Höd Ronoakson's page

Best of luck to everyone!

0. Download and read the Player's Guide.

Done!

1. Build a character using the crunch below.

Done! In the Alias Profile.

2. Share how often you can post/contribute to the game. I don't want to put unrealistic expectations on the group, but I'd like to shoot for one post per day on weekdays. If we go faster, I'm down with that.

I can promise to post at least once a day. I generally do more like 2-3 when possible.

3. Share how many other PBPs you're currently playing.

I play in 2 and GM 1. All are with RL friends that live too far for realy games. I would love a chance to play with people I don't know. :)

4. Share why your character is in Brevoy and how he/she became a part of a chartered group to explore and settle the Stolen Lands (aka your backstory).

Done! In the Profile.

"I will be honing my weapons and bettering the fit of my armor this evening. Does anyone wish me to tend their things as well?"

"I would not scorn another pair of hands on the road. I am something of a healer, but I am sure I could learn much from Alkaid."

I am here! OMG, there a lot of posts! My Campaigns Tab didn't tell me!!!!!!

I will work through these and try to get caught up.

It should.

Hod will join Mikka and do some mock sparring to get sharp for the day.

Curious, Hod climbs down the spider holes to see what might be in them.

I thought I was too far away, yay! breaking stuff!

Hod swings his axe into the beast's carapace.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21 for 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Hod moves to attack the remaining spider.

Then he should only use the first attack as a 19 is a crit threat with a dagger and he rolled maximum damage.

Good to know! Thanks.

So your ruling is that a two-handed weapon cannot be held in one hand? Not wielded, but held?

Why would he drop the staff? Only 'stunned' causes you to drop weapons to my knowledge. I am asking because I don't know and want to learn. Not trying to challenge.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 for 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Hod takes a swing at Buckwell's spider, but forgets to get close enough...

Hod will aid Silstaren's search.

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Can't see if its farther than 30 feet.

Is there no bonus for intimate knowledge of the same type of door? It's gonna be really hard to beat Silstaren's roll.

By RAW you should be able to.

Hod discharges his spell on Buckwell, free action draws his axe, and swings.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 for 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Höd rushes to the hole shouting, "Hold on!"

His hand glows with a pale grey-blue light as he moves. At the entrance where Buckwell disappeared, Höd raises his shield and moves in. He touches Buckwell on the foot to bolster his defenses.

"The gods are with you my small friend. Fear not!"

Initiative 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

"It weren't any steel made these marks, but tooth or claw. Mark the fine webs as well. We may be watched by the eight eyes of one creature."

Craft: Weapons - maybe I can tell the tool used to inflict damage? 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Spellcraft 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
+2 if any of these relate to brigands or bandits.

Höd doesn't know much outside of the forge... :(

"Killing without eating? This is a fouler deed. We must discover the truth of this."

"Something this hungry should be put down I think. We wouldn't want it hurting potential settlers."

Seeing the bones, Höd unlimbers his shield and takes the reins in one hand.

"hva har vi her?"

"I can saddle Módnir and be ready in half an hour. She is not accustomed to two riders, but if you of you require a mount, I think she'll allow it."

What time is it?

"I agree."

"Thank you for you words Halloran. I know it is not the time, forgive me. In truth that was a few years back now that she passed. It's still hard though. Alle elsker sin mor."

"I doubt many of you will have heard of Ragna Magnusdotter, but she was the best blacksmith in the north. No Linnorm King felt secure in his seat without Ragnastål at his side. She was also my mor."

"I was useless as a child, at least to my people. I was frail and sickly. I couldn't play with the other boys, because they were too rough for me. The smithy though, there it was warm and it rang ever to the sound of min mors ambolt. She taught me to swing a hammer too, and soon, I was producing fine steel: nothing brilliant, but strong."

"Then the gods took away my eyes. Overnight I was plunged into a cloudy hell on earth...but I could fight. Guder kunne jeg kjempe!"

"I abandoned the smithy and the warm forge for the training yard. I earned my stripes with best, but min mor grew sick and I was not there to notice."

"Hun døde, og jeg kunne ikke få meg til å bo."

His voice breaks and it is a moment before he can go on.

