>On May 1, 2019, in the thread <a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs42js1?A-goodbye-of-a-sort" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">A goodbye of a sort</a>, I wrote the following:</p>
<div class="messageboard-quotee">Aaron Bitman wrote:</div><blockquote><p>My son used to champion PFRPG, while I felt that D&D 3.0 was superior (even as I used Paizo products with it). Consequently, we played both. But in the last year, both of us lost interest in RPGs</p>
<p><span class=messageboard-ooc><snip></span></p>
<p>I just don't have the passion I used to, and I can't make the commitment to a regular game. I expect it will be years before the RPG bug bites me again.</blockquote><p>Last month, something unbelievable happened. My son decided to DM a 3.0 campaign for me! Despite all his reasons for prefering PFRPG, he decided that 3.0 would be simpler! We've played every Sunday since then. The campaign is set in Galt and the River Kingdoms, and yesterday, I finally succeeded in doing something I've dreamed of doing for over a decade now: I rescued prisoners from the final blades and smuggled them out of Isarn!
<p>(My prediction came true, though. Since I wrote that goodbye, it WAS two years before I played again, unless you count creating characters.)</p>On March 13, 2017, in this thread, while I was running a 3.0 campaign with my son (and my father) I posted the following:
Aaron Bitman wrote:...I often feel conscious of the relative merits of 3.5 and PF, but all in all, I still feel I like 3.0 the best. My son made it clear he prefers Pathfinder, and he once made arguments about why we should switch back to it by pointing out some of its merits at some length. I responded "I know that PF has some advantages, but I'm sticking with 3.0." He...Aaron Bitman2021-07-12T22:01:32ZRe: Forums: Pathfinder Accessories: Advice on storing and organizing PawnsAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs43ezq?Advice-on-storing-and-organizing-Pawns#22023-02-15T17:19:50Z2021-07-08T00:22:26Z<p>Over the years, many people have provided their techniques on these boards. Just search this site for "pawn storage" and click on the "Messageboards" tab page. You'll find a slew of threads with tons of ideas.</p>Over the years, many people have provided their techniques on these boards. Just search this site for "pawn storage" and click on the "Messageboards" tab page. You'll find a slew of threads with tons of ideas.Aaron Bitman2021-07-08T00:22:26ZRe: Forums: Music & Audio: Classical MusicAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2koyk&page=8?Classical-Music#3952020-09-29T14:41:02Z2020-09-29T14:29:21Z<p>Months ago, I posted a video of myself playing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBoeEhEHVrQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">a sonatina by Clementi.</a> I commented about it at the time. I've been playing Clementi sonatinas since I was - what? - 9 years old or something like that. But despite the technical simplicity of those sonatinas, I feel that musically, some of them stand up to any of Mozart's or Haydn's SONATAS.</p>
<p>Well, pretty much all that stuff I said about CLEMENTI's piano sonatinas also applies to those of Friedrich Kuhlau. As I worked on that Clementi piece all those months ago, I kept thinking I should include a Kuhlau sonatina as well. (And I wasn't even sure of which one to choose.) But I allowed other things to get in the way, so it was months before I got around to it, but here, at long last, is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdgVf4A-y2E" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Kuhlau's sonatina Opus 20 number 1.</a></p>Months ago, I posted a video of myself playing a sonatina by Clementi. I commented about it at the time. I've been playing Clementi sonatinas since I was - what? - 9 years old or something like that. But despite the technical simplicity of those sonatinas, I feel that musically, some of them stand up to any of Mozart's or Haydn's SONATAS.
Well, pretty much all that stuff I said about CLEMENTI's piano sonatinas also applies to those of Friedrich Kuhlau. As I worked on that Clementi piece all...Aaron Bitman2020-09-29T14:29:21ZRe: Forums: Off-Topic Discussions: What songs make you sad or cry?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs42hnl&page=2?What-songs-make-you-sad-or-cry#822020-09-09T15:29:50Z2020-09-09T13:23:20Z<p>I refer you to the following thread:</p>
<p><a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ktzv?What-Songs-Make-You-Cry" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">
<br />
What Songs Make You Cry?</a></p>I refer you to the following thread:
What Songs Make You Cry?Aaron Bitman2020-09-09T13:23:20ZRe: Forums: Conversions: Old People! (Converting old AD&D material to Pathfinder)Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs42y9m?Old-People#382020-11-04T09:03:46Z2020-09-08T21:14:10Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">gnoams wrote:</div><blockquote>I converted a lot of ad&d modules to 3e back in the day, it worked well most of the time. I do remember one occasion where it failed miserably and I nearly tpkd my table with giant weasels. I, uh, definitely recommend reading the new monster stats, not just looking at their CRs.</blockquote><p>Same here. Very early in my 3e career, I converted an AD&D adventure to 3.0 and thought I could just use an encounter with shadows unmodified. I didn't notice that shadows got a LOT deadlier in 3.0. When I ran that encounter, that was when I first realized that I needed to take a closer look at those stats.gnoams wrote:I converted a lot of ad&d modules to 3e back in the day, it worked well most of the time. I do remember one occasion where it failed miserably and I nearly tpkd my table with giant weasels. I, uh, definitely recommend reading the new monster stats, not just looking at their CRs.
