Ragadolf's page

Ragadolf wrote:

NobodysHome wrote:

So, I thought scammers had hit the bottom of the stupid barrel when they started calling me and GothBard to inform us that our "Social Security number has been suspended". (That one still busts me up. Next they'll suspend my birthday.)

But noooooooo...

This morning I got a text from Wells Fargo that my mobile banking had been disabled, along with a helpful link to bit.ly. I mean, they're not even trying to mask the URLs any more! "Hey! Go to this shell web site and get redirected to Pwn Ur Device R Us, please!"

When you're too lazy to even make a decent attempt and you STILL catch people, that's just sadness.

I know right? When I got that call I laughed for 3 days. :)

I am still embarrassed that my mother in law fell for the, "This is Microsoft IT, and we see you have a problem with your PC, please help me to log in remotely and I will fix it for you" scam.
Yeah, she said goodbye to ALL of her online game accounts. :(

When my wife got that call, she told them, "My husband and his friend, the hacker, take care of all our computers". They couldn't hang up fast enough.
;P

<Aged Wizard Re-exits thread, for reals this time,...>

My favorite was when I was told one of my brothers was in jail and I had to wire money to bail him out, I just said "great! You can keep him!" "But, he might spend years in jail..." "Awesome! Thank you!!" *Click*.

Hah! Love it!

My father-in-law is at least smarter than my mother in law was on that point.
He got the call that his grandson, (One of them at any rate) was in jail in another state. And he had to wire money immediately to get him released. Complete with a young man on the phone going 'Grandpa? Help me!'
You must understand, my Father in Law is a Vietnam Vet, and very mellow most of the time. He just sat back in his chair and drawled, "Well, that's terrible. Although I'm really curious how he managed to get 3 states away since I last saw him an hour ago!"
Silly scammers.

Ugh, back to work, again.

Everyone ELSE have a happy weekend! :P

;)

So, I thought scammers had hit the bottom of the stupid barrel when they started calling me and GothBard to inform us that our "Social Security number has been suspended". (That one still busts me up. Next they'll suspend my birthday.)

But noooooooo...

This morning I got a text from Wells Fargo that my mobile banking had been disabled, along with a helpful link to bit.ly. I mean, they're not even trying to mask the URLs any more! "Hey! Go to this shell web site and get redirected to Pwn Ur Device R Us, please!"

When you're too lazy to even make a decent attempt and you STILL catch people, that's just sadness.

I know right? When I got that call I laughed for 3 days. :)

I am still embarrassed that my mother in law fell for the, "This is Microsoft IT, and we see you have a problem with your PC, please help me to log in remotely and I will fix it for you" scam.
Yeah, she said goodbye to ALL of her online game accounts. :(

When my wife got that call, she told them, "My husband and his friend, the hacker, take care of all our computers". They couldn't hang up fast enough.
;P

<Aged Wizard Re-exits thread, for reals this time,...>

Tequila Sunrise wrote:

Limeylongears wrote:

Have you read any of Steven Brust's books?

I have not; any titles you recommend in particular?

lisamarlene wrote:

Have you ever read all of Foundation?

I keep meaning to.
The problem is, I accidentally bought the fifth and final book at a garage sale when I was a kid and read it, and ever since, I've been unable to start it properly from the beginning.

I read one or two of them long ago. I remember liking them, but I don't remember much about them...

I (and LisaMarlene) particularly enjoy 'The Phoenix Guards' and the books that follow it (500 Years After, and 'The Viscount of Adrilankha' (sp?)).

However, you might not like them so well if you are not also fond of Dumas. If you do, trying some of Pierre Prevel's novels might also be to your taste, though I haven't read many of those.

Brust's Vlad Taltos books are great too - they start off as hard-boiled fantasy crime fiction (not detective stories, really), then get odder as the series continues, in a good way.

<Aged Wizard enters thread>

Hi guys! Long time no see!

I like Stephen Brust very much, His Taltos series is awesome, it has 1 or 2 questionable works in the middle, (I think he was in a rough patch?) but pick back up again very nicely. AND they flow seamlessly into the Phoenix Guards saga. (Same world) SOme of the characters even make guest appearances in the other series. :)

I have to agree that you will enjoy them better if you enjoy Dumas-style swashbuckling. I have always thought that some of these novels would make excellent movies.