"I wandered around as a caravan guard, working where I could. Not so long ago I came to Restov, but these Rostlanders are a superstitious lot and my eyes betrayed me for one touched with magic and they would not trust me. I turned to banditry; I am ashamed to say it. I was arrested, and my pennace, it was determined, was to serve Brevoy by mapping these lands with you."

"Either or both suit me just fine." The Ulfen smiles.

Höd, who'd been doing his best not to seem bored, looks up from his cup for the first time since coming inside.

"Do any of you know any songs? I'd like to hear a song."

"Until it's over, I think. It's no use waiting for the weather. I say we light a fire and tell some stories over a horn of ale."

Höd takes Halloran's words for a decision and puts horse and saddle back in the stable.

Höd stands in the yard, saddle in hand, looking from Elaine to Halloran and back.

"This is getting heavy, do I stay or do I go now?"

Sorry about the allusion, that song has been stuck in my head for no reason all day.

"A little rain never hurt anyone, but mud can ruin clothing. I will abide whatever decision."

"As far as I know. I've found that nothing one does will stop it, but redirecting it can be very useful."

Hod wakes last and rises slowly, covered in hay, and appearing like some freakish plant creature. When the straw falls away (well, all but a few stragglers in his beard) he looks more pale than before.

"Jeg tror jeg gjorde en dårlig ting. Gudene er skrikende i hodet mitt, og jeg tror jeg vil gjerne dø."

Hod staggers to his saddlebags and retrieves a skin of water, and a skin of wine. He nurses both in silence and watches the others, obviously trying to puzzle out from where he knows these people.

Höd excuses himself from the table with a drunken, "Bergin' yer perden...", has a long piss in the corner of the trading post, and falls asleep in a pile of hay outside the stable.

Fort Save

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

The Ulfen drinks what is given him.

:)

"I can't wait to see you headbutt something Mikka! What a sight that will be."

Höd laughs.

"Thank you. Frue. You are kind to offer. Mikka will decide if your services are needed."

"Maybe on the morrow we spar a bit? Would that calm the fire in your blood? It is common knowledge that the Brevic people's temper rivals that of my own people. For my part, I prefer not to fight my friends, but if testing my steel with let you sleep better, I will consent to a friendly bout."

"I trust then, Mikka, that you will show no more flaws to insult?"

Höd returns the stare cooly.

"I have no quarrel with you, but Fenrir has been known to bite those who assault me."

The Ulfen pats the greatsword affectionately.

"I speak from experience. The gods took my eyes. I speak of what I know while you blow wind and swagger about like a peacock."

Höd takes a deep swallow of whatever alcohol he was given, and sighs.

"Forgive me friends. I am sour to the gods. It is not right for me to push my views on others."

Höd snorts as the priest introduces himself.

"And how has that gone for you sir? Has servicing the gods made you life less mean? You'd be better off serving Oleg and the River Lands."

"Thank you Halloran. I am sorry for your set backs, but I can tell you we are here to work. Shall we discuss tomorrow's plans over a meal?"

"How long have you been down here? What have you found out so far?"

Is there a way of getting more then 2 attack at the cost of a full action and a -4. Is there a way to lower that -4? I am basically making a monk and punching is their thing. I matched out things so I am dealing 11-16 dmg per hit. Or 12-24 dmg 6 times a day if I use a nanite ability charge. I have a feat to use. It would be great to either lower the nagitive or a third slap.

I need a computer hacker, a trap expert disabled both mechanical and magical, a spellcaster and has to be a smooth talker.

There are so many races now. And I don't see anything in the themes listed. I did see kobold..... and I like me the kobold. But that hit to con sucks.

That have to have things thier way or no way at all? Just like in dnd 5e.

I am planing on running a couple friends throught it but i am thinking it will be too easy. Could i just double the goblins and double the health for some of the solo monsters and npc that they might murder so i can double their exp? Cr 1/3 means a lvl one pc could take out 3 gobos in solo combat right?

I got the box and am about to run the module for acouple people but i am wondering what the cr for the later more powerful encounter robot dragon after the module.or if it should be much later.

