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4 episodes out of what, 5 seasons? Pretty small sample size you've got there. So what is the number required to form an opinion of the quality of a tv show? When reintroducing yourself to a tv show, how many episodes need to be watched to form an opinion of its quality? Concerning each episode, how much of the episode do you discard as not truly representative of the show and how much do you keep? I've never heard of responsible, accomplished men being personally reprehensible...
I watched the first 3 episodes and understood that the show was "Look at the nerds! Look at the nerds!" Characters with atrocious traits and the inability to retain "lessons" learned from episode to episode. Recently I was trapped into watching an episode where the main characters' were reported to HR for creating a hostile/threatening work environment. Oh the laughs! Another episode of "look at the nerds!" *hee hee* They don't know they aren't allowed/shouldn't treat women or talk to them that way. (How many years has this show been on now? They still don't know better despite all the previous incidents?) *yuk yuk* They face minimal consequences for doing so. (Admittedly standard for a sitcom. Handled in a better show ie: misheard, out of context comments etc that are cleared up once those involved explain) *bwa-ha-ha-ha* The prime offender pawns off his consequence, take online course, onto the very woman who reported him for his behavior. (Not only is lesson not learned, but "in your face" to the one who reported him) Ok, I've gotta go get some air...before I throw up. Someone let me know when the show is not "Look at the nerds! Look at the nerds!" anymore.
Again, these agencies aren't just going to Radio Shack and buying stuff off the shelf. There is a contract to be given to a large corporate entity to provide that equipment, maintenance, programming, and training. Many of those companies are only being tasked with one part of this equation. Of course, training can't start until EVERYONE is equipped because our contract is a one-time only, train-everyone-at-once contract. Programming can't start until everyone has a radio. Etc, etc ad nauseum... It would be terribly against the free market and capitalism to make these private contractors eat it for cost overruns, failure to complete contract requirements, or any other reason they have for accepting a contract they can't fullfil. It is the government's duty to hand over more money to that same contractor or a new one who may or may not do the same thing. It shows trust in the free market.
Not a failure. The project isn't complete. Big difference. Well, doing it on the cheap as we have so far seems to be getting swift, sterling results... A lot or work is being done by independent contractors rather than government employess or agents. Nationalizing just meant creating a new agency to coordinate and develop responses. And more efficiently hand out govt contracts to private companies.
Privitization and capitalism along with having to deal with the staggering number of local, county, state, and federal jurisdictions add levels of extreme complexity. Unless there is a plan for government agencies to provide for themselves without purchasing from private companies and run roughshod over the locals, it is the best that can be done. Our nation is big and unwieldy. Agencies are trying to revolutionize the way they operate. And I'm sorry to say that approx $40 million a year to radically transform communications equipment, frequencies, broadcasting, procedures, policies, and resolve jurisdictional issues to create a nation-wide interoperabile digital radio system is a bargain. On top of all that, communications technology keeps improving and advancing in capability...
This is another issue of people in charge that do not understand communications equipment and systems. Many think that radios are substitute Star Trek communicators and do not require training, skill, or any amount of technical proficiency to operate them. Another issue with communications systems is that they are usually afterthoughts. Those attitudes are changing. Slowly. The military understands how incredibly important it is by making communications its own section with staff officers and technicians. In the civilian side, commo is usually shunted off for "somebody" to handle for them. Equipment is bought haphazardly and shoehorned to fit whatever needs the agency has. This is not wasteful spending but it is inefficient. It is vitally important to have a communications system that can be used throughout the nation. The patchwork, hodge-podge system we have now is a critical security and public safety issue that has to be addressed. This is a first step toward that. I recall when the rollout for AEDs (Auto-Defibrillators) for all public buildings happened. Didn't include training by the personnel occupying the buildings either. Training funding came later. This is standard bureaucratic, political, and corporate folderol (which I hate too). But nothing new if you've worked in communications. Oh good grief, I just realized I've been at this biz for 26+ years. I'm so OLD!
They wouldn't be so base as to engage in a vulgar physical battle. They would match wits in a cosmic game of manipulation using lackeys, heroes, villains, and cosmic entities as pawns in thier struggle for galactic power. Each move calculated, covered by feints, bluffs, and outright cheating that they are never truly able to completely conceal or predict from one another. As the game progresses, plans, countermoves, and a few surprises as they become more reckless in their efforts to defeat one another and win the cosmic prize they are striving for. Finally, the board is overturned by the rebellion of the pawns. Neither gains the sought for prize as the playing pieces defy them. They shrug, complement each other on a well-played game and agree to meet again for a rematch.