Happy Weekend to all!

<Aged Wizard exits thread,...>

Yeah,... my 'almighty wizzie' schtick is taking a real beating,...

;P

Wow, that was even punnier than I intended it to be! ;P

Weather here is FINALLY 'cool'(er)
At least the cool front that came through pushed the storm away from us so there's that.

Sorry Florida, your turn to be soggy,...ier,... ?!?

a DC 20 save is pretty hard

LOL<

At least we still have a chance of 'acting normally' each round.
:)

(Which, admittedly, for THIS group is still pretty crazy!) ;)

It is raining here.
And will continue to do so.

Welcome to Lousy-Anna, Where the DRY days are 100% humidity!
;P

On the plus side, the cool front means that it is no longer 100 degrees in the shade.
But it is still warm enough that once the rain stops, it just turns into a sauna,...
:(

It's a vicious dilemma.

I think you mean DELICIOUS dilemma.

;)

EDIT- Sorry. Food puns. (Not sorry)
;P

My specific combo for it is very archetype heavy, and I don't know that I'd have been able to pull it off nearly as well if we didn't A) roll stats and B) allow Path of War feats.

Swashbuckler (inspired blade)|Magus (bladebound/kensai). Halfling for both the extra size AC and the fact that it boosts two of the skills you need.

Inspired blade draws from both Int and Cha, and kensai relies on you going full Dex/Int since you can't even have light armor. But it makes up for that with spellcasting and adding your Int modifier to AC, initiative, and crit confirmations. Which you'll have a lot of. Swashbuckler gives you improved crit really early...and since Inspired blade requires a rapier, you've got 15-20.

And spellstrike. Nastiest thing I've done was crit with a vampiric touch spellstrike.

End result is a 2'10 terror in a long coat, wielding a blade about the size of a ruler...that everyone hides behind.

LOL, now THAT'S funny!

And awesome! :)

And then there's my group, which likes the maelstrom of what even is this that is gestalt.

My swashbuckler|magus is very much a one-trick pony the trick is stabbing, but she does that one trick very well.

I played one for a bit on a PbP. Much fun, very one-trick-pony, but WHAT a pony! :)

I unsurprisingly don't play many wizards in PnP. In NWN I have several, but in PnP I tend to play more sorcerers and psions.

Well, to be fair, I think the poster was lumping together all of my magic-type characters. Wiz, Sorcerer, etc.

Orthos wrote:

I unsurprisingly don't play many wizards in PnP. In NWN I have several, but in PnP I tend to play more sorcerers and psions.

I tends towards magus, arcanist, wizard, cleric, and a bunch of gish ideas, including some faux-wizard stuff.

One of my favorite faux-wiz gish ideas is the good old 1 level of inspired blade swashbuckler, x levels of empiricist/steel hound investigator, and then use variant multiclassing with diviner (foresight) wizard. So that character has panache, grit, and inspiration pools, and I flavor the effects of those points being spent as the character's ability to see a short distance into the future. Much like Alex Verus (author Benedict Jacka).

That sounds cool,...

Hah!
Thats funny.
Wait, seriously?!?

I was once noted on these very boards as having "created more wizard characters than JK Rowling".
;P

So,.... That statement does NOT compute!
;)

LOL<
I feel ya buddy. I keep trying to continue a certain wizzie's journal and run into that.

And I dont have to make anything up! The adventure already happened! I just have to journal-ize it! ;P

Not too bad, Busy at work, still have this last weekend to go for the musical I'm in, (Matilda the musical) and the usual shenanigans with kids et al.

How are YOU doin'?
:)

Double uhoh

I think yew mean,

;P

LOL,
Yeah those silly Shoggoths are no lightweights!

Just WAIT til we all get ONE round with NO confusion,...

SHoggoth getting DROPPED like a SICK BEAT!

;P

YEEEEEEEaaaaah,. I for certain been hanging around the 20-somethings at college WAY too much,...

Hehheh,... ;)

Ah dice roller, how you loathe me.....