I am making a third level Npc that i would like to survive. I need to know what feats, achtypes and what ever would make the person survive. Thing is it is 2 levels mechanic and one level soldier. Its mostly the feats i need help with. I have 10k creds to spend as well. I have stats. I had to go with a drone so it can grab stuff and run while the npc takes hits and fights off/distracts the marks.
Str 15
Dex 10
Con 12
Int 14
Wis 12
Cha 10

Any help would be appreciated.

The worse the better because i kinda hate any emire that will b*#*+ slap you for trying to save lives. So i can take a list of permits i require to buy at our next session. How dare npc 32 call sindear a charlatan a snake oils man sindear is a female. A a cultist to a fake god. And threatened violance and jeering as she walked away.

So permits for walking moderaly fast, breathing, spellcasting both divine and arcane, and having money over 10gp will be at the top.

Society subdermal graft, signal

Year of Scoured Stars p.4

There a ton of games? Under that section. Which one has that implant?

Of these Homebrew feats. Are they OP or lack luster. What would you use and which should be avoided. Also I did not make any of these but watched and tried to make suggestions.

Spellslinger's Dodge

Prerequisites:
Benefit: When you cast a spell or use a spell-like ability, you may spend 1 resolve point to prevent provoking an Attack of Opportunity from one enemy. In addition, Melee Touch spells and spell-like abilities do not provoke an Attack of Opportunity.
At 5th level, when you cast a spell or use a spell-like ability, you may spend 1 resolve point to prevent provoking an Attack of Opportunity from all enemies.
At 10th level, you may use a second resolve point to retain your spellslot.

Increased Life

Prerequisites:
Benefit: At 1st level you gain 2 extra Hit Points.
At 5th level you instead gain 1 Hit Point per character level. In addition, you gain 1 additional Resolve Point.
At 10th level you gain DR 1/- that stacks with other DR.(I don't know if this is a trap)

Battle Flurry (Combat)

Prerequisites:
Benefit: When you use the Full Attack action, as long as both attacks target the same opponent, reduce the Full Attack penalty by 2. (-2/-2)
At 5th level, when you use the Full Attack action, as long as all your attacks target the same opponent you can make one additional attack against that target, but all your attacks suffer an additional -2 penalty. (-4/-4/-4)
At 10th level, you no longer need to target a single opponent to gain this feats benefits.

Improved Healer

Prerequisite: Mystic level 1
Benefit: When the Mystic uses a non-item effect to heal himself, it is done as a swift action. When the Mystic uses a non-item effect to heal a single other -->character<--, it is done as a move action. When you use Healing Channel to heal allies within 30 ft, you do so as a standard action.
At 5th level when you use a non-item effect to heal, you may spend 1 Resolve Point to maximize the amount healed by that effect. In addition, you may use Healing Channel once per day without expending a Resolve Point.
At 10th level when a Mystic heals Hit Points, any excess healing is gained as Temporary Hit Points.
<I really think other character, should be changed target>
Privileged

Prerequisite: 1st level only
Benefit: At 1st level, this character starts with 2000 credits instead of 1000, and may select a single 3rd level item.
At 5th level, you gain an NPC contact.
At 10th level, you gain an additional NPC contact.(tis a trap!)

Battle Damaged

Prerequisite: 1st level only
Benefit: Choose one of the following cybernetics to gain for free: Mk 1 Weaponized Prosthesis (Armory pg 89), Mk 1 Dermal Plating (Starfinder Core Rulebook pg 209), Standard Data Jack (Starfinder Core Rulebook pg 209), Mk 1 Targeting Eye (Unifier Combat Gear). This item can be replaced or upgraded as normal.
At 5th level you may either select an additional item from the previous list or you may upgrade the item you previously selected to it's next tier. This item can be replaced or upgraded as normal.
At 10th level you may either select an additional item from the previous list or you may upgrade the item you previously selected to it's next tier. This item can be replaced or upgraded as normal.

I am not sure what to think about these. improved healer was created for my pc but I not sure what to think about it. I don't think I would take spell slinger either sinceI will be using my resolve for other thing. I am pretty sure that they are wanting my new PC to be the party healer but I am not. I made a mind breaker mystic.

Was it fun? How hard is gming it?

I dont wana play a bounty hunter or an operative and a steward officer has the wrong flavor and the starfinder archetypes don't fit either.