I don't understand the reluctance to use spells. If this was a CR9 monster there would be little hesitation. Either way you would use resources. You just don't want to. My favorite solution: "Huh. We can't figure it out. We're leaving." Go back to the Desnans. Tell them the mission could not be completed in the time allotted. Return any payment already provided. If payment cannot be returned, don't go back to the Desnans or offer to go on another mission to repay the debt. Move on.
No, really. I don't want to read what you're saying the wrong way, but the structure of what you're saying makes it hard. I'll translate for you. Shorter 3.5L : Umbral would be SOL in my game.
Here's the thing, you see games with characters with different amounts of XP and other rewards as showing an inter-player competitiveness. I don't. I can accept when someone's PC has done well (or been played more) and gotten rewarded more than my PC has. He was there, he got the benefit of being there. No problem. I can be happy for him. Nope, don't see it that way. I have no problem with differing rewards. I don't see that as competitiveness unless the players start acting like it. That can be a problem, real fast. However, by leaving the xp rewards OUT of the equation it is easier for players to accept, "I wasn't here, I missed out." But the trend has been for everybody to have their hands in everything all the time because nobody seems to be willing to be happy for anybody else getting spotlight time without them. There's a middle ground here in which we don't have to sweat differences in rewards, XPs, short term differences in spotlight time, or fun. One way I circumvent this is by making it plain that sometimes a player will have the spotlight. I also make it my job to make sure everyone gets a spotlight opportunity also. Usually it is a 5min "opening vignette" or "prologue" at the end of session so everyone gets a shot at the spot.
I tend to see and run my game along the lines of an ensemble cast on a TV show. Geordi may have been in engineering the whole episode (player missed the game) while Riker, Data, and Dr. Crusher went planet-side (players who did make it). Geordi doesn't fall behind the other characters just because he was on a different assignment. It is the play that is the reward! Loot, contacts, and the gameplay are the important parts! The players get to say, "Aw man, you missed it!" Letting the PC fall behind is salting the player's wound. Similar to a tv show where a viewer falls behind and decides to stop watching because they don't want to be lost, players will stop if they get behind as well. It is wasteful. If you game with your friends why do you feel like you have to deprive them? Now if you have a group that thrives on being competitive and likes one-upmanship, no problem. (Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the novelty photo) Be clear to players that's the kinds of game being run. That the game is a grind where the strong are rewarded and the weak left behind. Not just a game, but A GAME! A GAME that brooks no absences! A GAME that is more important than any RL issues you may have! A GAME to END ALL GAMES!!!! If YOU can't handle that, GO FIND A SEWING CIRCLE WHERE SOMEONE WILL TAKE UP YOUR SLACK WHEN YOU'RE NOT THERE!!!!! BECAUSE WE ARE HARD CORE!!!! *TRASHES COMMENT BOX, PULLS DOOR OFF HINGES, SPINS AWAY SHOUTING LIKE THE TAZMANIAN DEVIL* :)
Nye notices there is more to the headbags than just decoration but without examining them closer he can't tell what. As the last syllable is spoken Nye can feel the immediate area is awash with the fading magic of a recently cast spell.
I agree speed is best. Kerl leans over and slaps the sleeping human ON YOUR FEET The ragged man grunts from the blow and his eyes snap open. He looks around, wide-eyed, then he relaxes. He struggles to his feet but never lets go of the head.
Most everyone is in front of a small shop that has a sign with a "Z" on it. To the north are two large cabins joined by a lean-to, the largest building in the Falls which probably makes it the inn. Next to it solid wooden stables that could hold up to eight horses. Log cabins bracket the north and south between the inn and shop to the west and the tablerock to the east. The inn and shop obscure the view to other buildings further west.
Perception Check (1d20+6=15) A tingling sensation runs across Nye's scalp. He can feel a very weak assault on his mind that is effortlessly repulsed. Nye notices the others around him either yawning or stifling a yawn.
Kumal nudges the wailing man with his boot. "Quiet, fool," he hisses. "You'll bring all of the hordes of hell down on us! Silence yourself, or by Gorum I'll varnish the floor with your brains!" The ragged man's breath catches and he stops wailing. One arm cradling the head, he uses his other hand to try to brush the hair off of the face while he weeps. "Easy Kumal, can't you see the horror this mans faced." Nye approaches the man speaking evenly, Well met freind, we are here to help. What evil has befalen this place." He starts calming down and begins looking around at the ground. He finds a small stick and starts scratching at the ground. He draws a stick figure and a larger stick figure standing over the first. Then he draws what looks like a large hill over a small hill. His hand starts to tremble and he scrawls "L A Z". He drops the stick and passes out.