Welcome to MY world pal! ;P

Thanks! I always appreciate the ‘native’ outlook. I’d be more interested in looking at historical stuff : the graveyards, the French Quarter, grabbing a beignet , maybe a real Hurricane. If there’s a good museum I’m always up for that.

heheh, My wife is the native, I'M the transplant. Which Is why i can continue to talk smack about N.O/Lousy-anna and get away with it. :D

You bethcha!
You can always check out the WW2 museum. And there are others. (Not a BIG museum city, but interesting)
The Aquarium and zoo are famous.
You MUST grab a Beignet at the Famous Cafe' Du Monde in the French Quarter, Just to say you have done so. :)
Quarter horse & buggy rides are fun and informative if you get the right driver who likes to give you the historical info on the sites your passing.
The only 'Good' Hurricanes IMHO are the ones you get from Pat O'Brian's in the quarter. Nice and sweet.
And there are a few good restaurants in the quarter area that won't cost you an arm and a leg. Maybe just from elbow to fingers,... ;P

Like I said, when your ready for that trip, give me a shout. I'm not the best tour guide on the planet, but I can help you around.

,... The more important stuff...all the other stuff I mentioned...are actual problems with the AP. Instructions for Section A that aren't stated until Section D kind of things.

Yep, copy that.

Monkey Santa wrote:

I resent all this chatter about me, as tho I were a mere destructive beast. I have an artist’s soul!!

Ah, he's completed his phylactery Picture of Monkian Gray. I didn't realize he was a...

(•_•)

( •_•)>⌐■-■

(⌐■_■)

...Wilde animal.

<Facepalm>

Well played,...

I resent all this chatter about me, as tho I were a mere destructive beast. I have an artist’s soul!!

I dont know why I expected him to have a famous ghost captive in a jar or something,...

Or something,...

LOL, MArdi Gras is great,... IF YOU DONT LIVE HERE.
;P

I always enjoyed vising my wife when we were engaged during Mardi Gras, it was fun. But then I got married and moved there. I tried to make a living in the Big Sleazy during Mardi Gras,... NOT as much fun. at all. ;P

LOL, Yep, load obnoxious tourists,... we get a LOT of those, for many events.
I call them "Tourons",
IE= A Moron out of his native habitat.
:)

Which is a shame, because they tend to come out during the events that should be the most fun, Mardi Gras, Various Music festivals, etc.

BUT HEY! When you finally get around to visiting N.O., give me a shout and I'll try to be a decent tour guide. Even if there's not a 'big' event there's usually SOMETHING fun going on around the city.
:)

In short, you are going to want to make some adjustments and really read up on exactly what the AP is telling you, and make sure to be reading ahead.

Some of it is AP expectation v playstyle issues. It's not written well for NH's group from that standpoint, and he's definitely having to adjust how the party is earning any money at all.

Other stuff...instructions in a later book (or later in the same book) that have repercussions on an earlier section that the GM wouldn't know unless reading far enough ahead, badly written creatures that aren't following the rules, obvious options for the players to take that are beyond the scope of the AP, timelines dragging on forever, etc.

To be fair, I think that's likely true of a lot of the AP's. (?)

"Oh look, A big old ramshackle farmhouse in the middle of nowhere that we think is inhabited by hill giants. NO WAY am I going up to the front door. Lets drop some alchemist's fire and fireballs down the chimney and bring them out to us!"
;P

Rag,

Fan repair expertise along with electrical work isn't something I feel is in my wheel house...

Lol,

To be fair, while do not LIKE replacing ceiling fans, light fixtures etc, I have been dealing with repairing lighting instruments, working with large electrical dimmer systems for theatrical uses, and large voltage systems, etc, for so long, that replacing a physically small thing like a lamp or a ceiling fan doesnt scare me.

Much. :)

The trick is just to make sure the power is off, whether you tape off the light switch, or trip the breaker, so there is no danger of doing anything dangerous. Or at least not stupid.
(I know peeps who will re-wire a wall outlet while it is live, But I do not trust my fingers THAT much!)
;P

I still laugh at my mother.
She had a bad pull switch on her ceiling fan once. Had bought the part but was whining about not wanting to pay the electrician to do it, it was going to cost so much, etc. While she was talking about it I stood on a chair (I am short) and swapped the part. Talking to myself while working on it to make sure I got it right. (I do that a lot) So she KNEW I was working on it. I even told her to make sure she did not turn on the switch while I was doing it.
Half an hour later she says "Thats it. Im going to call the repairman. I need to get it done."
I said "Mom, I did that 30 minutes ago."
;)
I love my mother. :D

Replacing a ceiling fan is not that difficult. Especially if your replacing it and not installing from scratch. You can use the original hanging point and not install your own.
IMHO of course. ;P

I had to replace my son's ceiling fan a while back, because it was giving of not only wonderful drafts of air and glow of light, but wonderful wafts of smoke as well. From the main fan pull switch.
;P

Yeah,... I decided the extra money was worth it, since if I replaced the switch and it STILL was blowing smoke I would have had to do it anyway.
;)

Wow,...