Same here. Very early in my 3e career, I converted an AD&D adventure to 3.0 and thought I could just use an encounter with shadows unmodified. I didn't notice that shadows got a LOT deadlier in 3.0. When...Aaron Bitman2020-09-08T21:14:10ZRe: Forums: Advice: Advice for converting D&D 1E adventures to PF 1EAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs435rv?Advice-for-converting-DD-1E-adventures-to-PF-1E#272020-09-03T02:28:28Z2020-09-02T21:55:07Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">LightSide wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">Aaron Bitman wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">LightSide wrote:</div><blockquote>Against the Cult of the Reptile God</blockquote><p><a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ld3i?Converting-N1-Against-the-Cult-of-the-Reptile" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">
</p>
Converting N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God</a> </blockquote>I’ll check it out, thank you! </blockquote><p>Oops. That wasn't even the thread of which I was thinking. I was actually thinking of this one:<a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs42y9m?Old-People" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">
</p>
Old People! (Converting old AD&D material to Pathfinder)</a></p>LightSide wrote:Aaron Bitman wrote: LightSide wrote:Against the Cult of the Reptile God
Converting N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God I’ll check it out, thank you! Oops. That wasn't even the thread of which I was thinking. I was actually thinking of this one:
Old People! (Converting old AD&D material to Pathfinder)Aaron Bitman2020-09-02T21:55:07ZRe: Forums: Advice: Advice for converting D&D 1E adventures to PF 1EAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs435rv?Advice-for-converting-DD-1E-adventures-to-PF-1E#192020-09-02T19:23:20Z2020-09-02T14:31:55Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">LightSide wrote:</div><blockquote>Against the Cult of the Reptile God</blockquote><p><a href="https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ld3i?Converting-N1-Against-the-Cult-of-the-Reptile" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">
</p>
Converting N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God</a></p>LightSide wrote:Against the Cult of the Reptile God
Converting N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile GodAaron Bitman2020-09-02T14:31:55ZRe: Forums: Television: On Star Trek: TNG and DS9Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs42wxn?On-Star-Trek-TNG-and-DS9#222020-02-03T21:28:46Z2020-02-03T19:01:19Z<p>Dang! I should check these boards more often. I had no idea I started such a fascinating conversation!<div class="messageboard-quotee">Pan wrote:</div><blockquote><p>I liked Gene's idea for a Utopian and positive future, but the problem is it often came off as a Cowboys and Indians in space kind of way. As in the terrible John Wayne era good guys wear white and bad guys wear black. </p>
<p>TNG did a better job of the exploration of the unknown part. They also made the enterprise crew a little more balanced, even if they still were the paladins of the galaxy. Not every decision was easy nor every enemy wrong. </p>
<p>If TNG busted open the door, DS9 tore it off the hinges. Here you have a federation crew running a space station for a non-federation species. The crew doesn't have the convenience of flying around doing things by their rules under their morality. We also get to see that not everyone in the Fed is a shining example of moral goodness. When push comes to shove, the Fed gets dirty (section 31).</blockquote>Yeah. I know very little about the original <i>Star Trek</i> show but I felt kind of disgusted with what little I saw. The whole "Prime Directive" thing was supposed to preach a lesson that we should respect other cultures, no matter how barbaric or even evil they might seem to us... and yet Captain Kirk kept getting on his moral high horse. "The problem with you aliens is that you have to learn our superior human values." And the resolution of the episode involves the aliens realizing that Kirk is right. TNG and DS9 gave the Prime Directive the respect it needed.<div class="messageboard-quotee">Matt Filla wrote:</div><blockquote>Just having a main cast that didn't always get along and had to learn to trust each other was great.</blockquote><p>Yeah, that was a good aspect of DS9. And it's one of the few aspects of <i>Voyager</i> I liked.Dang! I should check these boards more often. I had no idea I started such a fascinating conversation!Pan wrote:I liked Gene's idea for a Utopian and positive future, but the problem is it often came off as a Cowboys and Indians in space kind of way. As in the terrible John Wayne era good guys wear white and bad guys wear black.