The ragged man runs in a zig-zag pattern on the Fall's mainway, though it seems more like he is trying to make his mind up rather than pure evasion. He suddenly comes to a sliding stop in front of small building that has a store-front facade. His eyes are fixed on the what looks to be more fetishes dangling on the porch-like covered entrance. He dashes there and yanks down one of the fetishes. He collapses to the ground, clutching it, and begins a strangled wail. As you get closer you see that he is holding a bag-shaped human head! The other four hanging on the entryway are heads with stretched faces. Eyes, nose and mouth are sewn shut. Three men and a woman have had their heads turned into bags, now hanging by their hair. The original fetishes are on the ground and the burst contents have been trampled.
We still going? Seems like it's ground to a halt! Everything ok, Vic? I apologize. The H1N1 outbreak has got emergency services pretty busy right now. I'll get caught up now that I've got a moment.
I would recommend Chill Touch as one of your choices. Works on undead too. Another way to keep enemies off of you would be Summon Undead I. If you try to keep an undead bodyguard, transmutation spells can be useful to enhance them. 3rd level you should take Command Undead as one of your spell choices and Craft Wondrous Item as your feat. Make an item of Command Undead as soon as you can. Your GM may be unhappy with you after you do this: If you have undead under your control and you want to have a few of your banned school spells memorized, the undead are released. You can use your item to get them back under control for a few days. Then you can drop the banned school before the expiration and renew your control with your necromancer power. Doing this with a wand is better because you have more charges to work with. Get yourself an extra set of clothes and equipment (with a closed face helm) for a warrior. You get an undead humanoid under your control you can dress it up, equip it, and have an untiring bodyguard. You can use Prestidigitation or other spells to keep it fresh or at least fresh smelling until you are ready to replace the bodyguard.
"By the Scaly Hells!" Klay shakes his head. "Never seen 'em afore." The trail that has led to Merzel's Fall enters from the Southeast. The tablerock is about 45' away from where everyone has taken cover. The other buildings are to the West of the tablerock. The dwarf pulls a strip of flesh from his elbow to wrist off of his arm. Holding it up, it darkens and then blackens with rot, as if exposure to the air was the catalyst. He drops it on the tablerock where it makes a wet, slapping sound. From the midst of your group someone begins to retch. Klay's oldest, unable to contain himself, vomits loudly. The dwarf and the two humans' heads snap up, looking for the source. Seconds later, the dwarf, then the human vanish, leaving the ratty and filthy human alone. Looking around in panic, he begins to run West toward the buildings.
The trail turns north before climbing a small rise. On either side of the trail, cloth dolls and wicker totems of wild beasts hang in the
"Supplier families hang these up," Klay whispers, pointing to the dolls and totems. "Hopin' it'll protect the town while they're gone." Cresting a small rise, the trail empties into a ghost town. A sickle moon casts its light upon the north faces of five abandoned log cabins. Across an open space of scrub grasses and six month old saplings, these cabins face the shadowed doors of five more. Somewhere a door creaks open and slaps shut with the wind. Ice cracking disturbs the silence in between. Dead smells waft in the air. A wide flat boulder rests like a table atop a cluster of jagged rocks. Upon it sit a human and a dwarf wearing brown pelts. Another human dressed in dirty rags watches in horror as the other two use their swords to flay strips of skin from their own forearms. The seated ones’ faces and arms are bleeding, bloody patchworks.
Cutter, 1E, halfling fighter-thief. At that time in the early 80s halflings were still the jolly fat guys. Cutter was mean, hated orcs, and a thief (only a little from the party and he never got caught). His tactics were commando style and a vicious fighter. He fought with a short sword and silver dagger. He saved all his money from adventuring and theft. He would hire raiding crews to head out into the orc lands to kill every single orc they could find until they were too tired, too hungry, or too broke to continue. The players were shocked at how I played him. No one had every played a perpetually PO'd halfling before. :)
Klay stands up with his mace in hand, "I figger we all oughtta go. Splittin' up just seems like a bad idear. Give me an' the boys a tic and a haf." With practiced ease, they begin tearing down the camp. He doesn't look wrong about his time estimate either.
Garyn nods solemnly to Klay. "I thank you, friend. A bow may be a mighty weapon, but it's of no use at all if you don't choose your ammunition wisely. I'll put this arrow to good use." He turns it over in his hands. "A fine one this is!"
Bartleby becomes alert, ears forward, looking northward. Garyn now hears a faint wail. Ears straining, Garyn hears, "no nO NO!"
This river, does it pass near the town where we are headed?