I am looking to create a character that has the backing of an organization to be able to tell the local cops to piss of or assist in doing a job because they are there. I am kinda getting tired of my gms latest tacticsof throwing us into situations where we are being roadblocked and painted as pirates when we are just doing our best to help people. All because we are freelancers and do not have backing.

We are about to start the next part of the campaign with the other set of NPCs and I would rather have some way of not being plastered as the bad guys.

This is because we don't have any backing I want to have some backing or back up for my next character. Starfinder society feel off for thier achtypes and the Stewart stay in one place protecting Absalon station.

Just need a little help with finding pieces or truthfully putting this guy together.

Could have sworn that they added equipment shield. Like those from pathfinder. Was I wrong?

So it gives you sharp teeth that you can bite people with. but it also gives you the option to unarmed attacks lethal piercing damage. so that means you're Fists, right? And if your higher then third lvl you do double your level in damage. At level 5 that would be 10 dmg? Can I then also add my strength model to that dmg? Also does you fist dmg jump 1d3 to 1d4 since it's now lethal?

Go to [https://www.aonsrd.com/MagicItems.aspx?ItemName=Ring%20of%20Fangs&Family=None]Ring of Fangs[/url].

Crafting a holy water grenade requires the blessing of a formally trained priest of a good deity... could a mystic who is empowered by a God and was trained as a cleric< via the archetype Divine champion > bless water to create holy water?

I keep reading things about wielding shields. And I feel like i have missed something super important to my PC's survivability.

Just what the title asks. I am wondering if i could make my character go into a ballistic religious healing thing. where he tackles an undead and just channals heal after heal into the walking corpse until its really dead. Thats all.

Sorry could not think of the right word for what priests do to possessed people to free them from a demon control.

My character is death touched. So far he has kept his looks hidden <behind a mash and gloves.> because of his "appearance". But every time i start thinking about how he may look i wonder if i am over thinking his looks. I will have to talk to my gm because of his theme he has a fear of Resurrection. That he may come back as a Borai.

So look wise i am left wondering how gruesome his looks may be before becoming one of the cursed living undead monstrosity.

So how would you make your dead-touched themed character?

It says you can create your own curses, as long as it is not stronger then what is listed. So is a curse of "isolation" which removes one's vision, hearing, and sensation does isolating them everything. Too strong?

Picking up enhanced resistance. I was thinking on taking kenetic resistance because i already have fire resistance.

I have the mobility feat, is there any important feats I should be aware of before taking shot on run?

I have only come across one personally in game. That was a Mountain eel to create something from the hide. Can you just make it from the hide you got? Like it says in the entry? Those items are made from the parts of the monster.

The vlaka [the wolffolk from the newish book] have three forms of speech for example. One for each of their disabilities. Just for an example.

Just with the subjects asks.

Are weapons technological items and if you follow the rules as written could you install a weapon into it?

Stairs are difficult Terrain? Or that you need a bare minimum of 20 in a skill
to perform a feat of skill. Such as wall running with the aid of some sorta jumpjet.
Is therein the rules that restricts how you can use full runnin aka sprinting out of
combat. It has to be a straight line no slight turns.

I had to catch up with the party but there was stairs in the way of my full sprint and i wanted to just jump over the stairs with jump jets wall walking the slight bend in the stair well. And catching up with the party incase they needed healing. But they naysayed everything and said i needed a base in my skill of 30 or some bull.

Because i dont see where it is to pick up new languages. And i have a 10 in int nothin in culture. But i am tired of being left out of the game so i want to patch some holes. I

is there a Universal translator program that a character could buy? Or a Library chip that contains a language that you can put your words into and translate into that language.somethin like that.

The thing i am looking for gives a -1 to the nagitive of the use of a heavy weapon that to heavy to wield effectively. I am pretty sure i saw it as a weapon fusion mk1 or 2 i just can't remember the name. Which means i can not find it.

So they can start out deaf or blind or deaf and blind. If you start out this way when and how is the soonest you can fix this handycap?

Does a jump end your movement even if you can still move afterwards? Say if i run 10 feet to maximize my jump effort I jump 10 ft I still have 10 feet of movement left. Can one move the ten feet or must one stay where they landed?
Jump jets can be can be activated as part of ones movement.