TNG did a better job of the exploration of the unknown part. They also made the enterprise crew a little more balanced, even if they still were the paladins of the...Aaron Bitman2020-02-03T19:01:19ZRe: Forums: Movies: Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of SkywalkerAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs42j5g&page=8?Star-Wars-Episode-IX-The-Rise-of-Skywalker#3612019-12-31T00:44:43Z2019-12-30T20:11:31Z<p>Whoa.</p>
<p>I wasn't planning to write this post, for two reasons. One is that I figured "What could I say about episode 9 that hasn't already been said on this thread?" Another reason is that my views on the previous Star Wars movies are very different from those of many others, so why should anyone care what I think?</p>
<p>For one thing, I LIKED the prequels. When I'm in the mood for a space opera movie, I typically choose the "next" Star Wars movie, cycling through episodes 1 through 6. I expect many people don't regard the prequels to be of the same order of magnitude as the first 3 movies.</p>
<p>For another thing, I DISLIKED Episode 7. As I said previously on these boards - thus earning the ire and disdain of some people - Episode 7 gave us nothing new; almost EVERYTHING had been done before.</p>
<p>And I earned the same from more people by saying the same of Episode 8. 8 had one subplot that started out good: that of Rose. But even that grew unsatisfying as it progressed.</p>
<p>So when my daughter dragged my son and myself to see Episode 9 in the theater, I didn't expect to like it. And here's my point for those who might feel the way I do about 7 and 8: I enjoyed parts of ep. 9. I still winced at some of the obvious copying of the previous movies, but 9 had enough surprises to keep me interested. But I still don't hold it in the same regard as 1 through 6.</p>
<p>I don't think I'll delve too much into details because, like I said, people have already given those details in previous posts on this thread. However, when I read this thread, I was surprised to discover that no one said anything about <i>The Rise of Skywalker</i> since Thursday! This thread got de-railed in several other directions.</p>
<p>Well, okay. That's not QUITE true. DeathQuaker made one relevant remark:<div class="messageboard-quotee">DeathQuaker wrote:</div><blockquote><p>So two years ago this guy predicted...</p>
<p>•• spoiler omitted ••</blockquote><p>You know, my son once suggested that, just as an idle speculation. After my kids and I exited the theater, I said to my son "Hey, your theory was right!" But he had no memory of making that prediction.
<p>And another thing: some people have ridiculed my criticism of 7 and 8 for copying too much from 4 through 6. I guess those people might laugh at my reaction to 9. When I left the theater, I remarked to my kids "You know how that movie should have ended?" I went on to suggest that...[Spoiler omitted]</p>
<p>And my son replied "Isn't that more or less how Episode 6 ended?"</p>
<p>Huh. Maybe it's too difficult not to copy what went before. Now I'm guilty of it too.</p>Whoa.
I wasn't planning to write this post, for two reasons. One is that I figured "What could I say about episode 9 that hasn't already been said on this thread?" Another reason is that my views on the previous Star Wars movies are very different from those of many others, so why should anyone care what I think?
For one thing, I LIKED the prequels. When I'm in the mood for a space opera movie, I typically choose the "next" Star Wars movie, cycling through episodes 1 through 6. I expect...Aaron Bitman2019-12-30T20:11:31ZRe: Forums: Off-Topic Discussions: What makes “Conan the Barbarian” the popular character he is today?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2v92q?What-makes-Conan-the-Barbarian-the-popular#322019-10-28T20:29:14Z2019-10-28T13:16:02Z<p>In case anyone might be interested, I'll mention that I read Roy Thomas' "The Road of Kings" and "Throne of Aquilonia" a couple of weeks ago, so now I can say that even in 2010-2011, Thomas still had it! He could still write Conan better than anyone else; I don't care what any reviewer said to the contrary.</p>
<p>And I'm glad I read the Dark Horse version of "Iron Shadows of the Moon". (Some writers can at least adapt REH stories well to the comics, even if few can approach Roy Thomas with their ORIGINAL Conan stories.) By reading "Iron Shadows" first, I could appreciate how seamlessly and cleverly Thomas stitched his own stories to the preceding "Iron Shadows" and the succeeding "Queen of the Black Coast". Thomas had no trouble writing for Dark Horse's continuity at all, even though it differed from his own. And Thomas' issues came up with a slight but interesting twist on the usual cliched storyline; you'd think after all these decades, writers would run out of twists!</p>In case anyone might be interested, I'll mention that I read Roy Thomas' "The Road of Kings" and "Throne of Aquilonia" a couple of weeks ago, so now I can say that even in 2010-2011, Thomas still had it! He could still write Conan better than anyone else; I don't care what any reviewer said to the contrary.