"Those were the 'Frozen Dead'," he says matter-of-factly. "As a boy, the tribal elders spoke of them. They are evil spirits of winter bound in the flesh of dead men. They feed on the warm flesh and blood of the living. They are abominations." Klay looks you in the eye, "No. There hasn't. Matter of fact, folks were startin' to think they were all but gone. Bad luck fer a Rusher to enter the falls first. But I think we need to see what's what afore the Suppliers get there."
"I'm feelin' fine. My hands don't hurt no more!" Everyone can see that his hands are back to normal. He looks to his father and then to Wulfgar. "I'm not a warrior but I thank the Warrior-God's servant for restorin' my hands."
Klay ambles up to the fire, "No sir. Never seen the kind afore. I've seen a shambler or two. Easy enuff to put one thru it's head," he mimics an arrow being fired from a bow. "Last dangerous one I seen was pernt near 20 years ago. Damn brain-eatin' ghoul maker! Fer once the Tyrants were doin' more than pickin' at their scales and give some of us shooters some blessed arras." He reaches into a half-quiver of arrows on his hip. He pulls out a black arrow, the fire barely reveals the runes on it. Klay smiles, "I only needed one. Mister, take this. I ain't got the eye to do this arra justice." He offers it to Garyn.
Thurgar begins shivering so badly an observer might think he was starting to have a seizure. "C-C-c-c-curse th-th-the und-d-d-d-dead t-t-t-t-to th-th-th-the h-h-h-h-hells!" It takes Thurgar nearly a minute for to shake off the bone chills.
A sweeping stroke of Kumal's blade opens the thing. Rotted blue-black guts fall into the water and freeze it with a cracking sound. Held still by the frozen water, Nye's bolt unerringly blasts the frozen heart through it's back, stripping the necrotic energy from it. This last undead falls into the stream like a puppet whose strings have been cut.
As the ripples roll forward, splashing footsteps appear in the water from someone unseen rushing directly toward the melee. The splashes stop directly behind Kumal. Kumal feels strength returning to his injured arms and neck. Kumal hears a voice, "Once more I am called to battle. We strike the foe now and be rid of it!"
"I said...BACK!!" Wulfgar shouts, holding his Glaive in front of him. An silent surge emanates from him, causing barely perceptable ripples in the air to spread out. As the ripples roll forward, splashing footsteps appear in the water from someone unseen rushing directly toward the melee. The splashes stop directly behind Kumal. Kumal feels strength returning to his injured arms and neck. Kumal hears a voice, "Once more I am called to battle. We strike the foe now and be rid of it!" Kumal swings his blade and connects with both creatures. The head is severed from one and the other hisses in pain. "This old warrior thanks you for the taste of battle."
Before the chest wound Kumal inflicted can ice over, Garyn's arrows slam into it's icy heart. The blue-black ichor that bursts out freezes the arrows instantly.
Kumal feels the oppressive cold increase as the ward is lifted, but not enough to impair him. He is quickly warmed by a jet of flame that engulfs the undead before him. Unfortunately, the frozen corpse refuses to ignite.
Crashing through the stream water, you inhale sharply as tremendous cold tries to push into your bones. It's not enough to stop you from striking a solid blow on the wounded thing. Your hand and forearm stings a little from the attack.
Kumal's muscular frame twitches as the icy numbness threatens to pull him into the black abyss. Despite the barrage, the cold can't get a grip on him.
Using the momentum of his strike, Kumal slashes his blade diagonally across the nearest undead. A spray of ice crystals and blue-black ichor crackle against Kerl's ward in response.
"The creature is weakening, keep after it. Nye blasts the creature with another wave of his hand and a shout of, "Interrompa non vivo!" Kumal's powerful strike also severs your link to that undead. You quickly establish a link to the one Garyn wounded and, with gritted teeth, will the bolt to shift over to the new target. The hurried change works but only barely. You can see the blue-black sludge flow more freely from the undead's neck.
Kumal resists that embrace. Yet two more wintry blasts crash into him. These things must be the "Frozen Dead" of which the elders spoke of only in hushed tones.
Finishing what Garyn started, Kumal's greatsword smashes through the head and neck, removing both. A burst of bluish-black sludge sprays out of the body. The drops sizzle and snap as it falls against the heat aura Kerl has around you. Disregarding the punishing attacks by your allies the remaining two surge toward you. Both covered in the blue-black sludge of their fallen they swing their fists like twin hammers, battering you between them. You feel none of the icy burn from before as Kerl's ward continues protecting you.