You GO Monkey! :)

I guess I'm not adventurous to realize that all of that is even nearby me or something. :P

Homemade mead? I'm jealous!
I had some ONCE, an actress in the 'It's a Wonderful Life' play we did last December, she makes her own mead (From her own beehives!)
THAT stuff was so strong! It musta been 90-95 proof! It was Awesome!

Enjoy!

Heh, I really tried to find a clip of the Indy /temple of doom scene where the thugee dies by ceiling fan & whip,

Sorry,...
:(

LOL, feel better!

Good news? You've got until the weekend to recover!
:)

LOL, is ok,

RL happens, I mean it SUCKS usually, but it happens. ;P

See you soon!

LOL, oh monkey -one kenobi,...

Sigh, I was SO tired after our afternoon show yesterday, I felt dead. Couldn't figure out why. (I mean I dance around a lot, especially in my characters solo, but it's not like running a marathon)

Then I realized, I had woken with a headache, went to the grocery store, and did the show, and all I had eaten all day was 1 yogurt cup with a palmful of walnuts... and coffee of course.

Yeah, YOU trying doing a musical, singing and dancing on an empty tank! ;P

Important tips for you,... NOW you know! :)

So, I DMed my first 5e game yesterday. I have to say it went pretty smoothly. I’m using the Decent into Avernus module and it’s pretty cool

Cool, Glad to hear it.

As much fun as it is being in here with you all, I do miss the old gather-round-the-table games. Carry on!

Well, that didn’t work lol.

LOL,

Wow,
FAst food RPG's, HArdware stores selling katanas, and grimsongs out just in time for Halloween.

Wonder what will happen while I'm off performing NEXT weekend?!?
;P

LOL, is all good. I do that ALL the time!

Hope for the best, Prepare for the worst, and do your level best to deal with whatever you actually end up with.
;P

My weekend will be busy, but at least I'll be performing, not working, so yeah!
:)

Hello, everyone! How's your Thursday looking?

Not too bad. At least its not Monday!

Seriously, LAst week I was SO busy/crazy, that I swear it felt like MONDAY for five days straight! By Friday I was crying, "Can it PLEASE just be TUESDAY already?!?"
;P

I am supposed to be off work today, campus mostly closed for Fall Holiday. BUT My uber-boss called a special meeting today for all of those in my classification. (Basically staff, not teachers) and he's buying us lunch.

That either means this meeting is going to be very good,...
,... or very, very bad.
>_<

Stay tuned to find out!

Wow,...

Monkey Santa doesn't have issues,...

HE has VOLUMES!
;)

Hello, everyone!

Tomorrow is my birthday! I will be 52.

Happy B-day!

I'm having one of those days where I don't want to fail students, but I do want to run to the admin and say these kids are not allowed to be unsupervised adults.

I hear you,... I work with 'adult' college kids, most of whom in NO wise qualify as 'responsible adults'. ;P

And I need to get myself one of those t-shirts that says;
"Sorry, I can't adult today"
:)

Heh,
If I'm up past midnight, WHich is more often than it SHOULD be considering how much I'm griping about being tired lately, I'm either watching a movie/show I REALLY want to finish, or I'm playing a game. (Not enough of that recently, sadly)

It's not as easy as it used to be,... ;P
and the only 24/hr stores around me are Wal-mart (Which I avoid lately because of cruddy service, and I DETEST the self-checkout BS) and a couple of pharmacies.

Meh, I'm to the age where I actually appreciate sleep now. When I can get it. :)

Nice!

Oh I'll have Blayze's description for you on FB later today.

OOF!

Thanks for the reminder!