And I'm glad I read the Dark Horse version of "Iron Shadows of the Moon". (Some writers can at least adapt REH stories well to the comics, even if few can approach Roy Thomas with their...Aaron Bitman2019-10-28T13:16:02ZRe: Forums: Books: The Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy HickmanAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs42rvq?The-Dragonlance-Chronicles-by-Margaret-Weis#122019-09-29T15:01:43Z2019-09-29T01:42:22Z<p>As my avatar might suggest, I'm a fan of the Kender, but I should be more specific: it's fun to READ about the Kender; I'm not saying it's necessarily fun to play a game with a kender in the party.</p>
<p>Werthead's review mentions the paradoxical nature of Dragonlance: it seems childish in tone - and the humor of the kender, gully dwarves, and gnomes goes a long way to making that fun - and yet it relates dark and nasty events. This, in my opinion, is a great recipe for a fantasy story. You get the fun of the humor AND can treat the story and its situations seriously, if it's written the right way. (On these boards, I keep raving about Roy Thomas' "Conan" stories, partly for that reason: his ability to fill a story with fun humor and still keep the situation looking serious and real. I might say the same about <i>The Dresden Files</i> by Jim Butcher. For that matter, if I REALLY want to stretch the point, the Harry Potter series mixes childish silliness with deadly - and I literally mean DEADLY - seriousness, resulting in a series enjoyed by both children AND adults.)</p>
<p>Tasslehoff Burrfoot fills an essential role by letting the reader laugh while letting the other characters demonstrate how serious the situation is. It was obviously no accident that when Weis and Hickman finished the <i>Dragonlance Chronicles</i> trilogy and wrote its immediate sequel, the <i>Dragonlance Legends</i> trilogy, Tas was constantly playing a role in it, and the reader sees a huge amount of <i>Legends</i> from Tas' point of view, even though the main characters of the plot are Raistlin and Caramon. Kender are just plain FUN. I've read the <i>Chronicles</i> and <i>Legends</i> trilogies four times each, which puts them at #2 and #3 on my list of favorite fiction series'.</p>
<p>(But then, #1 on my list is DEFINITELY a children's series: the <i>Oz</i> series by L Frank Baum. So I guess if you consider "childish" to be a bad trait then you probably shouldn't heed my opinion.)</p>
<p>I also want to make one last little point.<div class="messageboard-quotee">Werthead wrote:</div><blockquote>The trilogy does have another key feature (or bug) which is that it is an attempt to adapt no less than twelve Dungeons & Dragons adventure modules into a coherent story. Several times the narrative cuts away from our heroes embarking on another side-quest only to come back to them after that quest is completed, leading to the heroes thinking wistfully back on adventures that the reader never experienced (such as the journey to Ice Wall Castle, or Raistlin's completely out-of-nowhere return to the main story in the closing pages of the third book). This does make the story feel somewhat incomplete.</blockquote><p>Yes, I consider that one of the bigger problems with the trilogy. I especially wish Weis and Hickman would have written more detail about how Gilthanas and Silvara completed the "DL9: Dragons of Deceit" module. However, when I read the Chronicles for the third and fourth time - and began my fifth reading - I was able to fill two of the other gaps nicely. I feel that the book <i>Dragons of the Dwarven Depths</i> did a great job filling in DL3 and DL4 so I read it between <i>Dragons of Autumn Twilight</i> and <i>Dragons of Winter Night</i>. And between parts 1 and 2 of <i>Dragons of Winter Night</i> I read the short story "Finding the Faith" which relates "DL6: Dragons of Ice". I have that short story in <i>The Magic of Krynn</i> and I understand the "Best of Tales" book, although I never saw it, also includes that short story.
<p>(You know, I feel sad that I won't have much chance to check paizo.com next week. If anyone responds to my post it may be a long time before I find out. But hey, how can I resist the opportunity to talk about the <i>Dragonlance Chronicles</i>?)</p>As my avatar might suggest, I'm a fan of the Kender, but I should be more specific: it's fun to READ about the Kender; I'm not saying it's necessarily fun to play a game with a kender in the party.