Now i have a movement of 60 feet. I run 10 feet at which I activate my jump jets and cross a 30 foot ravine. I make a acrobatics check to stick the landing I should still be able to move 20 more feet, right?

Am i being @#$%ed over by my gm? I read it and took it as it's part of the move action you can't end your action while still in the air. He says once the jump is done so is your movement.

You must land at the end of your move action.

If you land you movement is over. Is how i think he is reading it.

You can activate jump jets as part of a move action in order to fly during your movement. You can fly up to 30 feet (average maneuverability) with a maximum height of 10 feet, or you can fly up to 20 feet straight up. You must land at the end of your move action. Jump jets can’t lift you if you’re encumbered.

Am I reading all of that wrong?

While I am using "shot on the Run" can I throw a grenade as my ranged attack? Reasons for why one would not be allowed to for clarification purposes.

Like one you have strapped to your arm. And having one in a game that takes place in the future would be more useful. Starfinder doesn't have one. How would i go about bringing one into the game?

I think my character could really use an arm based shield. I really need the +1 or +2 to ac..... and why didn't the armory have one? If it did what page is it on?

Aka something explosive. And how do you counter it? I have been wearing a few things on my pc like fire extinguishers and grenades via the gear clamp things so i can get to them quick and easy. Anyways my gm keep berating me on my stupidity for wearing my explosives on my armor where i can get at them quickly. anyways he keeps hinting that an enemy may attack them and causing them to explode on my pc's person. What brought this up is that i put out a fire mid fight that had the potental of killing the party because of highly flamable fluff(?) It was there to stop the soldier from using her knockoff lightsaber firesword. I may play a pc that thinks fire is the solution but they can also cause problems that's why he carries a fire extinguisher. He is not choatic evil.

So is attacking gear on a person <outside the armor and not in a backpack> an attack maneuver? What would he use to horribly maime my character since he will not under any circumstance kill any PC. There is the "pull the pin" feat. But it seems like he is hinting at either shooting or piercing or stabbing the said objects <grenades/fire extinguisher>.

I want a counter because i am not going to stow my stuff in my backpack if i do not have to. Really slows down combat if you have to stop, take off your backpack or go to where you have your pack is, and dig though it to find the thing you need all while being shot at.

Divine champion, divine blessing can you choose different deities? If you worship more than one God. One you choose the other chooses you right? As long as they are within one step of you in alignment. It should be fine, right?

For weapons that already exist in the game. Was looking through some art on a site for some pc ideas came across one that looked pretty neat where the person is wearing leg gauntlets. And i was like hey kicking the s#$% out of people might be cool. So i am looking for any rules that says i can not engineer a pair of poles gauntlets into a pair of pulse boots for kicking.

Run 60<50,40,35,30,25,20 *did I miss any?*> feet in 3 seconds..... how many miles can he or she run in an eight hour day? And how many squares is that....? Was trying to figure it out but I am not the math-y-ist knife in the knife drawer. Once it reached huge number my brain shut down. That and i lack faith in my math skills.

To gain access to an unsecured internet access in a non-critical situation takes a roll of 10 and since it's in a non-critical situation. you can just take at a 10. If you want taking 20 takes 2 minutes.

Anyways, would you all out bonus for using space Google on some skill checks? Whick skills would you allow the space google-fu bonus?

Which means i am making a mechanic. I am liking the idea of using a goblin. I really want to make a boxing humanoid drone like in that one movie where the main can shadow box and the drone copies his moves. I was chosing jet boost as its first mod and cleave as it's first feat. I like improved initiative but I can be convinced of useing a different feat. I was thinking of hiding the goblin in a backpack on the drones back. But i am not sure it can be pulled off.

Basic need info level one goblin mechanic. That pretends that his or her drone is the main pc. So hiding might be a good skill? With a head jack. With the overclocking mechanic trick. If that works the way i think it does.

When it says it says to use your ranks in a skill it does not want you using your ability mmodifier, class bonus, or misc mods, right? So if your lvl 2 you are adding just the 2 ranks and not the 3 from class bonus nor the bonus 3 from ability modifier or the 3 from misc mods.