(Sorry, been a LONG week prior. Usually dead in Sept so I am in a show, THEN had multiple events come in, including Gubernatorial debate, on the week that we opened our musical in a nearby town.) ;P

I'll likely PM it to you.
I dont think its changed much, but I might tweak it a little to reflect the adventures.

OOOH!

ALSO reminds me! It's time for another trip down memory lane!
Time for old wizzie to get another Journal chapter done! ;P

So, I have my new (well-used) computer, and I am very happy. I didn't realize how old and/or slow my laptop had gotten. Despite being an older model refurbished, this thing rockets. So I am hoping that it will inspire me to post more often :)

Congrats on the new (to you!) Laptop.

IN-SPIR-A-TION! IN-SPIR-A-TION! ;)

I never cease to be amazed by how electronics are out-of-date by the time you get them home and out of the box,... ;P

DON'T get me started on the IPHONES! Grrrr,...
My phone works perfectly, then they announce the newer model, and THAT DAY the 'update' slows your phone to a crawl. And when you call & complain about it, they say "OH but we have the NEW model out that runs much faster now!"

>_<

I have an APP for you! <Brings out giant, animated ACME mallet>

I had to reorient my video of the HU. The new one is >here< if you wanted to see it

LOL,

Still watched it though, it was a good neck stretching exercise!
:D

Ditto on Welcome back Guy!

Not to sound TOO much like a copycat, but what Pat said. :)
My condolences and prayers are still with you, and your family through this time.

I also noticed a bottle of heavy cream someone left behind. I have no idea what they brought that for.

Maybe for the coffee they thought they would need for your usual late-night gaming antics?

LOL,
With MY usual luck, it'd be a beautiful but short-lived SHOOTING star!
;P

So here’s a video I took at last nights concert The Hu

It was a good show, but the weekday thing threw me. I had to leave early because I needed to catch the final train and get some rest before waking up

Also pretty cool! :)

I'm not a big fan of 'hard rock' (I like my hearing, thank you)

Buuuuuut,... THAT group? with the right group of friends? I would totally go and see them!

Sorry you had to skip out early, the crowd looked like they were having a good time!

Three words you never imagined you would hear together,
"Mongolian', 'Folk', and 'Rock',... ;P

Yeah, life is good. I had a random awesome thing happen today.

So I was assisting with a workshop dealing with regulatory issues, and one of the panelists was an executive from the jewelry industry. I noticed he had the One Ring on his finger (yup-that one). Now, it seemed odd to me, this man was a powerful executive, mid seventies, dressed in a sober three-pieced suit. Not who you would expect to be sporting a piece of serious Tolkien gear. So I complimented him on his ring, which pleases him. He took it off and let me hold it. Then as I have it in my palm he tells me it’s the first prototype made for the movie production ..... O.o

So I was holding a historical piece of jewelry today, that was also a beautiful gold ring with the Dark Speech inscription, just like the movies.

I love my life sometimes

Yep, THAT is awesome, random or otherwise!

Little things like that just make life fun!

Breaks are good,
So I hear,

I'll let you guys know when I GET one! (IF I get one,...) ;P

Dealt with the insanity all week, survived, (Yay!)

NOW I get to go and do an opening night show, Matilda the Musical, in a tiny little theater that is surprisingly fun to perform in.
(Yay?)

This time, i'm ON the stage, not the tech! :D

Yeah the craziness continues. My job is heating up with a lot of cases coming in. My little agency has been in the news a lot when th the whole Facebook/ Experian stuff (it’s really odd to work with people who took on the Zuck For 5 billion ... like literally steps away). Lots of work dumped in my lap lately. I picked up a ticket to go see The Hu in a bar in DC Tomorrow. I’m going to a Laotian cultural festival Saturday afternoon and a blues show that evening (Patrick Sweany).

I am really enjoying life now, but it leaves me scratching for time to post. I’m getting a new (well, refurbished) computer this weekend, and I’m hoping that this will inspire more attendance to this game. My laptop is ancient and unreliable and a phone can only do so much.

That is crazy,... AWESOME! Everything sounds great. Even being busy at work sounds like a good thing! ;)

Hey, I'm glad to hear you are enjoying life, I'm only a little jealous.
;P

Stay busy, and stay sane! (too late for me!) ;P