Werthead's review mentions the paradoxical nature of Dragonlance: it seems childish in tone - and the humor of the kender, gully dwarves, and gnomes goes a long way to making that fun - and yet it relates dark and nasty events. This, in my opinion, is a great recipe for a fantasy story. You get...Aaron Bitman2019-09-29T01:42:22ZRe: Forums: Off-Topic Discussions: What makes “Conan the Barbarian” the popular character he is today?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2v92q?What-makes-Conan-the-Barbarian-the-popular#292019-09-24T20:10:42Z2019-09-24T17:09:51Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Aaron Bitman wrote:</div><blockquote><sigh> Well, I heard that the "Young Conan" saga by Michael Higgins (from <i>Conan the Barbarian</i> #232-240) was OK. I just ordered that through Amazon. The quest continues...</blockquote><p><sigh again>
<p>The "Young Conan" saga got lost in the mail. Almost a year later, I finally got around to ordering another copy. Last week, I finally read it, so now I can finally give it a "thumbs down" with authority. Never mind the contradictions (which Roy Thomas pointed out at the end and explained by saying that Conan told wildly different accounts of his life). It just didn't jive with the feel of the Conan saga. And when reading it, I didn't care about the plot nor the characters.</p>
<p>So that's it. I'm going back to the Master; I just ordered some more of the old Roy Thomas material from Mile High. And maybe one of these days I'll take "Road of Kings" out of the library. Roy Thomas wrote that for Dark Horse in 2010. I heard it wasn't that great, but it might be interesting to find out how RT wrote (relatively) recently.</p>Aaron Bitman wrote: Well, I heard that the "Young Conan" saga by Michael Higgins (from Conan the Barbarian #232-240) was OK. I just ordered that through Amazon. The quest continues...
The "Young Conan" saga got lost in the mail. Almost a year later, I finally got around to ordering another copy. Last week, I finally read it, so now I can finally give it a "thumbs down" with authority. Never mind the contradictions (which Roy Thomas pointed out at the end and explained by saying that Conan...Aaron Bitman2019-09-24T17:09:51ZRe: Forums: Music & Audio: Classical MusicAaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2koyk&page=8?Classical-Music#3802019-08-31T18:23:00Z2019-08-13T14:51:08Z<p>I'm breaking my months-long silence to announce that I'm coming out of my shell!</p>
<p>For 10 years now, I've been posting messages on paizo.com while making sure never to post a picture of myself. For years and years, I've been posting recordings of my own piano performances, but with audio only.</p>
<p>But this week, for the first time, I posted actual videos of myself, so you can see me playing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5lHQ1vyqHA" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, Prelude and Fugue #2 in C-minor.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpylg2O-N70" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">And here I am playing it again on the "harpsichord" setting of a digital piano.</a></p>
<p>Again, I didn't speed up these videos, nor edit them in any way. That's the real me, uncut and uncensored.</p>
<p>Incidentally, you can also hear that piece in the album I'm about to discuss (in a separate post, because despite the same piece, it's really a change of subject).</p>I'm breaking my months-long silence to announce that I'm coming out of my shell!
For 10 years now, I've been posting messages on paizo.com while making sure never to post a picture of myself. For years and years, I've been posting recordings of my own piano performances, but with audio only.
But this week, for the first time, I posted actual videos of myself, so you can see me playing Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, Prelude and Fugue #2 in C-minor.
And here I am playing it again on...Aaron Bitman2019-08-13T14:51:08ZRe: Forums/Gamer Life: General Discussion: Best one-liner that made the whole table laugh?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2mahp&page=36?Best-oneliner-that-made-the-whole-table-laugh#17972019-05-20T22:52:50Z2019-05-20T22:04:34Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Dire Elf wrote:</div><blockquote><p>The host’s cat jumps on the back of the GM’s chair and starts vigorously rubbing her head against the back of the GM’s head.
</p>
GM: “It’s hard to be evil wihen this is happening.”</blockquote><p>"I will give you anything you ask!"
<p>"But you don't ask with respect. You don't offer friendship. You don't even think to call me Gamemaster."</p>Dire Elf wrote:The host’s cat jumps on the back of the GM’s chair and starts vigorously rubbing her head against the back of the GM’s head.
GM: “It’s hard to be evil wihen this is happening.”
"I will give you anything you ask!" "But you don't ask with respect. You don't offer friendship. You don't even think to call me Gamemaster."Aaron Bitman2019-05-20T22:04:34Z