Kumals snarls in anger as the pain washes through him. His barbaric instincts then take over. Both arrows drive into it's neck side-by-side, frozen flesh shattering from the impacts. Enough that it's head now lolls to its' right side, a bluish-black sludgy ichor slowly runs from the wound.
Rolling away from Wulfgar, the air shimmers, tinged with red and smelling of the dust of battle. Faintly, Nalan and Kumal can hear, "Medic over here!" and feel some relief of their pains. The clash of battle enjoined is heard as wounds appear on the thing. Then the clash is heard again, then again. Suddenly, from behind it, two more frost covered bodies surge to the surface of the water, snarling in pain!
Luck is on Thurgar's side. His throw would have come up short if not for the thing surging forward to pursue Kumal. The glass easily shatters and flames erupt. The ferocious cold coming from the thing prevents any splashing of the Alchemist's Fire as it is frozen before it can start burning. Nye is able to continue "bleeding" the necrotic energy out of the undead. He can sense that it is close to collapsing.
The surface of the water freezes around the thing as stinging cold seems to pour from it. Kumal hasn't felt cold this badly since he was further north and much younger. The icy cracks and watery splashes accompany the thing's lunge at Kumal. Blackened, ice-encrusted hands rake down Kumal's back, his armor saving him from being ripped open but unable to stop the icy burns. Frost begins to cover Kumal but a flash of heat washes over him melting it thanks to Kerl's warding.
Welcome back! Sorry for the delay this weekend. My home computer totally crashed. I can't even get into Safe Mode. *sigh* I'm at work and will do what I can to get caught up.
The arrow slams into a blackened eye socket and part of the thing's face shears off in pieces. Narrowly missing the brain, it still stands. Kumal dashes out to the water, grabs Nalan by the back of his clothing, and drags him out of the undead's reach. He gives a quick nod at Thurgar and Wulfgar.
The bolt of fire briefly lights up the area as it races towards the creature, washing over it. The icicles on its body melt from the flames. In the dying illumination, the waterlogged clothing can be seen frosting over. The creature turns to look at you, but then turns back to Nalan.
Reaching out with your power you confirm that the creature is undead. Establishing a link to the thing, you rip necrotic energy out of its body, harmlessly dissapating it.
The WotC pdf fiasco closed the messageboards during the only time I can log on while at work. I'll get back to it now. :)
"Do ye know who built that bridge that you're panning by? Its good work, if nothing fancy. Curious to know what it was doing out here in the middle of no where." he asks of Klay. "I cain't rightly tell yeh. I think it was here afore Merzal's Fall was called Merzal's Fall." In the dying sunlight, Nalan calls out from the waterside, "Pa! There's a body in the stream!" The young man sloshes over to the floating body as quickly as he can in his awkward boots. Reaching down, he seizes the dead weight of the torso from the water and flips the body over to face him. He howls in pain, and it echoes through the wilderness. Dropping the body with a splash, he raises his newly blackened hands and stares at them in horror. He doesn’t notice the waterlogged body quietly rising of its own accord beside him.
Between the three, you're able to round up some rabbits pretty quickly before the light gets dim.
"Naw. We're Rushers. Just waitin' fer the Suppliers to get here. It's bad luck fer a Rusher to go inta Merzel's afore the Suppliers' do. I don't know if Merzel's clear or not. Nalan, fetch some water fer the pot." Once done he plops down in front of the tent kicks off his boots and asks one of the brothers, "So have you been out here prospecting a long time?" Jarad thinks a moment, "We've been coming up here with father for a little over five years. I lost my law license and so I joined him."
I'd recommend #3. If she makes the effort to recruit help then add the NPCs. You can scale the fights down if you like or you can designate a "leader" in the opposition. The leader is the one who primarily engages the PC while the others use "aid another" checks to enhance the leader. Once the leader is defeated, the rest flee, etc. Also, slant the fights to the single PCs strengths, infrequently on the weaknesses. Another advantage is that you can do a lot of in-depth role-playing too. Getting much more involved and dramatic. What is character is she going to play?
Nye's spell weakens the wolf, slowing it down, while Kumal's timely warning allows Thurgar to withhold his fire. Garyn, with Bartleby's herding of the old wolf, is able to catch hold of a tent rope as it passes by and bring the whole mess to a stop. Kerl's soothing actions and words calm the wolf down. Now that it isn't struggling against the ropes, they slacken and fall away. The wolf wastes no time dashing up the path and into the woods. "My thanks to the lot a' yeh! Pert near everything we owned was in there!" Klay limps his way towards the tent with Jarod's help. With a relieved grin, "Let me fix yeh a drop a' whiskey or two!"
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