I have seen people adding thier bonuses to thier ship combat skill checks to doing things. But at my table such things are not allowed.

<My game master keeps ruining the module with spoilers> so xenodruids get the ability to plant transport at lvl 15 which allows them to use a plant their size or bigger to gtfo. They also get the ability to summon/grow grasping vines which fills an area of 20 ft Circle at third level. Thats the short and long of that.

Question is
can the lvl 15 xenodruid use the grasping vines to plant transport the party to safty? <at the end of the first module>

Plus'
Badassery or sex appeal.

Negatives
It would be hard/inconvenient to hide in the dark.

Would it be a tattoo or genetic mod or a cybernetic enhancment?
What would something like that cost?
How would you use it?
Would you as a gm allow it?
Would you as a player character want such a thing?

I don't think such a thing would be bright a light source.

As a gm how would you work it out for your pcs. And as a pc how would try and get the best deal. I failed my attempt at it having to pay 3 times the price twice and only being allowed to use "it" at one location. Like opening an account at wellsfargo expecting to be able to use it at all the banks everywhere but finding out you only use your account or make withdraws at that one location. But if you but if you find another wellsfargo you can open another location by paying them the maximum fee. Thats basicly the deal i was able to strike. My group has it's issues but it's my group. *He stated with all the obstinance of a pouty child*

Allows for fast reloading?

Is it the time and material you put into it, or the effects of magic you can milk into it? Fo me i kinda like useing stuff from the great battles i survive. Which means if i kill a dragon i wana make something magical from the dragon remains. Or say a huge chameleon i will harvest its skin to make a cloak of blending. But my gm says nope thats not how magic item creation works you can only take stuff for trophies because the beasts abilities are not magical in nature but just natural. And i am like yea but but to create a magic item from the creature is using magic to make it work. And he is like no no no you can mix it into a potion like a witch but not turn it into a magic item. You can not make a magic fire sword out of dragons teeth but you can stab a sword into a dragons heart to make the sword magic. Which is kinda disapointing. Because i think a magic burning sword created from the teeth of the dragon you slayed/slew /had slain its much cooler then a sword you just happened to stabbed into the heart of a dead dragon. Mind you if i ever find a dead dragons heart for now on i am guna stab it because easy magic items are easy.

So am i wrong in my thinking or is my gm being shallow in his creativity?

Am i just collecting useless trophies instead of things that maybe turned into cool magic items that my fellow player can be like "wow its that tusk from that elder beetle my character killed that was immune to energy weapons. Yea i turned it into a toothpick of energy resistance and clean teeth as long as you keep it between your teeth. i know how you think toothpick makes you cool, peter griffin."?

Anyways.... kinda kills my mood that my gm thinks i am trophie hunter and not willing to work with me in anyway to let me make what i think are cool magic creations. Only upb are allowed to make items....fudgeknuckles.

So we just did the part that had the stinger monkeys. We Diplo-ized our way into the monkey's good graces. I went to check out the black monolith that was there. Got snatched by a chameleon starfish tentacular Grappler creature and hauled up 200 feet up the monolith. When the party started to rescue me from the tentacular Grappler the Scorpion monkeys took up arms *them having 8 int and weapons off of last people to encounter the tentacular Grappler* and helped the party blow up the monolith after 4 or five rounds. I was barely able to survive by waiting til the last moment to activate my jump jets <or the other thing that gives tou a 30ft jump ability> to slow and direct the fall just barely out of the way of the crashing monolith and killing the creature by using it to soften my landing. We then procceded to trade with the monkeys a large amount of "boomy balls" aka grenades for the items they stole from the party along with some quite nice weapons or a nice weapon. We may have just made a bigger issue for the next group the does not put up with thier antics.

So did my gm add anything or did he play the encounter straight?

As a class feature. The only way you can craft anything is if you have huge crafting labs. There are no crafting kits or professions kits that i know of.

And is taking bloodline mutation alright as well? I am trying to make a fireball cannon. If that makes any sense. And while i have read the build guides for sorcerer and watcher the videos to me most of them seem alright. But i might just go with the basic bloodline.
Your thoughts?